Edmonton: I have to say I like this city and it can't be solely because one of my children lives here. I've never found a direct route to her house. Many times, I've told myself I should just pretend she lives in Sherwood Park. When I suspect Sherwood Park is about to whiz by on the left, I should take the next exit even though the signs give absolutely no indication whatsoever that this is the last chance to end up in the south part of the city the easy way.
I go from, "This is nice scenery, aren't there any more gas stations" to "Where'd all those lanes come from!" I don't panic. Well, yes, actually, I do. And I really wish I'd skipped that cup of coffee stop back in pre-dawn Lloydminster.
Somehow I steel myself and whip over a couple of lanes to the right as we go tearing towards the vortex of the city in the morning traffic. I know very well where I want to be and it's not downtown. I need to somehow get myself over to where my child lives in an apartment in the geographical area to my left. I know all of this. I'm not lost. I know exactly which direction I'm zooming towards and I leave the TransCanada Highway almost downtown, way out of my way, take the first right turn, wheel into a car dealership and text my child, "Hi, I'm here."
I decide to turn right out of the dealership and travel north until I'm away from the thick of the city then go west and then come down St. Albert. Once I'm headed south, I plan to feel my way. Using the map as my guide, I predict there'll be only a couple of big deal left-hand turns. I need to know this ahead of time so I can set myself up in the right-hand lanes to go right, right, right and straight through intersections instead of making left-hand turns where there isn't an advanced green turning arrow. Construction temporarily throws me off but I keep going west and right, right, right to go left.
I arrive at my child's parking lot in one piece. I've had to swing through more than one mall to go right, right, right. The mid-Saturday afternoon Edmonton drivers have been impressively courteous. The drive down curvy Groat Raceway, when I found it and headed south, was almost fun, and, if it wasn't for the traffic circle the map didn't prepare me for, I'd say this was an almost smooth route.
