03-Mar-2009 -- 3/3/09 was the 3rd square root day of this century (after 1/1/01 and 2/2/04), so it was quite fitting that the latitude and longitude of this visit both happened to be divisible by 3. I was driving from Austin to Houston for an interview in the Clear Lake area. Planning ahead, I noticed that previous visitors have had little trouble reaching this point, so with my suit in tow and my Garmin in hand, I set off for the confluence.

Just before the end of Purvis Road, there is a cattle guard and chain on the right. That is the entrance. This property is still for sale, as other visitors have documented previously. There were some horses and cows who spotted me, but they quickly darted away. About 500 ft. south of the confluence is a pond, and about the same distance north of the confluence is a large shed. A house sits much further past the shed. Nothing out of the ordinary!

Back at the car, I took advantage of the area's solitude and changed into my suit right then and there. Generally speaking, it is risky to attempt a confluence BEFORE a job interview. Being sweaty/muddy/dirty is not how one wants to give a first impression. However, this particular day was cool and dry. I actually could have done this confluence in my suit and been fine.

I had my interview that afternoon for a summer internship with one of NASA's contractors. I got a chance to tell one of the guys who was showing me around about my confluence visit just hours prior, and he seemed really interested. He told me he had heard of something similar that was highlighted in an XKCD comic a while back called "geohashing" in which the latitude and longitude after the decimal are randomly generated daily. I think the interview went well overall but I'm still a little nervous about the fact that they're only hiring 1 more intern and they've still got more interviews to do.

On US 290, go 10.25 miles from the center of Hempstead, TX 77445. Don't take 290A (just before Hempstead), which is a limited access highway, as I am not sure what will be an exit and what would be a crossing. Just before the town of Waller, turn right onto a road called F-M 362. Go for a total of 3.8 miles (at 1.95 miles, there should a cemetery on your right), and turn right onto Baethe Road. Go 1.9 miles. Just after the road makes a sharp left, turn right to stay on Baethe Road.

Go 1.17 miles and turn left onto Cochran Rd. Go 0.56 miles, and take the next right onto Purvis Road. Go 0.4 miles almost to the end of the road and stop. Walk due north 1000 feet to the confluence.