Who needs GPS? Me! Elaine! Don’t ever let us leave home without it. Both of us (especially Elaine) should know the route to Paducah without depending on GPS or a map. Getting Paducah wasn’t a problem. Getting home . . a slight problem.
I had driven from Paducah to right before the scary bridges. Elaine drove across the bridges and then when we got to a little gas station, we stopped to get gas and then I took over the driving again. Everything was going fine . . til . .
First, we missed our exit at Poplar Bluff. Not a problem. We’ll just take the next one which will take us into town and we’ll eat. We were getting hungry anyway. We ate and got back on the road. We made the right turn when we started. We were talking and laughing and talking. Not like we hadn’t just spent three full days talking and laughing and talking.
All of a sudden, I looked up and there was a bridge! A fairly big bridge! I gasped . . Elaine! It’s a BRIDGE! She had seen the bridge at apparently the exact moment I saw it. She said: Just a minute! Where are we??
Something was terribly wrong! We were lost! Lost in Missouri. Lost on Highway 67.
We were supposed to be on the blue route. We were on the pink route. We had gone at least 20 miles on the pink route! We turned around at the last possible spot before crossing the bridge, backtracked 20+ miles and got back on Highway 60. Even though we’d just driven over 40 miles out of our way, we both kept laughing because we must’ve passed at least 10 road signs that said Highway 67 and neither of us noticed we were on the wrong road.
This was not the first time Elaine and I have been totally lost and I doubt it will be the last, but I do believe we’ll start relying more on GPS.
Vicky says
You two sound like Jane and I when we venture out! LOL. We’ve been lost in some of the prettiest little towns!
JudyL says
We both wondered how long it would have taken us to realize we were lost had it not been for that bridge that wasn’t supposed to be on our route.
Happy Room Diana says
What are you USA women made of? Scared of a little bridge!!
When I was in the USA last time I rented a car.. now that is scary you drive on the right side BUT we drive on the correct side !
ALso there is no gear lever so I have a spare foot!
Luckily I took my Sat Nav with maps of Oklahoma and Sean Connery [James Bond] voice to guide me. Programmed in all the fabric stores, Walmarts and casino’s and had a great time.
Diana in England
CArole S says
OH MY–I dont like bridges either! and MOST specifically, swinging ones! Few years back, Hubby got me up to Colorado on the Royal Gorge bridge in the nowhere in Colorado-(in royal gorge) BEAUTIFUL AREA, BUT that bridge is something like 1500 ft UP!!! NOTHING down there but a creek…ok–one way across–the bridge, and we were on foot–ok–no big deal till hubby began to jump up and down! then he played around like pretending to drop camera, by taking pics through the slats of the bridge….eeeps—-across finally–spent a couple hours hiking, eating, sight-seeing, etc…then we had to go back–well, I hoofed it as fast as I could–John dilly-dallied–then a HUGE DUMP TRUCK decided to cross….I couldnt run–thought I might trip or something and go off side…I was panic-strickened… BUT–I am alive and well in Ariz! I know exactly what you had to endure! Kudos to making it home and still having your sanity!!! OH–ps–that bridge is the highest, oldest, and longest suspension bridge in the US for many, many years!!! I still dont like to drive across bridges, either!!
Sandy says
My friend Diana and I take the “scenic” route alot of the times we go places. We get to talking and before you know it, we end up at Hancock’s parking lot or some other quilting store, lol. Then we laugh and tell each other we won’t be telling this story to our husbands. They just wouldn’t understand.
I am scared to death of bridges too…….even when I am the passenger. We pass over the one in MO everytime we are on our way to visit in laws in Albuquerque.
Sandy
Mary-Kay C. says
You two were probably blabbing too much. I’m sure you had a great time anyway.
sandi a. says
Oh, that was so funny! I did something similar once while on my way to Iowa to visit my folks. I was all by myself and I was just singing away and forgot to pay attention to what road I was on. Ended up only about three miles down the wrong road before I “woke up” and realized I wasn’t passing familiary scenery! LOL!!
Deb says
We did that too, my husband and I. Luckily he is a good sport, because I was navigator!.
I believer we were coming from W. V. supposed to go to Ohio, and ended up in Louiville, KY.! It was about 1-1.5 hours out of the way, but it was dark, and we were listening to a good book on tape. Opps! That’s were we stopped for the night! It always makes for a good story.
I also did that near home, (we live in N. MN.) and were heading 1/2 way to the cities, (Cloquet) than back home. (I picked up a friend’s son).A trip I make 4-6 times a year. Took a wrong turn out of Walmart, and didnt notice till we hit the town of Hinkley, SOUTH. About 1+ hour away, yacking, then it was 10pm, and we HAD to go back home-3 hours of it! UGH. I blame it on the fact that my hub and I were making a lot of trips to the cities the months before, and I didnt even notice we were going in the wrong direction! They had a good laugh when I called home to inform them I would be “late”.
Mrs. Goodneedle says
I’m laughing because that could be me! “nuf said…
Welcome home!
Elaine says
Boy I sure did have a blast with you, Judy! At least going an extra 40 miles gave us an extra hour or so to talk and laugh! Lets get lost more often, ok?
Judy L. says
When I told Chad, he said “How did you get lost with GPS?” When I told him we didn’t have GPS with us, you can imagine the look I got.
Marla Southers says
Hi Judy! It was so fun getting to meet you on Thursday at the the show! I hadn’t been there more that a few minutes when I saw you. Sorry I could not meet you at your cabin later for that yummy desert. I had my niece and sister with me and both girls were simply wore out. Actually was a little tuckered myself by the time I got home! Wonderful day though. Your mom and dad seemed so nice. Hope they had a good time! Hope your “girls” are enjoying the evening air!
Lisa says
I just happened across your blog, I am also from Vernon County, Missouri live north of Nevada. When I read your story about getting lost, I laughed thinking of my daughter and her husband a few years ago were on their way back from Florida, she had went to sleep in the front seat, when he woke her to say I think I made a wrong turn they were half way to St Louis. Well her being the person she is looked at the map and says well take off here it will meet up with I44. It was one of the roads with the little red dots next to it(scenic). When they were two hours late getting in and I couldn’t reach them by phone started to panic. She said it was horrible no cell, little narrow curvey roads. Needless to say they did not make that mistake the next trip.
Connie W says
Well I’m glad you two finally found your way and both made it safely home.
We got back yesterday noon-ish. Thanks for hosting us all for pie and ice cream and a terrific evening. It was so good to see all of you again and also meet new people.