Trip planning and being Lost

Trip Planning and being lost

I had two interesting experiences the weekend with with finding new locations and ‘being lost’.

The first event happened Friday evening as I was searching out a friends place in South Calgary. I don't often travel to that area and I don't have a GPS to guide me. The address was a combination of numbers and a named drive relating to the area of town it was in.

The second event happened Saturday evening as I was searching out the Scottish hall in South Edmonton.  I don't often travel to that area , but I did have my phone App to guide me. The address was a direct relationship to a Street and Avenue grid that should have been easy to locate.

On Friday Evening Richard checked in if I knew how to find his place , inquired about my GPS.  he offered to come rescue me if I became lost.   I had prepared before the journey, looking at a map prior to setting off, noticed key landmarks such as parks and  major intersections.  I printed off a sheet highlighting my best route as well as backup route and was on my way.  Although it was blowing snow and I was uncertain about turn offs , I navigated mostly from memory of looking at the map and only had to glance back at my sheet a couple of times.  I found the major intersections, turned at the park , and arrived in the general area fairly easily.  I was a block off on my first try, but a quick adjustment over to the next street had me arrive safe and in time.

The Saturday adventure was a different ordeal.  I had not prepared to go to the Scottish  hall until I was already on the road back to Edmonton.  I pulled up the map on my blackberry ‘MAPS’ function, and it easily guided me to the exact street address starting with a turnoff from Nisku.  As I headed north through industrial area and followed the tracks, I knew I was in trouble when it indicated I was at my address between an intersection of  cranes, pipes, and industrial shed.  I played with the phone settings a few times , remapping and validating my current location, and I was pleasantly surprised that I was only about 3 km away.  Back to follow the train tracks , and past the dead end sign.  My path to the hall was blocked by the Anthony Henday, Train lots, and industrial land.   I thought I could easily correct like any good rural farmer would, by going back to the next intersection and simply hopping over a mile.

Up over the Anthony Henday I went , and closer to 31 Ave, but my cute mapping device again told me I had arrived  between a dry cleaner and a school park at 20 Ave?  To make matters worse , I was navigating without my glasses ( which I lost in Calgary), it was dark, icy, and blowing snow reduced visibility!

After much frustration and calls to my wife waiting for me at the hall , I circled back only to find a variety of street and road names , with no reference to the numerical addresses , and all roads as I got closer , being unplowed and dark, just waiting to swallow up a minivan on the dark winter night.  I thought I best circle back up to the next street with a number on it so I could get my bearings.  When I did so, I found myself on a one way shooting be over the Henday on on to the Gateway Blvd heading in to Edmonton, then Ellerslie Road and Ahhh - Finally a street number ! ! , I think that was where I wanted to turn I thought as again I was blocked in by a series of one way streets , a long train blocking traffic, and snow blown streets keeping visibility poor.    

By this time the final phone call said ‘ Just go home’ we are all leaving now…….

I was frustrated with my phone , with the city planning department, and for my own inability to find what should have been a simple search on a street grid address.  In all fairness , my Map application was well out of date, showing roads that were blocked , and not indicating new ones recently built.  How hard is it to put  ‘ about 37 Ave’ next to Eby Road….

The truth is I was prepared well for the first situation, and ill-prepared for the second.  I searched on updated maps when I got home showed me exactly where I should have turned and what would have been the easiest route.  It's amazing how just a little preparing and planning can change the outcome so drastically!

The lesson learned , is to not make so many assumptions , or gather better information.  I could have gather better advice on major landmarks , or asked how to arrive from an Edmonton perspective , took time to make better notes.  I believe another 10 min would have gotten me there, but I also waisted 40 min in the process!

Go out and make it a great day , plan ahead , get accurate information, and have a backup pair of glasses with you !

~ Blaine