![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bktheirregularDid not in slightest way regret hundred-mile trip to Philadelphia to see ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
neonhummingbird. Only problems: getting there (moderate traffic) and getting back.
Getting to Philly involved following instructions taken from Mapquest and downloaded to PDA; got through traffic jams, construction on Jersey Turnpike, through side roads and into City of Brotherly Love. Parked about four blocks away from hotel, as it turned out, and got lost twice trying to find hotel on foot.
After second attempt to get directions, found hotel, found Perri in lobby, festivities commenced. Much fun was had.
After reluctant goodbye, went to walk to car, had to ask for directions three more times to find parking garage.
Then the fun started.
Following MapQuest instructions on PDA was simple enough until reaching the highway leading out of Philadelphia; took exit to city street instead of northbound highway, looped back onto in-city highway, and found self on Ben Franklin Bridge instead of Betsy Ross bridge. Taking wrong bridge across Delaware River meant, of course, that carefully mapped out MapQuest instructions had just become waste of PDA memory.
No need to panic, said to self; Turnpike is close by; just have to head east and look for signs. Found signs, followed across a couple of state highways. Figured that once reached Turnpike, navigation would be reduced to solved case, as know five different ways of getting from Turnpike to home.
Should have remembered: got lost five times within five city blocks in Philly. Not good omen.
After following signs, looking for intersection with Turnpike, started to get slightly suspicious when signs stopped appearing. Followed highway until started to get nervous, stopped at gas station, asked for directions to Turnpike. "Six miles back the other direction," the answer came back.
Frell and hezmana.
Maneuvered to other side of highway, followed NJTP signs six miles until reached interchange that was perfectly obvious that direction, should have been equally obvious coming in other direction. No clue how missed on the first pass.
Got onto Turnpike, noted some fog, several people pulled over by state troopers. Then saw blinking yellow lights highlighting instructions to tune radio to 1610 AM. Turned off Two Towers soundtrack (had been running without tunes while searching for Turnpike), turned on radio. Announcement said that between Exit 6 and George Washington Bridge, fog conditions were limiting speeds to 35 miles per hour.
There are approximately 85 miles of road between NJTP Exit 6 and the George Washington Bridge.
*facepalm*
Luckily, traffic was going anywhere from 50 to 70 miles per hour; followed flow of traffic, staying a bit on conservative side. Got overtaken by many SUV's, crowded by several trucks.
Fog remained rather light until Newark, when it began to sock in the highway to greater and greater degree. North of Newark, got boxed in by three super-semi's to left, right, front, and decided time had come to bail from Turnpike, take alternate route home.
Took Exit 16W to the Swamp (what the locals call the New Jersey Meadowlands Sports Complex) and visibility promptly dropped from half a mile to seventeen inches. Got crowded by tailgaters who did not understand that signage high on poles was effectively out of visual range.
Finally made it to NJ Route 17, affectionately known to locals as Butcher Boulevard, and plowed through fog ranging from 500 to 30 yards visibility. Made it home at about 1am, safe, sound, and zorched.
G'night, all.
neonhummingbird. Only problems: getting there (moderate traffic) and getting back.Getting to Philly involved following instructions taken from Mapquest and downloaded to PDA; got through traffic jams, construction on Jersey Turnpike, through side roads and into City of Brotherly Love. Parked about four blocks away from hotel, as it turned out, and got lost twice trying to find hotel on foot.
After second attempt to get directions, found hotel, found Perri in lobby, festivities commenced. Much fun was had.
After reluctant goodbye, went to walk to car, had to ask for directions three more times to find parking garage.
Then the fun started.
Following MapQuest instructions on PDA was simple enough until reaching the highway leading out of Philadelphia; took exit to city street instead of northbound highway, looped back onto in-city highway, and found self on Ben Franklin Bridge instead of Betsy Ross bridge. Taking wrong bridge across Delaware River meant, of course, that carefully mapped out MapQuest instructions had just become waste of PDA memory.
No need to panic, said to self; Turnpike is close by; just have to head east and look for signs. Found signs, followed across a couple of state highways. Figured that once reached Turnpike, navigation would be reduced to solved case, as know five different ways of getting from Turnpike to home.
Should have remembered: got lost five times within five city blocks in Philly. Not good omen.
After following signs, looking for intersection with Turnpike, started to get slightly suspicious when signs stopped appearing. Followed highway until started to get nervous, stopped at gas station, asked for directions to Turnpike. "Six miles back the other direction," the answer came back.
Frell and hezmana.
Maneuvered to other side of highway, followed NJTP signs six miles until reached interchange that was perfectly obvious that direction, should have been equally obvious coming in other direction. No clue how missed on the first pass.
Got onto Turnpike, noted some fog, several people pulled over by state troopers. Then saw blinking yellow lights highlighting instructions to tune radio to 1610 AM. Turned off Two Towers soundtrack (had been running without tunes while searching for Turnpike), turned on radio. Announcement said that between Exit 6 and George Washington Bridge, fog conditions were limiting speeds to 35 miles per hour.
There are approximately 85 miles of road between NJTP Exit 6 and the George Washington Bridge.
*facepalm*
Luckily, traffic was going anywhere from 50 to 70 miles per hour; followed flow of traffic, staying a bit on conservative side. Got overtaken by many SUV's, crowded by several trucks.
Fog remained rather light until Newark, when it began to sock in the highway to greater and greater degree. North of Newark, got boxed in by three super-semi's to left, right, front, and decided time had come to bail from Turnpike, take alternate route home.
Took Exit 16W to the Swamp (what the locals call the New Jersey Meadowlands Sports Complex) and visibility promptly dropped from half a mile to seventeen inches. Got crowded by tailgaters who did not understand that signage high on poles was effectively out of visual range.
Finally made it to NJ Route 17, affectionately known to locals as Butcher Boulevard, and plowed through fog ranging from 500 to 30 yards visibility. Made it home at about 1am, safe, sound, and zorched.
G'night, all.
