2021 Western Oddysey: Adding Louisiana 1/2

The Comfort Suites in Sealy, Texas, a western suburb of Houston, was our twelfth  night of this trip in a "Choice" hotel. They are usually clean, well-run hotels. But, perhaps because of the pandemic, they are VERY inconsistent about breakfasts. At this one we were thrilled with our accomodations, after an awkward start. The front desk clerk this New Year's Eve was new and by mistake assigned us to a room that had been "x"ed off the chart for the evening. The TV didn't work and the room had some other sort of unready aspects. We asked for a different room and the yound man apologised profusely for his mistake. No biggie and we slept well and long. We needed the rest and were relieved that we could sleep in and still get breakfast which is served till ten. Except it wasn't. Ugh. The same young man was on duty again and managed to find us some pastries, but breakfast had been put away and the breakfast area cleaned and lights turned off when we got there at about 9:40.

So we hit the nearby Dunkin Doughnuts for coffee and used that to wash down the pastries as we drove east.

I wish we had gotten our own pictures, but along the downtown mesh of highways in the sprawling metropolis of Houston four giant heads appeared by the roads. Mr. Google helped me discover that these busts are known locally as "Mount Rush Hour". Washington and Lincoln for this shrine are joined by Texas heroes Houston and Austin. I downloaded this picture from the internet.

Our curiosity got the better of us in Baymont, Texas, so we stopped to see what in the world is Buc-Ee's. I'll tell you what it is: it's the Walmart (or maybe the Costco?) of gas stations. It is huge! 

Several shelves of bakery items were labeled as Mrs. Baird's. My Baird relatives, including my Mother, are/were great cooks. Mother dried peaches and other fruit in the sun and created delicious fried pies back in the fifties. I wonder if this Mrs. Baird is any kin.

I understand there is one in Calhoun, Georgia now. We spent 51¢ there; I put two quarters and a penny in their penny-squashing machine to produce a "Texas" medallion souvenir to attach to my walking stick. 

Outside the Buc-Ee's the boat-tailed grackles (Quiscalus major)
strutted fearlessly hoping to score a spill of human treats.

Infrastructure

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Baton Rouge/Mississippi

Louisiana our sixth new state