Lake Pontchartrain

During spring break of my junior year of high school, I went with my church youth group down to New Orleans to clean up after the Katrina disaster. One of the most memorable moments was when we were crossing over Lake Pontchartrain to reach the city. The drive was approximately ten minutes long and the traffic was heavy. There is a two lane bridge going across the lake, allowing vehicles to make it to the other side. When you look out over the lake stretched before you, you cannot see the land on the other side. The lake is absolutely huge. That day the sun was shinning high in the sky and the reflections of light off of the water looked like millions of diamonds sparkling below the vehicle. The bridge itself was pretty narrow for two way traffic, and it was extremely low to the ground. The sides of the bridge were practically nonexistent, only a 6-8 inch barrier stopping you from going over the edge of the bridge into the water below. This made the car seem like it was simply driving across the water itself. It was a scary experience at first because of the chaotic traffic flying by you. The shallow guard rails didn't seem like they would stop you from going over at all. I absolutely loved how you didn't feel like you were driving on a bridge to a certain destination though, you felt like you were skidding across the surface of the lake, just barely kissing the water's surface. It was one of the most unique driving experiences I have had.