Directions to Astral Castle

Astral Castle
10 Meta Drive
Midland TX 79701

Google Map.

What I ought to do is go and paint a huge "Astral Castle Is Here" on our roof so that next time the Google Map image is updated you'd be able to find us really easily just by looking at the satellite map. But I'm guessing Google doesn't update often for that very reason - everybody would be out marking their territory. Kids would be chalking giant Anarchy symbols in the school yard, Joe would be out at the airport painting a giant "Eat At Joe's" ad on the tarmac. Google could be making a fortune selling advertising spots in the desert around here. Anyway, at least they've updated the map to have us marked as being where we actually are, instead of being in the back room of Walgreen's where it originally had us.

For Midlanders:

  • Meta Drive really is a named road, that you can find on the map, but it's hard to recognise as a road when you get there because it looks like a parking lot.
  • We are located in the Village (across Illinois Ave from Old Town Midland, which is nowhere near Downtown Midland, of course), directly opposite the Drive-Thru Pharmacy window of Walgreen's Drug Store (on the south west corner of the Andrews Hwy/Illinois Ave junction, catercorner to Midland Memorial Hospital).
  • We are in the middle of the strip mall that had Hancock Fabrics at one end and Gold's Gym near the other end.

Coming from I-20, either from the east (Big Spring and beyond) or west (Pecos and beyond):

  • Take Exit 136 Rankin Highway and head north (from the east, that's to the right; from the west, that's to the left).
  • Head straight on for about three quarters of a mile. The road will make a gentle fork to the right, becoming S. Big Spring Street. You will probably not notice the change. Keep heading onwards for another three quarters of a mile until the road takes you through an underpass. When you come up the other side, you'll need to get ready to make a left turn, not at the first set of lights but at the second set, onto Wall Street.
  • Turn onto Wall Street heading west.
  • Drive along Wall Street for about a mile. You'll go through a number of traffic lights in the downtown section, then the road will become straight and traffic-light free (apart from the lights at the Fire Station, which may or may not be operating). Along this stretch of road it is mostly housing and professional offices that look like homes. Eventually, just past the one mile point, you see the business district ahead, and you should be in the right hand lane as you approach the intersection with N Garfield St
  • Continue a few hundred yards along Wall St and turn in at the second entrance to the parking lot on your right. This, despite appearances, is Meta Drive. The first business on Meta Drive is an oil-change shop. You should have this to the left of your vehicle. Drive past the oil change shop and continue down the line of shops. You will pass in front of Gold's Gym, and you will then see the parking lot open up with Walgreen's drug store off to the right. Keep driving along the row of quaint little shops and about halfway along is us, directly opposite Walgreen's Drive Thru Pharmacy window.

Coming from the north side of Odessa:

  • Take 42nd Street heading east. It turns into Route 191.
  • When Route 191 gets to Midland, it becomes Andrews Highway, and you'll go under the overpass of Loop 250.
  • There will then be a Y in the road, with traffic lights, where Golf Course is to the left, but the main road (Andrews Highway) bears right; keep on the main road.
  • Just beyond the Y is a set of traffic lights, where you'll go straight across N. Midkiff Rd.
  • Keep going through a few more sets of lights as you head towards Old Town Midland.
  • The road takes a swing to the right as if to avoid going through the hospital, and there is a set of lights at Illinois Ave as you pass the hospital on your left. Across the junction on the right is Walgreen's drug store. We are effectively in their parking lot.
  • You can take a right onto Illinois Ave, and turn left into the parking lot when you see Hancock Fabrics or whatever replaces it, or you can go forward through the junction and have two opportunities to turn into the parking lot as you approach and pass Walgreen's.
  • You are looking for Walgreen's Drive Thru Pharmacy window; we are directly opposite that.

Coming from the south side of Odessa:

  • Um. The first time you visit us you may be better advised to head north to 42nd Street, come in as described above, then go home on the south side. That way you'd have some possible chance of finding us on returning that way the next time as there's not much in the way of landmarks until you've passed us and are heading downtown. Alternately you could come in on I20, as noted above. But if you're determined to use Route 80 (Business 20), and are not using a smart phone, GPS, or one of those old-fashioned paper map things that you can hardly find any more...
  • Drive to Midland, go under the overpass of Loop 250, then keep on that same road through the traffic lights at the Denny's.
  • Carry on for a ways past the numerous car lots and motels until the road takes a gentle swing to the right and there's a short strip mall to the left. This starts with a muffler shop, then there's an almost hidden gap, which you ought to have turned into as that's Meta Drive, our road.
  • Past Meta Drive is a parking lot for a rental showroom, a pawn shop, a few other shops, and a Chick Filet restaurant. You then come to a set of traffic lights at Garfield Avenue, which is the bottom end of the Andrews Highway you'd have come in on had you come in from the north side of Odessa.
  • If you turn left here you can then turn left again into the Walgreen's parking lot. We're directly opposite their drive-thru pharmacy window.

Coming from the North (La Mesa, Lubbock):

  • Coming in on Route 349, the first major road you will encounter is Loop 250. Take a right and get onto the highway portion of Loop 250 (you can stay on the frontage road, but there are more lights).
  • Take the Midkiff Road Exit and stay in the left lane so that you can turn left at the lights and under the highway onto Midkiff Road.
  • Keep going straight (more or less south) on Midkiff Road, passing through four lights (at Moss, Wadley, Neely, and Golf Course).
  • When you approach the lights at Andrews Highway, get in the left lane and turn left onto Andrews Hwy heading east-southeast (as opposed to the south-southeast of Midkiff Road)
  • Keep on Andrews Hwy, through a few more sets of lights as you head towards Old Town Midland.
  • The road takes a swing to the right as it passes the hospital, and then there is a set of lights at Illinois Ave. Across the junction on the right is Walgreen's drug store. We are effectively in their parking lot.
  • You can turn right onto Illinois Ave, then left into the parking lot, or you can go forward through the junction and turn into the parking lot further down.
  • You are looking for Walgreen's Drive Thru Pharmacy window; we are directly opposite that.

 

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