#1: [07-Apr-01]

24-May-2025 -- As it has been my tradition for the last many years to take an extended weekend over the US Memorial Day holiday to visit railroad depots, abandoned buildings, grain silos, campgrounds, county courthouses, convenience stores, agricultural fields, and confluence points, I had been looking forward to this trip for an entire year. You would think that after 500 points behind me, I would grow tired of this, but not so as a geographer. There was always the attraction of getting out into the field. Finally, the day came.

This year, one of my aims was to connect the large number of points forming an oblong shape in the central and western part of the USA with my large shape to the eastern side of the Midwest. Several points between those two shapes would be wonderful if they could be filled in, I thought. There was a reason why I had not visited these points already--they would require some trekking. This filling-in goal dictated the first part of my trek; and the rest were points that I had never visited but were in some of my favorite landscapes, that of Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois. The final statistics of the trip are below.

After spending the late afternoon at 39 North 92 West, including a very nice chat with the landowner, I passed through some magnificent fields and lovely towns but did not allow myself to stop more than once (at Hatton to take photos of the abandoned general store there) as I really wanted to stand on my fourth point of the day, 40 North 92 West.

I had already successfully visited three points today and the last two took me quite a bit longer than I had anticipated for some wonderful reason: Long hike and the aforementioned wonderful talk with the landowner. The sun was getting low in the sky: Would I have time for another point today? I saw a rainbow and the rain was ceasing. I reached Newark and immediately liked the town so much that I would return later this evening and the next morning, too.

Then I drove west, north, and then west down the long gravel driveway to the landowner's home. Halfway through the conditions were quite poor where the driveway crossed the creek. Was this really how the landowner crossed to reach their home every day? What happened in flood stage? I reached the home, knocked, and we had an amiable chat. Ys, the landowner confirmed that prior floods made the driveway temporarily impassable; but these were tough folks living on the land. Permission secured, I drove back across the creek, to the upland on the other side, sprayed myself for the trek across the tall grass, and set out to the south. I made note of a plastic swimming pool that had been used here as a water container for animals as a waypoint for my way back.

Given the late hour, I knew there would be no room for error. A navigation mistake could mean that darkness would fall before I reached the point. So far this weekend, I visited several points that were a lot more difficult than I thought they would be: This one fell into that category. The reason is that after 10 minutes, as soon as I entered the woodland, the land fell quickly off to the ravine to the west, with numerous tripping hazards. I was hoping I wasn't walking through poison ivy. I gingerly made my steps, crossed the ravine, up the other side, and after some time, found the point in a flatter area, in an area where thinner trees made for better GPS reception. All good!

It was early evening in late spring, windy and cloudy skies and cool for this time of year, temperature of about 71° F. It had been lightly raining but was lovely and clear now. This was one of the most peaceful points I have ever visited, after over 500 points visited worldwide over 25 years. I do like woodland points. The land slopes gently toward the west and is a bit rolling in this area cut by ravines. There are no houses visible from this point. I saw very few birds.

It was grand to be on the 40th Parallel. I reflected that it had been 24 years since the last and only other visit, though certainly many had been here hunting and the Indigenous People traversing the area for centuries. Had this area once been prairie or a tilled field? Perhaps: The trees looked fairly young. I took pictures but no doubt looking disheveled as I had slept for the entire weekend's nights in a rental car, but it was all part of the adventure! I posted this video 40 North Latitude, 92 West Longitude.

I now have a very nice collection of confluence points in Missouri spanning 25 years of visits. I had not visited a point in the state (other than today's three treks) since 2021 during one of my extended confluence trips. This was my last point along 40 North to visit for the state! It took me 25 years, but now it is done! I have stood on 40° north latitude in many places from a mountainside in California to a golf course in New Jersey. I have also stood on 92° West on the north end in Wisconsin many times all the way down along 92° west to Louisiana on the south end. These points cover an amazingly wide range of landforms, climate zones, and vegetation types.

Due to the late hour, and thinking about possible ticks seeing a very nice late day snack (me), I was on site for only 10 minutes. I saw a few deer near the creek bed, walking out the way I came in, careful to leave no trace. But I did pause and reflect at that creek bed: Beautiful spot. Upon reaching the upland and grassland, I was treated to a truly magnificent sunset upon reaching my vehicle. The entire hike took about an hour and 10 minutes. I drove back to Newark, with four points visited today.

Another thing to be grateful for: Just north of town was the Sever Lake Conservation Area, with a beautiful and free campground adjacent to the lake! I spent my third night on the road there and rejoiced at the great day I had crossing from Kansas all the way across northern Missouri.

When the trip was all said and done, here are the final statistics:

-------------------------------------------------
Days set aside to visit points:  4 + 1 evening.

Confluence points attempted:  13.  

Confluence points successfully visited:  13. 

Points where I met the local landowner = 5 of 13 points. 

Points where I met the local dogs = 2 of 13 points.

Miles = 2547, Kilometers = 4099.
  
Percent of travel on interstate highways:  25%
Percent of travel on US, state, and county roads:  75 % :-)

Campgrounds = 4.  

Windy confluence points:  4 of 13.
Rainy confluence points:  4 of 13.
Beautiful confluence points:   13 of 13.

Convenience store stops = 8.  

Points that turned out to be

                easier than I thought they would be =           1 
                about the same as I expected them to be =       4 
                more difficult than I thought they would be =   8 
		-------------------------------------------------------
			                                     13 points.
Points          in woodlands             2
		in non-tilled fields     4
		in agricultural fields   7
		-----------------------------------
			                13 points.

Points along 	42 North = 2 
		41 North = 1 
		40 North = 5 
		39 North = 3
                38 North = 1
                37 North = 1  
		----------------
			   13 points.

Points visited on 	Day 1 = 4 
			Day 2 = 4 
			Day 3 = 4 
			Day 4 = 1
		-------------------
			   	13 points.  

Points visited in the 	morning = 	5 
			afternoon = 	5 
			evening = 	3 
		-------------------------------
			   	       13 points

Points visited in 	Nebraska =       3
			Kansas =         2
			Missouri =       5 
			Illinois =       3
		-------------------------------
			   		13 points 

The most frequently visited longitude line:  
-------------------------------------------- 
                                      92 West:  3 points.

2nd most frequently visited longitude line:  
---------------------------------------------
                                      89 West and 99 West:  2 points each.

Get out there and explore!