#7: [02-Jan-12]

#6: [15-Feb-09]

#4: [30-Dec-06]

#3: [24-Nov-04]

#2: [04-Apr-04]

#1: [29-Dec-99]

#8: [03-Oct-14]

09-Dec-2007 -- This was our very first confluence visit, not too far from home outside Phoenix, accomplished enroute to Parker AZ to scout out RV parks. It was an uncommonly chilly but gorgeous day and we did a little geocaching in the Harquehala foothills near Salome first.

From US 72 near the A&C Mercantile in Bouse (rhymes with “house”), we drove 4.0 total miles to park at N33-58.907 W114-00.045, then had a nice 20-min. 1.25-mile walk to the spot. Turn east off the highway on Main St., marked as Plomosa Rd. to the west, and proceed over the RR track and .3 miles to the stop sign at Rayder Ave. Go left 2.25 miles to where the asphalt ends at Swansea/Bouse Y/Lincoln Ranch. Ignore the private drive and the left turn at .25 miles and .55 miles on the dirt, and take the left - staying on Swansea - one half mile further. Pass through the gate .15 miles from there, and the road gets narrower and a little bumpier. One more quarter mile brought us to a gully which we preferred not to navigate in the Suburban, so we set off walking NNE.

It was fun to see zeroes for the first time - virgins no longer. We had to experiment a little with getting a good GPS photo, and did find that setting it on the ground and shading it worked best. There was a nice rain shower evident in the distance to the east.

On the return walk, I felt compelled to snap a shot of my husband’s retreating figure trailed by his boot prints in the sand in the foreground. Not all who wander are lost ….

Having loved using maps and compasses in my prior incarnation as an Air Force navigator - and effectively been replaced in such occupation by GPS technology - I was intrigued to learn of the Degree Confluence Project. Along with geocaching it also appeals to us as RVers, overseas travelers, hikers and general outdoor enthusiasts.