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the Degree Confluence Project
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United States : Texas

2.2 miles (3.5 km) NW of Bay City, Matagorda, TX, USA
Approx. altitude: 14 m (45 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap topo aerial ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 29°S 84°E

Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: House with confluence in back yard #3: Anne finding the confluence #4: GPS on the confluence #5: Anne & Jeff at the confluence

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  29°N 96°W (visit #2)  

#1: The Colorado as seen from the confluence

(visited by Jeff Hupp and Anne Sipes)

14-Jan-2001 -- He said:
Having seen the reference to the Confluence project on /. and looking for a stress free day, Anne and I grabbed driving instructions to 29Nx96W from MapBlast and jumped in the car.

We left Houston heading South on US 59 to Texas 60 where we headed towards Bay City. As we approached Bay City we were looking for the road MapBlast had given us as the next turn. Unable to find Cole road we 'followed' the GPS and came to a dead end at the entrance to a field, complete with gate and cattle guard.

Not wanting to give up that easily, we decided to head back to Texas 60 and ask directions. The first place we stopped presented us with a well used, but informative, map that showed us how to find the road we had been looking for. Back to the car.

About a mile North we found Cole Road and turned West. A couple of miles down the road, we found a sign (photo 6) pointing us in the right direction. At the back of the subdivision, we found a very nice house (photo 2) and the GPS told us the confluence was right behind it.

We parked, walked around back, and after about ½ hour of Anne moving the GPS around, waiting, moving the GPS, etc (photo 3), we got this shot (photo 4) of the unit showing the confluence, then set up the camera to take this shot (photo 5) of us and this shot (photo 1) of the Colorado River from the confluence.

All in all, a very pleasent day.

She said:
Ok, so, Sunday is mine and Jeff's date day. We both try to think of neat or interesting things to do on Sunday. Some Sundays are just better than others. This one was grand.

Jeff isn't one for missing details and locating this integer intersection was his idea. So, we went well prepared. He made sure we had my GPS unit, his digital camera, road maps and detailed directions that would get us within 300 ft of the intersection. Like I said, Jeff just doesn't miss details.

It turned out one of the roads on the route wasn't properly marked and we did miss it. That worked out because we had some fun letting just the GPS unit guide us. When we encountered a dead end we turned around and visited a local EZ Mart. They had rest rooms and a map of the immediate area. Everything we needed. I visited the ladies room, Jeff found our misnamed street. We were off. We found the 300 ft point without any other problems.

I didn't realize just how precise a spot an integer intersection might be. We had five or six satellites reporting at that location and we'd get our zero's for a second and then the unit would start polling the satellites again. We only got exact zero's about once every seven minutes at first. The waiting was both fun and challenging. Every time the satellites did agree we were at an integer intersection there was this neat feeling of success and... a huge rush to get a picture before the GPS unit started it's polling the satellites again. We were really pleased with every picture we got of those zero's.


Anne & Jeff

Coordinator's Note: The landowner has requested to not visit this confluence anymore. No future visits to this confluence will be posted.


 All pictures
#1: The Colorado as seen from the confluence
#2: House with confluence in back yard
#3: Anne finding the confluence
#4: GPS on the confluence
#5: Anne & Jeff at the confluence
#6: Rolling Woods subdivision sign
ALL: All pictures on one page
  Notes
The landowner has requested to not visit this confluence anymore. No future visits to this confluence will be posted.