#1: [23-Dec-00]

13-Oct-2025 -- As I had just arrived in Arkansas to keynote and conduct an AI workshop at the Arkansas State GIS conference, and as the conference focused on Earth Systems, GIS, and mapping, a confluence visit seemed like the perfect way to begin my several days of being in the region. And thus, after flying into the XNA Northwest Arkansas airport, I made my way south and east through many housing subdivisions, rolling hills, and river valleys under cloudy skies and light rain to visit 36 North 94 West. Once successfully completed, I then journeyed north out of Arkansas, crossed the Missouri border, and upon entering that state, happily followed roads I had never before traveled. This included some winding and wonderful treks along ridgetops, ravines, and plateau-lands, toward 37 North 94 West. The best town name I went through was Rocky Comfort, Missouri.

Anticipation grew as I drove north along Missouri State Highway 97 and then through Pierce City. The town Pierce City to the south of the point has just two blocks of saved but wonderfully preserved commercial architecture of stone and brick. About 7 minutes north of town, I stopped at the home that lies on the west side of Highway 97, just east-southeast from the confluence point. I approached the front door and knocked. There didn’t appear to be anyone at home. A large cobweb blocked the steps to the front door, but it seemed like the house was occupied and not abandoned. Maybe the residents usually went out through the garage or the back door. I left a note on the garage door and set out.

After about a 10 minute walk in the field, and slipping through the vinyl fence, I arrived at the point. The field was not being used for anything besides possible grazing; nothing was planted, so I felt OK about walking there. I had a momentary pause when I heard a dog barking in the direction of my destination. I pressed on and found the point.

The confluence point lies on ground sloping ever so slightly to the southwest. It was late afternoon in mid autumn. The temperature was I thought unseasonably warm; nearly 80° F and quite humid. It had been raining lately most of the afternoon, but it had stopped while I was at the point. I have most of the points in Missouri now visited; I am only missing a few. Considering the ease of reaching this point, it was amazing to ponder that my visit today is only the second visit to this point and the first in 25 years. It was cloudy and peaceful there while I took photographs and I filmed this video.

Over the past 25 years, I have stood on 37° north many times from California on the west side to Virginia on the east side. I was also fortunate over the last quarter century to stand on 94 West numerous times from Minnesota on the north side all the way down to a very wet visit in Texas on the south side. I was now standing on the point I was thinking about visiting during the previous May on my 13 point weekend confluence run. Today the weather was drier than it had been back in May. I am glad I was able to squeeze this last one in today. This was the last point I would be visiting in 2025. I have two more planned work trips but they are both to places in Texas where I have already visited all the confluence points. It had been a great year of 19 confluence points total, including this point. This year I have visited a wide diversity of points in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, New York, and Pennsylvania.

I was reluctant to leave; this being the last point of the year. I reflected on the last point from a year ago in a sugar cane region of Louisiana, right around this same time of year. I reflected and respected the land caretakers, past and present, including the Osage and other Indigenous Peoples who were here for centuries, but I needed to now get moving to Eureka Springs Arkansas and the GIS conference. I walked back to the house: There was still nobody home. I drove south, back into Arkansas, and once there, spent several days with some truly wonderful people at the Arkansas GIS conference. Get out there and explore!