The thing about getting a misdirection from your map program in a rig like mine is that you can't just turn around. Sometimes it takes a while to navigate back. Sunday morning I was misdirected to a gas station (usually 'diesel near me' works fine). The stressful part about this is that I was quite low on fuel, so I'm having to drive all this way out of my way and having trouble figuring out the best bet... and worried about running out of fuel.
Late in the day the gps told me the campground was off in a wilderness of tiny dirt roads. Yeah, I spent a long, long time turning around. I'm still terrible at it. I can pull forward and the re-attempt the back over and over again, getting out and looking and seeing what I need to do, but when I try again I can see that I'm in the same tracks over and over. I think I just don't have a good grip yet on how far back the back end is. I did do a couple of other backing maneuvers to get out of a tight gas station spot, and I'm more comfortable all the time with that sort of thing. But this was a terrible situation. And I was trying to get set up before dark - and of course darkness fell while I was dinking around with this. Upside: holy wow, I saw that incredible moonrise. I did stop to appreciate it. The dogs are funny, when "mommy" gets in that mode they just sit still and watch with high alertness as I get out, walk around, get back in, try again.
Yeah, eventually I made it. Finally wheel in to the campground and walk into the office. "Wow." I say. "My GPS took me way the wrong way." "Yeah, we get that a lot." "Really?" "Every day." i bit my lip and did not say "WHY THE HECK DIDN'T YOU WARN ME WHEN I CALLED AHEAD??? A SIMPLE - GOOGLE MAPS HAS US WRONG, BE SURE TO GO UNDER THE FREEWAY WOULD HAVE SAVED ME AN HOUR OF UNBELIEVABLE STRESS'.
They could at least have it on their site. I double checked while I was meandering along the tiny country roads.
Ah well, got to see a part of Tucumcari I might not otherwise have seen. :)
Yes, I'll go check the KOA reviews, put a warning, but it may be there. I didn't spend a lot of time on reviews because I had pushed for such a long day and didn't know where I was going to stop, so then it was just a quick google and call ahead. Normally I read reviews and plot out where I'm going the night before. Ah well, lessons? Spend more time looking at an overview map (even in a case like this where I don't have the relaxation of siting with my computer.) Never pass up a gas station out on the long bits of desert road if I'm at half or less. That way I'm never looking for fuel in stress-mode.
And to my son who tells me that google maps never gets it wrong - ha! The adventures I've had because google maps gets it wrong are legion - and legendary.
How about that incredible moon, though?
This campground - again, off season means low crowd, about half-full - has lots of open grassy area away from people and road so I can let the duppies scamper a bit.
I do really enjoy this section of the I-40/Rt 66. I'm going to venture this way with no agenda at all sometime. There are roadside attractions, museums, historical markers and monuments. Something called the Blue Hole that you can dive in Santa Rosa (about an hour back).
Going to work for awhile this morning see how the day looks. Then roll out with the goal of Oklahoma City. It's nice that places aren't crowded so I don't have to worry much about reservations ahead. I do have to call and see if they are open, but quite a few of them are, year-round. So, the morning here, mostly working, then the afternoon driving hopefully to OKC. Google maps says almost 6 hours... which for me, means 8. Depends on how late of a start I get this morning.
Two google maps screw ups in one day
Monday, November 14, 2016
Tucumcari, New Mexico, United States
Other Entries
-
1Last minute stuff-shuffle
Nov 122 days priorLas Vegas, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 1 -
2Some days are worse
Nov 131 day priorFlagstaff, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
3Two google maps screw ups in one day
Nov 14Tucumcari, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
4Deep in country
Nov 151 day laterOklahoma City, United Statesphoto_camera2videocam 0comment 0 -
5Second day, same as the first
Nov 162 days laterOklahoma City, United Statesphoto_camera2videocam 0comment 0 -
6Wonderful place!
Nov 173 days laterWest Memphis, United Statesphoto_camera43videocam 0comment 0 -
7Spacey
Nov 184 days laterHuntsville, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
8Alla-tooooooooooooona
Nov 184 days laterAtlanta, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
9Alla-Twoo na
Nov 195 days laterAtlanta, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
10Leaves on leaves
Nov 217 days laterRoebuck, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
11A hard day's night
Nov 228 days laterDumfries, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
12Got to see #1 and #3
Nov 239 days laterDumfries, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
13Strange Thanksgiving
Nov 2410 days laterLumberton, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
14Crossing the line into Florida
Nov 2511 days laterSt. Augustine, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
15Back in the country
Nov 2612 days laterClewiston, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0
2025-02-08