2009-03-22 40 -88

Sun 22 Mar 2009 in Champaign/Urbana: 40.6411888, -88.8055127 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

About

Today's hash was a little ways behind a gas station and McDonald's right beside an Interstate 55 exit.

Expedition

After a fun wedding on the day before, the time had come for me to leave St. Louis and head back to mid-Michigan. As I did when I went to St. Louis, I consulted the days geohash coordinates to determine the route I'd take home. When I saw these coordinates and their great proximity to one of my routes home, the decision was made.

At first, when I looked at the satellite photos, I thought the coordinates were on a farm. Then I looked a little closer and saw a tall sign like gas stations near interstate exits have. The point being right off an interstate exit, I put two and two together and figured out the hash was right behind a gas station.

When I arrived, there was a gas station and a McDonald's. The tall sign turned out to be the golden arches. I filled my tank with gas, then parked beside the convenient store. I then started walking across the McDonald's drive thru and behind the complex. I wondered what someone going through the drive thru might think if they saw me walking into the apparent nothingness; however, no one was there and the thought quickly faded. The satellite photos show two somewhat large buildings behind the McDonald's. Whatever they were, they aren't there now. Only a gravel lot with some large depressions remains. I followed some large vehicle tracks from the back of the lot essentially straight back to the hash.

A short way down the tracks, I achieved the correct latitude for the hash right in front of a gate. There was a fence to my right (west). I got a GPS reading that was within my device's current tolerance for the day's hash, but I thought I could get a better one. Having seen no "No Trespassing" signs the entire time, I hopped the fence with the help of a tree branch and got to the place pictured below and took a GPS reading. It wasn't any better than what I had before, but I was more convinced that I was actually at the hash this time.

In this small patch of trees, there were a couple different deer stands. I took some pictures of those and headed back toward the gas station. Along the way, I turned and took a picture of I-55 to show how close this hash was to the interstate and the exit. A few short hours later, and I was home!

Achievements

excellentdude earned the Land geohash achievement by reaching the (40, -88) geohash on 2009-03-22.

Photos

<gallery perrow="5"> Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 Goofy Grin.jpg|Goofy grin Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 Hash.jpg|The hash Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 GPS.png|GPS reading Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 Deer Stand 1.jpg|One deer stand Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 Deer Stand 2.jpg|The other deer stand Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 Helpful Branch.jpg|The helpful branch I mentioned Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 Patch.jpg|The small patch of trees containing the hash Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 Gate.jpg|The gate Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 Trail Behind Gas Station.jpg|Time to head back Image:2009-03-22 40 -88 I-55.jpg|That's how close the highway was