How would one become lost in the part of South Dakota that is basically flat with roads running north/ south and east/ west on all sides of mile square sections of farmland? Oh, occasionally a lake or small slough causes a twist in the road but it quickly comes back to that north/south and east/west pattern.

Even without a GPS one should be able to navigate through the countryside without becoming completely lost. At least that’s how I saw it. Things didn’t work out that way however.

We had taken a Sunday drive which is one of the few safe things to do during the Pandemic season. We started out in Minnesota and since on that particular Sunday all the Minnesota restaurants were not open we decided to check out the South Dakota restaurants just a few miles west of us.

A small town named Milbank had a fine restaurant on the edge of town but would it be open? As we approached the restaurant a large number of cars filled the parking lot indicating we had struck pay dirt. That especially caused me to smile because that restaurant was famous for its homemade pie with meringue two inches tall! 🙂

The food was wonderful and we were able to safe distance the whole time.

The lemon pie was exactly as I remembered it and the meringue might have been even a little higher then normal.

Being full and content we decided to take a leisurely drive home staying on the South Dakota side of the border and check out some different scenery. Since I had made this same drive many times over the years getting lost was the least of my concerns.

We were cruising down the highway enjoying the rich green farm fields, farm groves and great varieties of farmsteads and country homes when a green sign caught my eye. Corona, 6 miles, the sign read with an arrow pointing left at the upcoming crossroad.

Now don’t panic! That town has nothing to do with the virus that we are all trying to elude. Although the thought of driving into the little village did give me an uneasy feeling considering all the negative press the Coronavirus had been receiving.

Over the years I heard people discuss visiting Corona, South Dakota. In fact I have a friend who grew up in that little town of less then 100 people. So the sudden urge to make a quick left and finally get a chance to explore Corona, South Dakota overtook me.

That was my first mistake!

We made the turn and  began the six mile jaunt to Corona, South Dakota which seemed to never end. With no familiar landmarks six miles felt more like twelve. But then just as doubt began to fill my mind we spotted the top of an old, rickety grain elevator rising up above the tree line.

And then the trees cleared and we drove into the long sought after little community. It showed the wear and tear that so many small communities in the Midwest are famous for. Many empty homes were in need of repair and a good coat of paint with the surrounding lawn badly needing a manicure.

More modern homes were interspersed among those needing upkeep.

The main street hinted of better times. A saloon of sorts seemed to be the main functioning building. Several pickups were parked out front and I had just a brief urge to go in and order a Corona beer. Sitting at the bar in Corona drinking a bottle of Corona beer seemed like a fun thing to do. But the thought passed very quickly when I remembered I didn’t like the taste of beer. 🙂

At this point I was not yet lost until I decided we had seen enough and should return to the highway we had come from. That’s when the confusion began. There seemed to be many roads coming into and leaving the tiny town. They all looked the same.

But I located the road that looked familiar to me and left the town not realizing that I was now lost.

I was happy that I was oblivious to my lost state as it kept me from having an anxiety attack, for the time being that is!

As I was winging my way down the tarred county road I felt some relief knowing there was no fear of Kathie or I contacting the Coronavirus in our short visit. We only saw two people in our drive through the town and they were several blocks away. Getting infected with the Coronavirus in Corona, South Dakota would indeed be news worthy. But that’s not the way I would like to become famous.

As the miles rolled onward and the landscape looked less and less familiar it was becoming more clear to me that I was indeed lost in the wilds of South Dakota farm country. I probably should have stopped at a farm and swallowed my pride and asked the embarrassing question, “Where am I?”

But men just can’t seem to do that.

So on we drove.

The panic continued and began to build. And then I saw it.  A stop sign with a flashing light appeared just ahead. Our little tarred road was meeting a major highway. A large green direction sign rose from the ditch bank ready to announce the direction of the nearest towns.

The green sign indicated a turn to the right would mean a trip to Webster, South Dakota some twenty-five miles down the road while a turn to the left would take us eleven miles to…..what?……Milbank, South Dakota!?

We were supposed to be twenty-five miles west of Milbank by now!:(

What choice did I have? After making the stop I turned left and headed back to the town we had just come from forty-five minutes ago! Ugg!

I was familiar with U.S. Highway 12. Before the Interstate Highways existed it was one of the two lane highways crossing the United States from coast to coast.

As we rolled along finally knowing where we were going I  as was able to relax as we were approaching Milbank, South Dakota for the second time that day.

I was a reminded of a Highway 12 story I heard my uncles sharing many years ago when I was a kid. In fact the memory of that story made me feel much better about our brief loss of directions in South Dakota that afternoon.

As the story went a lady pulled into a gas station in a small town not far from Milbank. As the attendant checked the oil, washed the windows and filled her car with gas he noticed she seemed very upset.

“You seem upset, Ma’am. Is there anything I can help  you with?” the attendant inquired.

“Yes, ” she replied. “I’ve been driving for hours and I’m exhausted. Can you tell me how many miles it is to Chicago?”

When the attendant shared that Chicago was over 400 miles away the lady almost fainted from shock.

“Where are you coming from?” asked the attendant.

The lady replied in disbelief, “I started out from Minneapolis and when I turned onto Highway 12 I guess I should have taken a left and not a right!”

Yep, that memory made me feel a whole lot better about our brief loss of directions after the Corona, South Dakota tour.

I often wondered if that lady told and retold that wrong turn story to her friends over the years.

I wouldn’t have. I’ve had a hard enough time writing this blog and admitting driving aimlessly in South Dakota for forty-five minutes.

Note to self, “Always have a functioning GPS in the car during those relaxing Sunday afternoon drives.”

Until next time.