So despite my searching prior to posting, I didn't find an answer.  Then right after posting I found this or anyone else with this "dilemma"/;

In Bitcoin Core version 29.0 and later, the .wallet.dat file might not be present by default. Here's why and what you should do:
Why you might not see wallet.dat:
Descriptor Wallets: Since version 0.21, Bitcoin Core offers the option of using "descriptor wallets" which are considered more modern and secure than the older "BDB" (Berkeley DB) wallets that relied on wallet.dat. New wallets are created as descriptor wallets by default unless you specify otherwise.
No Default Wallet: Bitcoin Core no longer automatically creates a default wallet when you install it.
What to do if you need to create or access a wallet:
Create a new wallet: If you are starting fresh, you can create a new wallet using the createwallet RPC command.