Driving over the Atchafalaya Bay Bridge, better known as the 18.5-mile bridge can take an eternity. More so for big rigs who are limited to 55 mph. Imagine someone suffering from gephyrophobia – fear of driving over a bridge.

And you wouldn’t want to crash here. All those alligators sunning menacingly in the the mud, many more underwater, but you would see them poke their nostrils above water from time to time to catch a breath.

Meanwhile a snowy egret wades in the shallow water while a great blue heron flies majestically over the swamp land. Gators aren’t necessarily ferocious, but they can be smart. They have been known to balance twigs over their nose and to act like logs to attract birds.

People here are used to alligators and it’s not uncommon to see them on the highway and they sometimes cause crashes.

Shortly after the bridge, a driver can decide to head south to New Orleans or veer north to Baton Rouge.

In French, the name means “Red Stick” and it’s the capital of Louisiana. There’s lots to see here, if you like antebellum architecture. USS Kidd is here, and just like the Big Easy, there’s plenty of casinos and Cajun cuisine. The appeal is the cost of living is cheaper so you can probably get a better deal.

There’s a truck stop just across the i-10 bridge over the Mighty Mississippi called LA-1

For less than $10, an uber ride will take you downtown.

I visited China One on Airline Drive. The manager was very friendly and we talked about the issues facing the city.

“Baton Rouge is a beautiful city with a lot of charm. But there’s lots of crime here and this area on Airline Ave has seen a lot of prostitution and drugs.”