Lost on My Way Home

Kansas City Dawn
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I didn't get lost in Kansas City, for which I am grateful. As I say, this may not be a great accomplishment, since I chose not to leave the hotel — primarily because I was so interested in the subject matter (not because I was scared).

But I did get lost on the way home.

See, I had used MapQuest to get directions to Kansas City. And, I figured it would be as simple as writing the directions backwards to find my way back to OKC.

Hah!

I got out of Kansas City, MO without a problem. I crossed the state line with no worries. Well, it was after dark, but I felt confident the MapQuest directions would get me home since they got me to Kansas City ok. I drove west on I-435, just like the directions indicated. The next sign I was looking for was I-70.

I saw a turn-off for I-35 South. I chose to stick with the directions. Still no I-70 turn-off. Now, it's after 7 o'clock Saturday night, I'm essentially sleep deprived, there's no sun to use for directions, and it's too cloudy to see the stars. So you can imagine my surprise when the signs started saying "I-435 East".

How the heck had I started going east? So far as my visual field was concerned, I'd been twisting and winding as much as I had en route to Kansas City. At no point was I aware that I had gone essentially in a circle. By the way, I later learned that I-435 loops Kansas City.

Well, I did the only sensible thing: I turned around. When I came back to that I-35 South exit, I took it. And I was home free from there.

Incidentally, I did buy a road atlas en route to Missouri. I bought one for the nation (the price was right) which had inset maps of major cities. But even this map didn't make clear that I-435 looped Kansas City.

I'm thinking I should buy Global Positioning System next.

Or at least a compass.

Oklahoma City morning
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