Impromptu road trip

[melaniesuzanne]

I met wombatgirl and sskipstress in Arlington for a super yummy dinner at Matuba and then took an impromptu tour of the Pentagon parking lots and Crystal City while trying to get WG back to her hotel in Ballston. Let's just say that I made a LOT of wrong turns on a rainy night in a part of town I don't know.

The locals may commence laughing at our trek from Columbia Pike to Fairfax Drive.

Restaurant is located on Columbia Pike between Walter Reed Dr and (unbeknownst to me until just a minute ago when I looked at a map of Arlington) Glebe Road. WG's hotel is near the Ballston metro stop on Fairfax Dr. Since I didn't know that Glebe was the next street up from the hotel, I tried to retrace our path back to Washington Blvd, but missed the exit and somehow wound up in a Pentagon parking lot. We escaped onto Army Navy Drive and followed alongside I-395 until we spotted an exit sign for Glebe. Hooray! A street I recognize! Unfortunately, I turned the wrong way on Glebe and became extremely perplexed when it dumped us on Route 1. I made yet another wrong turn and quickly realized my mistake when I recognized the BMW dealership which I used to pass en route to azpapillon's and flonzy's old home.

At this point I pulled over and whipped out my map. wombatgirl giggled merrily when I showed her "this is where we started" (middle of map), "this is where we are" (bottom of map), and "this is where we want to be" (top of map). I finally had my bearings. We turned around on Route 1, turned back onto Glebe, passed back under 395, ignored Walter Reed Dr, ignored Columbia Pike, ignored Arlington Blvd, got a little confused at Wilson Blvd but bravely soldiered on, and finally made a correct turn onto Fairfax Drive.

I swear, I do actually have a sense of direction! It just doesn't work on rainy nights. On the up side, we got nearly an additional hour of visiting while driving all over creation. That'll have to hold me until I see her again at Pennsic.

Comments

[sskipstress.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! You almost went by my apartment.

[bittibuddha.livejournal.com]

awwwwww!

its just part of your endearing charms, hon. <3

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

Jeff and I have been lost in the Pentagon parking lot in the rain. And he's lived around there for years. :-)

I've also heard that the cops have started ticketing a lot of drunk drivers in there. People get in and then can't get back out again. :-D

[greta-k.livejournal.com]

So the PentaWorld parking lot is a roach motel?!?

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Only for inebriated roaches. Sober ones can eventually find an egress. Eventually. ;-P

[jaine-parr.livejournal.com]

I consider the roads around the Pentagon to be part of America's secret security system. A terrorist would never be able to enter and exit cleanly.

[shalandara.livejournal.com]

I grew up around there (as in I remember when the Pentagon City Mall was a gravel parking lot), and I would never be able to get in an out easily.

That being said, when "No Way Out" came out, I can remember seeing exactly where the cut was when the panned away from the Pentagon to the houses, because since I lived there I knew there was no house that looked like that one where they had placed it.

[dawnhutchings.livejournal.com]

okay if we go up to PA this weekend we bring my GPS. ;-)

[melaniesuzanne.livejournal.com]

Heehee! :)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

I've heard far too many stories about GPS's getting totally confused as well.

For that matter, I remember a road trip with melaniesuzanne where her GPS got confounded by us using a road that the GPS didn't know existed!

[wombatgirl.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I had a blast with it - as you said - more visiting time! :)

[melaniesuzanne.livejournal.com]

I had fun, too! Even if I was a bit distracted from trying to keep us from accidently going into DC. :)

[shalandara.livejournal.com]

So, this is why you were not at singing? ;)

[melaniesuzanne.livejournal.com]

Yep. I'll be back next week. :)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Should I feel guilty for giggling at the story of your wanderings through Arlington and the top of Alexandria?

I'm glad you all had a good time, and I'm sorry I wasn't in a position to join youse. Then again, if I'd been there I might have tried to give you directions, and you might not have had that extra hour to visit. ;->

[melaniesuzanne.livejournal.com]

Nah. I wouldn't post stuff like this if my ego were too fragile for the pointing and laughing. :)

[montuos]

I swear, I do actually have a sense of direction!

Sure you do! It looks like this: