Some names are totally evocative of the Old West.

There's Dodge City, Tombstone, the Abilene Trail and a host of others, but thanks to a popular old song, there are few names that paint more vivid pictures than Laredo, Texas.

<em>"... as I was out walking the streets of Laredo ..."</em>

I have visited numerous places in the two months I have been in Texas, from El Paso to Houston, from Corpus Christi to Dallas and Fort Worth, but Laredo fascinated me.

[caption id="attachment_516" align="alignleft" width="202" caption="Streets of Laredo"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Streets-Laredo.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-516" title="Streets Laredo" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Streets-Laredo-202x300.jpg" alt="" width="202" height="300" /></a>[/caption]

It's on the Mexican border, about 180 miles away, so I decided to spend a Sunday and see if I could soak up some old-time Western atmosphere.

What a disappointment.

More than anything else, Laredo is now a border town where thousands of Mexican citizens come across the border to shop. What used to be the downtown area now consists of crowded streets with all sorts of businesses offering bargains.

The suburbs looked more like other parts of Texas I've seen, but nothing all that special.

I never did "spy a young cowboy all wrapped in white linen."

Oh, well.

If there weren't disappointments, life would be pretty bland.