directions??

[smilingcat]

We decided to drive over to Beaverton (west of Portland) from where we live in Troutdale (way east of Portland). Take I-84 West merge to I-5 S go across Willamette River then onto I405 N then onto US26W... Onto I405N went okay then I missed the US26W. Read the exit sign as we drove by... It was soo quick!!!

Got off I405 onto surface street and we find ourselves in urban area with mostly one way streets. Trying to drive, read a map, read street signs all at the same time is not a good idea when most of the streets are one way.

Since I passed the exit, US26W was behind us, make a right turn and another and I could get back to where I made a mistake. Make a right turn and realized I headed down the WRONG WAY on one way street SHRIEEEEKKKK!!!! Luckily no cars were headed our way and I was able to make a quick U-turn. Hand off the map to my partner, we pulled over to the side of the road, trying to figure where we were... After we figured out how to get back, my partner was telling me which way to drive and after harrowing 5-10minutes, we managed to get back onto US26W...

Getting lost seems to be my MO whether it is driving a car or riding my bike with a route slip.

I think it will be a while before we try to drive over to Beaverton or Hillsboro.



I also managed to get onto I580?? from Patterson California to Livermore California and being caught up in a morning rush hour toward SF. I wanted to stay on 5 FWY and somehow ended up 580... This was my drive from Hermosa Beach Ca to Troutdale Or.
This mistake cost me 30 miles and hour of driving time. I called my partner on my cell and she used google map to guide me back to I5 FWY... I was sooo nerve wracked.

I need something better than a GPS. one step above google map. Not only show me the direction on how to get there but pilot my car!!!

[OakLeaf]

I think all car GPS, and definitely all phones, have text-to-speech...

My bike computer died and my phone won't navigate a pre-determined route. Until I get my refurb computer back from Garmin, I'm just going to have to let the other club members navigate.

[marni]

I also managed to get onto I580?? from Patterson California to Livermore California and being caught up in a morning rush hour toward SF. I wanted to stay on 5 FWY and somehow ended up 580... This was my drive from Hermosa Beach Ca to Troutdale Or.
This mistake cost me 30 miles and hour of driving time. I called my partner on my cell and she used google map to guide me back to I5 FWY... I was sooo nerve wracked.

The last time I drove in California/SoCal/ LA, I hadn't been back to California for almost 10 years. When I used to commute from Palos Verdes and Later Hermosa Beach, to Long Beach and downtown LA, I commuted on the Harbor Freeway, and the San Diego Freeway.

This time (10 years later) I got lost coming back from the San Diego and ended up near Chavez Ravine having missed the branch off to the 405 (harbor freeway) because it was now called the 405.

I do not miss LA at all.

As for navigating- I still rely on google route descriptions, I have a navigator the SAG guy bought me, but I refuse to take directions from a mechanical voice.

just call me an unrepentant luddite.

[Velocivixen]

I live in Beaverton, next time call me. I drive Portland all the time. I'll get you here in one piece!

[Crankin]

Marni, I am generally a Luddite when it comes to tech stuff, but now that I have a job which requires me to drive to people's houses in some sketchy areas that I am not familiar with, I use the portable GPS we bought to use when we are in my car or in a rental. I also print out Mapquest directions, so I have an "idea" of where I am going, but the first couple of client visits, I refused to use the GPS and I panicked, couldn't clearly read the directions without getting in an accident. So, I used the GPS regularly until I remembered how to get to 10-11 different people's houses.
As a result, I now know my way around Lowell for the first time in 21 years (despite working there for the past 2 years) and I can at least get to my client's houses in Lawrence.

[marni]

Crankin

that's great! Lowell can be challenging. The only thing I could ever find was the historical park with the mills and the museum of american textiles.

The SAG guy got me one for my birthday and I have used it a couple of times although I really would rather not have to listen to *****y female voice telling me she's "recalculating" or turn right now, after I've already reached the turn and done that at shich point she says yet again"recalculating."


I don't have to get out of my familiar little rut too often which is a good thing.

The reason I got lost in LA was that all the freeways had numbers on the signs instead of names and I hadn't equated the numbers with the names. Duh!!!

[cuttercoasty]

Don't feel so bad..... I get lost in my own home town... Hillsboro.

Haven't been back much in the last few years, but can tell you I can not get from my family's home to washington square mall without getting lost because of how big the place has gotten or how much construction has gone on.
GPS while driving is the only way I can make it.

20 years ago, had that town on lockdown by bicycle... every alley, every back road, every country road.....

not so much in my 30's.

Good luck with the traveling that way. I know it can be a pain.

[sgtiger]

I can totally sympathize with you, smilingcat. I miss exits and turns a lot when driving in unfamiliar places. It doesn't help that some of the exits and such come up on the left in Oregon. Also, streets mysteriously end and start a few blocks down when the map shows it as a continuous path, and your GPS thinks it is too. Didn't you move up form Southern California? I swear how streets are laid out there make much more sense than how they are sometimes laid out here.

[missjean]

As a result, I now know my way around Lowell for the first time in 21 years (despite working there for the past 2 years) and I can at least get to my client's houses in Lawrence.

OMG, Lowell is the worst! With my former job I would have visit customers in Lowell and I would always get lost. With the one way streets, the bridges over the river & canals, and the odd intersections, it took me years to get the general layout of the place.
Lawrence, on the other hand, was not so bad, nice and compact & always interesting.
Small world, huh?!