“Not all those who wander are lost.” — J. R. R. Tolkien
I wonder if this crow is heading the right way — or is as turned around as I was. — Photo by Pat Bean
Turned Around
The 200-mile road trip from Dallas to Austin to attend my fifth Stories from the Heart writing conference — which was the reason for my making my annual trip to Texas in July instead of a more pleasant month, like April when the bluebonnets are in bloom – took me once again on a familiar route.
No bluebonnets in Texas in July. But if you go in April, you might be able to catch them. — Photo by Pat Bean
I picked up Interstate 35 on the outskirts of Dallas and followed it south all the way to Austin. It was a familiar drive with little chance for me to get off track, since even the Wyndham Garden Hotel that was my destination, was located beside I-35. But I put the address into my GPS anyway.
Using the GPS is a recently new habit since I didn’t own one when I traveled full-time exploring this country between 2004 and 2013. My youngest daughter, however, gave me one for Christmas in 2015. And I’ve grown addicted to it, although I do still study actual maps before taking off down the road.
On the far side of Waco, I needed to make a restroom stop, and when I saw a Buc-ee’s sign ahead, I took the next exit – and ended up in a tangle of construction that required a U-turn to get where I was going. Then I took the wrong exit and found myself repeating the U-turn maneuver to get to where I wanted to go.
Instead of Buc-ee’s however, it was another gas and convenience store where I stopped because it was closer – and the need to use the restroom, a bonus of being an old broad, was making me more and more uncomfortable.
Once my business was taken care of, I filled my little car up with gas and took off back down the road, which required about two miles of dodging construction before I finally got back on I-35. I had gone about a mile down the road when I passed a highway marker that read North 35.
Sh-ee-it! I’m not sure how it happened but I was heading the wrong way. It was another four miles before there was an exit that allowed me to make yet another U-turn and get headed south again.
At times like this – and I have them often since my sense of direction ranks in the minus category even with a GPS – the only thing to do is to laugh at oneself, and be thankful for the bonus sight-seeing excursion.
Bean Pat: An artist’s eye https://playamart.wordpress.com/2018/08/16/timeout-for-art-about-that-feather/#more-19973 I liked this blog because I piddle around with watercolors, and because the live model for this simple painting delighted me.
Pat Bean is a Lonely Planet Community Pathfinder. Her book, Travels with Maggie, is now up on Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/y8z7553y Currently, she is writing a book, tentatively titled Bird Droppings, which is about her late-bloomer birding adventures. You can contact h
er at patbean@msn.com
Pat Bean's blog 
Oh how I relate to this. If it weren’t for GPS I’d never get where I was going. With GPS, I might get there. Might.
I’ve always gotten to where I wanted to go, with or without GPS. But I’ve had some fine and interesting detours along the way. Thanks for commenting Sarah
I am navigational challenged and if you travel with me you may have a few more adventures along the way – ha! I still remember the time the GPS told us to do a u-turn on a four-lane highway – there was no reason for it and no way to cross the median to get to the other four-lanes. You still have to have your wits about you or get yourself in a position that you so do not want to be in. Happy Day – Enjoy 🙂
Good thinking and fine advice, cravesadventure. But getting lost can sometimes be part of the fun.
Thank you, Pat, for now the second time ‘recently’ you’ve placed the spotlight on my work… this time I am online and have time to properly thank you! Your posts are always inspiring, and I will leave this on the screen until I reach home tonight, and can appreciate it with an unhurried focus!
The conference sounds like a wonderful event!
Thanks Zeebra. The conference was a wonderful event — and that will be my next post.
yay! i’ll be offline til next week but look forward to the post!
When we came along that part of I-35 we noticed it, too, that there was a lot of construction going on causing quite some confusion. Luckily, as at that time we didn’t need a rest stop, we could drive straight on.
Our navigation usually is three-part: relying on real and Google Maps for the planning, writing down the route, and then – if necessary [normally for the last few miles only, to find our motel] rely on our navigation apps. And even so, trust us to sometimes get lost! 😀
Before my gps days, and sometimes even after, I study the maps before I get on the road and write a cheat-sheet of directions. Turn left here, and right there, etc. So did you make it to Port Aransas yet. I’ve taken the boat out to see the whooping cranes from there several times.
No, we haven’t made it to Port A. yet. We’ll be there from Aug. 21 to 24,
I have exactly the same problem and always just sort of count it into my travel time, even locally. I know I will make some wrong turns. It’s a rare occasion when I get from Point A to Point B without some sort of confusion along the way.
Nice post! Texas roads are nice but they are also filled with construction.