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Lost Highway

Just to prove that I am capable of getting discombobulated durn near anywhere, same year as the mangrove swamp mishap, different trip.

October, 1985 - Heading home across the country from a long roadtrip through the Rockies. I'd dropped my paddling partner off at the Denver airport and was boogying east on familiar old I-70.

Now, understand, I love to drive. I love to drive long distances. Especially at night, when traffic is less thick. And I've been back and forth on I-70 more times than I care to count.

Heading east across Missouri, as the sun goes down, I'm in a groove, I've got the rhythm, I've entered the interstate zone. Twisting across the radio dial I pick up a St. Louis station broadcasting game seven of the World Series. The I-70 series, St. Louis vs Kansas City.

Hot damn, it doesn't get any better than this.

At least that's what I was thinking when the highway petered out and I can to a stop light in some city. Now, there's only one traffic signal on I-70, and that's in Breezewood, Pennsylvania. And I seriously doubt I'm in Breezewood, despite making pretty good time. I figure that I must have inadvertently taken some exit when I was a little too wrapped up in the game

There, just across the intersection, is a gas station. I pull in and ask for directions.

"Excuse me, how do I get back on I-70?" I ask.

Blank look, no response.

"I-70" I repeat "I got off the highway somehow, ya know...70 eastbound?"

A slow glimmer of recognition creeps across the pump jockey's face.

"Head back thata way for about a hunerd miles and ya can't miss it. Big green sign" he offers.

"No" I say, "Interstate 70, I-70, the main highway"

"Yup, I heard ya" he says, looking me straight in the eye "Yer in Springfield. Highway 55. You wanna go back to St Louie, 'bout ninety-five miles thataway", pointing south.

I go back to the truck and look at a map. Damned if he isn't right. I got off I-70 alrighty, almost a hundred miles ago. I've been tooling along interstate 55 for the past 2 hours, listening to the game, completely oblivious to every big green highway and exit sign.

Great game though. Saberhagen tossed a 5-hitter, Andujar and Herzog were ejected and the Royals won in a rout. I caught the first half of the game headed northbound on I-55...and the last half headed southbound. What the hell.

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