Two: Texas

Liberty, Texas

                I went to Texas the first time in 2000. I was in Fort Worth for a few days and managed to get around to a variety of good places to eat and good places to take train photos. I liked Texas quite a bit and fully expected to get there many more times. Flip ahead 11 years and I still hadn't got back to Texas. So when I got an opportunity a few weeks ago to go to Houston, I took it.

                I knew Houston was going to be big, but it was even bigger than I thought. In close, the city is ringed by Interstate 610. I took many trips around Houston on I-610 and one of my favorite trips came at night as I was traveling north on the west side of the loop. The night was humid, there was a haze in the air and cutting through this was a search light mounted atop the 64-story Williams Tower. I felt I had been transported into some 1930s version of the future -- tall buildings, searchlights cutting through the haze. The only thing missing was Zepplin looking to dock to the top of the observation deck. It was a great sight.

         Another thing I loved about Houston -- besides the Tex-Mex -- were the trains. Houston is a train lovers dream. I spent most of my time on the old Sunset Route, which gave me an opportunity to photograph two of my favorite modern railroads the Kansas City Southern and the Union Pacific. The first night I was in town my business knocked off early, so I took I-610 to U.S. 90 and headed northwest. When I got to Liberty, Texas I pulled off the highway, parked in a lot near the old train station and just waited. I didn't have long to wait before a Kansas City Southern SD-70 ACe (4019) came roaring through town with its horns blasting and pulling a nice long freight.

                I had another state.