#5: [08-Oct-04]

#4: [30-May-04]

#3: [26-Sep-03]

#2: [20-May-01]

#1: [19-May-01]

20-Mar-2024 -- As I was in the area for the entire week to visit several universities for the cause of promoting spatial thinking, and geographic technologies, and as I had just finished up my teaching and meetings at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, around 5:00 pm local time, visiting 35 North 80 West presented itself as the perfect opportunity.

Thus I set out from the UNC Charlotte campus in a southeasterly direction, slowly with traffic and lots of stop signs, winding through some truly magnificent vistas and farmland. After traveling through the wonderfully named Olive Branch and then Wadesboro, anticipation mounted. I drove northeast from Wadesboro on State Highway 109 and then southeast on Cox Road. Cox Road, alas, was a dismaying sight though as it is rapidly being deforested. I only hoped that some replanting would ensue after the trees had been hauled away. But after I turned east-northeast onto the confluence road, named Dr Wyatt Road, all was peaceful once again. I turned southeast into the landowners driveway, parking inside but near the gate. Someone mowing on a sit down mower was in the distance; I waved, he came over, and I chatted with him for a moment. He was maintaining the grounds, but said that I could talk with the landowners who were home in the house a few football fields distant across a beautiful pond with swans to the east.

I decided to walk to the house rather than drive because I think it is always friendlier that way. Once there, I chatted with the owners. We had a very amiable discussion; after a short time with permission granted, I walked back toward the barn. On the way to the landowners house with GPS in hand, I had thought that the confluence point was going to be near the barn; in other words, not behind the fence. But when I walked back to that spot, maybe the GPS constellation had moved or the Earth turned or something else happened, but to my dismay, the point here was about 90 meters away from the confluence. I was still within 100 meters, which was good, and I took photographs and video, making sure not to include the owners house or the barn in those photos. While within the required distance, I admit that, even though I had a nice chat with the animals, who are very curious and came over to greet me, accompanied by a enormous swarm of flies, I was still a bit disappointed that I was 90 meters away. I didn’t think it was proper to go across the fence as it was electrified and also I wasn’t quite sure what the animal with the horns would do; it appeared to be not a bull, but a steer, but still, it seemed pretty protective of the rest of the animals there. But to respect the animals, myself, and the landowner, I was prepared to call it a day and be 90 meters away.

I was almost ready to depart and call it good enough, when a thought occurred to me: What if I was able to get closer from the main Dr Wyatt road? There was only one way to find out: I drove down the road, parked, and walked to the fence: To my great joy I was indeed now only standing 40 meters away while at the fence due north of the confluence point on 80° west longitude. As before, as I stood there, most of the herd of animals came toward me, very curious, once again with the steer leading the way. This time, even the sheep and a few lambs came over as well. Thus, as it turned out, I actually did not need to bother the landowners at all, as I was on the public road. But in retrospect, I’m glad I did it the way I did: It is great to meet the local folks who always seem to restore my faith in humanity: There are decent people everywhere. Plus, even standing on the public road, I like to tell people who I am and what I am doing.

Thus the confluence lies on a gently rolling field sloping to the southwest. The area is in farms, pastures, woodlands, and some houses. I had stood on 35 North from California on the west to North Carolina on the east, and on 80 West from Ontario Canada on the north to South Carolina on the south. I now have visited most of the points in North Carolina, over an amazing span of 20 years. It had been almost 20 years since this particular point had been visited and I had been eyeing it for quite some time. Today was the last day of winter, the day before the Vernal Equinox, with a temperature at about 68 F (20 C) under almost no wind and a beautiful late afternoon. My video of this visit is on my Our Earth channel at 35 North Latitude 80 West Longitude.

After being on site about 45 minutes, I drove southwest along Dr Wyatt Road. I was dismayed and saddened by the amount of trash everywhere along the road. I made my way back to Charlotte where my spirits brightened, heading into the lowering sun and a lovely last day of winter. Get out there and explore the world!