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| DANIEL BOONE |
That was the last sane thing I said.
After our stay with the grandkids, we decided to take the Western Kentucky Parkway instead of the interstate which would take us down to Nashville, and then west to Arkansas, and finally home.
Somehow, for the next several hours, things went awry.
First, I noticed the directional system in our van read "C" and then the temperature. It should read E for East, W for West, SW for Southwest...well, you get the picture. I have always depended on that simple little gadget. But... my lands...it said..."C." What is that?
As we drove along, I read the manual for the van and learned it meant Calibrate. As in...Calibrate the Directional System if it gets off. Well, dang it, it was off! I read--"To restore the directional system, find an open area and drive in a 360 degree circle three times."
Well, forget that, my dear husband said. We need to find our way to the Tennessee State line. This looked easy on the map. However, for many miles, the Kentucky State Highway Department decided to make a few temporary turns, roads, and detours so that after about two hours, we were Lost!...in Kentucky. We felt as though we drove around in circles.
You see why a GPS system would be no good? You see why a map is useless? The roads do not match the map!!!
Anyway, at long last, we found our way south and crossed into Tennessee. Safe at last. I knew exactly where we were.
I peered at the directional system. "Oh. Look," I said. "The directional system somehow fixed itself."
My husband laughed this hysterical laugh that didn't sound at all like his usual quiet, sedate manner. "Don't you understand? We drove in circles for two hours! Of course, it's fixed. We drove for hours, in circles..."
"There, there," I said, patting his shoulder. "Everything will be fine now."
Oh, by the way. We had a lovely time in Kentucky. I'll tell you all about our wonderful visit to Bardstown in the next blog.
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/
LOL!! Celia, you were in MY neck of the woods. I live within a stone's throw of Kentucky Lake. You should've hollered, my friend! Jasper and I would've helped you navigate these lovely wooded hills.
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I'm trying not to laugh, Celia, really I am, but it's reminding me so much of every trip we made to Nashville. I love the South, I love the southern people, their food, their fireflies, but their roads are a nightmate. We could never get out of Nashville without first finding the Bell South building with the Batman top (my blessed building of direction) and then to get down to where we had to go, we had to drive into the hospital's parking lot, do a U-turn and the get back onto the road to find our way out of the spoke that goes round and round. Kevin (we ran Kevin Sharp's fan club and went back for Fan Fair every summer)would shake his head and asked if we got lost. 'No," we said, "we followed the blue lights on the airport runway and that's how we got down here." That's when he stopped asking because we think he was too afraid to ask more questions.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there was the day the EMTs had to escort us out of the district where we shouldn't have been in the middle of the night with $2000 in cash on us....but, that's another story Kevin hasn't recovered from yet. ;)
MAEVE--oh, I saw the Kentucky Lake on the map--maybe I crossed it..don't remember! the real problem was from Mayfield south to the state line.-Lots of torn up roads and signs. I can't read fast enough to get the meaning of every sign, especially if I'm looking for one particular highway and it's not on a sign!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's lovely and wooded--love that part--that's why we took the parkway.
But we're home, and all is well. My next post will be about our good day in Bardstown.
Celia
PAISLEY-there! You see? We, too, now avoid Nashville, because we did the same thing you did one year. We were trying to see the Capitol and the State museum. They have no parking for visitors that we could find, so we parked blocks away and walked. But it was shut down for repairs. Then we tried the State Museum, but the front door was blocked by several State Police guys--and a woman--with their guns and such, and said, because of 9/11--which had just occured, the museum was closed for the day--some kind a security check.
ReplyDeleteThen we couldn't get out of town. When we did, we decided it wasn't meant for us to see the State Capitol, and that's one thing we always do.
Now we skirt Nashville on the new 155 loop--that is absolutely wonderful!
I enjoyed you tale--so, you know what I mean.
Celia, I guess stopping to ask for directions was out of the question with your husband driving! LOL...My husband has always said I have "no sense of direction." And, lately I've been driving my mother places and now know exactly who to fault for that trait! HA. I can't stand the GPS because I tend to enjoy my music better. And, truthfully, sometimes going off the beaten path is another discovery to be found. Glad you eventually found your way.
ReplyDeleteRuth
Yahoo or google swallowed my previous funny and long comment about how we were driving in Switzerland and ended up in Italy! Can't rewrite!
ReplyDeleteOh boy, Celia, driving in circles in Kentucky wouldn't be fun. When my son lived there, I'm glad he did all the driving.
ReplyDeleteI've been lost in Kentucky, too. Of course, it was the eastern part of the state. Either way, there's no reception. I have to find a McDonald's and use the WiFi to figure out where I am. :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL, Celia. Reminds me of once when we were on the way to visit cousins in Alabama. Dh and I like to take scenic routes on the way and zip home on the interstate. His cousin had given up directions, but we opted for "our" way so we could drive down the Natchez Trace. After going out of our way to get there, we learned it was closed for construction. This made us a couple of hours late arriving at the cousins. Of course, his cousin had to mention, "I told you the way to come" a dozen or so times.
ReplyDeleteLOL Celia! Did you ever get to Nashville? Stop to look at it? We were there this summer and eventually I'm posting about that.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love our GPS. If you get detoured, it recalculates and puts you back on track again. I'm always a bit detoured directionally... ;-)
Are you sure you were in Michigan, Celia? Sounds more like the Berumuda triangle, and Mona's long comment was sucked in as well. ;-) I hate when that happens, but glad you found your way out eventually.
ReplyDeleteRuth--yes, asking for directions in that area was out of the question. This was way out in the Wilds! Nothing around it at all--just a lot of countryside and trees to roam around in.
ReplyDeleteI really don't care for a GPS either. I honestly don't know how they work, but since I'm the navigator, I can read a map easily--get the whole picture. I'm also not a good oral learner--I need to "see" what I'm trying to learn.
Thanks for your input!
MONA--well, I understand that. It's happened to me, and it's especially vexing when I've written a long comment--which I often do.
ReplyDeleteI can see that driving in Switzerland and ending up in Italy might not be easy to do!
Wanda--I do understand. One thing that makes it difficult are the names of the parkways. You find out somehow later that each has two names. But if you only see one on a map, and another one on a sign...let me tell you, anyone would be confused. That took a while to figure out.
ReplyDeleteKeena--Oh, we've been a little lost in the Eastern part, too. But at lease the scenery is beautiful, so it's not too bad if you have time to roam around.
ReplyDeleteCAROLINE--even that sounds familiar. But we likes to dawdle on the way up and zip home on the Interstates. I have a long list of gone-awry trips.
ReplyDeleteOne was in Tennessee--we took a Southern E-W highway that paralled I-40, just to see the Tennessee Valey Authority Dam and Museum. You had to sign in at a little town, but when we got there--right after 9/11--the entire thing was closed to visitors--because of security for terroists. The whole country went crazy.
Another time we went through Illinois to see all things Abraham Lincoln in Springfield. But everything was closed to visitor except his home and neighborhood. Why? Budget cut. Illinois was running out of money.
Now, we're always gun-shy.
No, we haven't. Someday we will, though. I'll look for your post!
ReplyDeleteMackenzie--no, we were in Kentucky. But yes, it was akin to the Bermuda Triangle, now that you mention it!
ReplyDeleteThat is a real stitch! Glad you got where you wanted to go finally.
ReplyDeleteMorgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
Thanks, Morgan. It's always so good to know you're finally on the right track.
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