Difficult Trip to Swallow

Yesterday seemed like it was going to be a nice day, so I printed off driving directions to Swallow Falls State Park in Maryland.   Now this is going to be hard to believe,  but the directions that I printed off from home are not the same (more straightforward) directions that I get on my office machine this morning.

• From Morgantown, turn right to merge onto I-68 E toward Cumberland, MD    27.4 mi
• Take exit 29 for County Rd 5 toward Hazelton Rd    0.3 mi
• Turn right onto Co Route 5/Cuzzart Rd/Hazelton Gladesville Rd
• Continue to follow Co Route 5 0.3 mi
• Continue onto Co Route 5/18     2.7 mi
• Turn left onto Co Route 11/Mountaindale Rd
• Continue to follow Co Route 11 Entering Maryland 2.3 mi
• Continue onto Blooming Rose Rd    0.3 mi
• Turn right onto White Rock Rd    4.1 mi
• Slight right onto Cranesville Rd    9.3 mi
• Turn left onto Swallow Falls Rd    1.3 mi
• Turn left onto Maple Glade Rd Destination will be on the left

Instead, the directions told me to bear right onto  Cuzzart Rd.  5/11, which took me 'round way of Robin's Barn and down some roads that resembled a World War I battlefield.  I ended up near the entrance to Big Bear Lake Campground, where the attendant there told me I should have gone up to the next Interstate exit before turning off.

Heading back in dismay, I noticed a sign for  Mountain Dale Rd.   Could this be the same as Mountaindale Rd. on my directions?  What the hell.   It indeed led to eventually to Blooming Rose Rd., which is aptly named.  After some driving on much improved two-lane highways, I eventually got to Swallow Falls park. 

I didn't know that I'd have to pay an out-of-state admission fee (or any fee, for that matter).  I hiked down one of the trails leading to the main falls. It looked like a tornado might have recently gone through there and cut a swath through what was once a pretty Hemlock forest.   My reaction to the falls was "Meh."  The water was a silty brown caused by recent heavy rains. 

"Well, I'm here," I thought.  May as well take some pictures, since I hauled along my tripod and camera.   That was when I discovered that my camera was dead -- as in the batteries.

So, once again, my life is a cautionary tale.  I'll never again leave on a trip before checking on the batteries in my camera.   Had I known, or been better prepared, I could have at least had my spare component that holds a bank of AA batteries.