A few weeks ago, we got an invitation to drive a that some Toyota engineers put together. Even thought I’d have to scramble to drop my kids off early at their grandma’s and drive a few hours to get there, it sounded like the kind of press event I’d enjoy so I decided I’d go myself.

Which brings us to yesterday when I arrived at the on time, helmet in-hand, only to discover that I was supposed to be at Bundy Hill Off Road, about a hundred miles away. I called Toyota to apologize, got back in the car and made it to Bundy Hill in time to do 4 laps in the Prius and — not to brag — set the fast lap of the day. (I’ll do a post on the car soon.) I thanked my hosts, bid my colleagues a fond adieu and hit the road. Then zoned out, missed my exit and drove more than two hours in the wrong direction. I had to back track.

Overall, my day should have included 6-7 hours of freeway, and three hours goofing around with the Prius. It actually ended up being 11-ish hours on the freeway and around 45 minutes at the Prius thing. I really wrecked my day.

And the thing is, I have done this before. In the pre-GPS era, I did it more than a few times. just like, zone out until you see a landmark that suggests you are in the wrong place. I’m reluctantly going to start using GPS on trips I don’t make regularly.

So what about you? Have you ever missed a turn, gone out of your way, made a wrong turn in Albuquerque? Have you ever accidentally driven to Indiana? What’s the furthest you’ve ever driven in the wrong direction.