Lost on purpose

I like to go driving : roll down the windows, crank up the music, point the car in any direction and GO! When the sun is shining i want to be on the open road, but with my schedule and gas prices there has been a major curtailing in the adventure department. One of my favorite things to do when driving is trying to get lost. With my job I go everywhere in Maryland so it is very difficult to find places that i don't recognize. I love to make random turns and see how long i can go before i know where i am. It amazes me that i still can find new places in this tiny state, but normally i have to be in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, last week i was in the middle of nowhere so I just threw caution (and my budget) to the wind; after picnicking i turned left out of the park instead of right and just went. Did you know that there is a regional airpark in Montgomery County set up for flying model airplanes and helicopters? Me neither. Did you know that there is a renovated turn of the century Negro school in Boyd's? Me neither. Did you even know there was a town in Maryland called Boyd's (significant cause that is my sister's married name)? Me neither! Gosh i do love exploring. While driving i saw a little side road with this sign on it: hmmmmmmmm... i've never seen that sign before... "ford"... that makes me think of Western movies where cowboys have to drive mustangs across raging rivers. That is what "ford" means, right - crossing a river or something to that effect? I wasn't sure and am intrigued by traffic signs i don't recognize (i mean i do spend like 2-6 hours a day in the car) so i made a last minute turn down the road. It was a lovely, twisty little road with some houses on it: kinda narrow, but perfect for adventure driving. About 2 miles down, the pavement abruptly ended About two tenths of a mile down the gravel road i saw what looked like a puddle Nope. It was a stream. A stream that just cut right across the road. Really. I guess that's what the "ford" sign meant - a stream crosses the road. I bet when it rains you can't drive across it without 4-wheel drive. I bet when it REALLY rains you can't cross it at all. Cool. I wonder what is on the other side. I wonder if anyone is crazy enough to live down there. I wish i had a jeep (can't you just see me in a Wrangler with the top down and the door off, off-roading it, giving the "jeep wave" to all the other jeep drivers... sigh). But even I wasn't about to attempt that in my beautiful, wonderful, faithful Hyndai Elantra - she's great, but she's no Jeep. Instead it was back up the twists and turns and several more random turns. For 11 glorious miles i saw new scenery and had absolutely no idea where i was. It was lovely.