#4: [13-May-19]

#3: [13-Aug-10]

#2: [05-May-08]

#1: [07-Aug-00]

16-May-2021 -- As the COVID situation precluded travel for so many months, and as a geographer I was longing to get into the field, I finally made careful preparations, and made it into the field in May 2021 to visit confluences and other out of the way places. I had made a large counterclockwise polygon through Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and was now in Nebraska, and on Day 4 of my trek, I was set to visit my last point for this trip.

After a windy and rainy trek to 42 North 98 West, and stopping at a large collection of church and school bells in a very nice man's front yard in Elgin, Nebraska, I headed south on State Highway 14 to Albion. Once there I discovered a half abandoned roadside park with a children's merry go round that probably dated from 1975. After giving it a spin, I continued south under dark skies, but the rain let up. I drove through Central City and crossed the Platte River, and southeast of Marquette, Nebraska, drove slowly south of East 22 Road, looking for a place to pull over. There was no shoulder adjacent to the road, so after a U-turn, parked at the southeast corner of the E 22 Road and Highway 14 intersection. A few abandoned semi trucks were there, which I filmed for later posting on my Our Earth video channel. I gathered supplies and set out, walking south on Highway 14.

At 41 North, I found a bright red stone "ROW" marker, and walked due west into the field. Fortunately nothing had been planted since last season, and the dry corn cobs crackled underfoot. It was early afternoon in mid spring. A very light mist was falling but it was a mild day, about 63 degrees F (17 C). No fences impeded my progress and in 5 minutes from the road and 20 minutes from my vehicle, I reached the point. I saw no animals or birds, and no people save for the occasional cars on Highway 14 to the east of me. I had stood on 41 North numerous times, from the vast expanses of Wyoming on the west side to a stand of trees in New Jersey on the east side, and on 98 West many times before as well, from 44 North 98 West in a very wet field in South Dakota two years ago to 28 North 98 West over a decade ago under a very thorny set of shrubs in Texas.

This was my first time at this point though I have a very nice collection of probably 75% of all the points in Nebraska in my treks over the past 20 years. As it was the last one on my current 4 day trek, I was reluctant to depart. But, sighing but enjoying the moment, I did so. I posted my video of the site on my Our Earth YouTube channel, here: 41 North 98 West, on my Our Earth channel . After spending about 15 minutes on site, I walked 20 minutes back to my parking spot next to the semi trucks. Next, I drove south back on the road I had just walked, and on to Aurora Nebraska. Then I turned west on I-80.

This was my last confluence visit of this trip. This trip would take 13 confluence points, cover 5 states besides my home state, span 2,200 miles, and garner some wonderful memories of grain bins, old railroad depots, 3 new state park camping experiences, tiny towns, agriculture, and more. Now it was on to Colorado, and since it was a 8 hour drive away, I was unfortunately resigned to take the interstate highway, as much as I prefer the back roads. I arrived just before sundown.

Get out there and explore the world.