Skip to content

Downtown USA #4 - Grapevine, Texas Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

UTtoTX: Hate to archive this, but the vine is so overgrown, any sign of the container has been obliterated.

More
Hidden : 4/9/2014
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

The cache is not at the posted coordinates.

Another entry in our Downtown USA series.  On a recent trip to Texas, we passed by a picture perfect Main Street in Grapevine, Texas.  All the pictures for this one will be found online as solving will be done totally on your computer.   Have fun!  (Images used were taken in June 2013.)


Grapevine, Texas (Wikipedia.org)  
In October 1843, General Sam Houston and fellow Republic of Texas Commissioners camped at Tah-Wah-Karro Creek, also known as Grape Vine Springs, to meet with leaders of 10 Indian nations.  This meeting culminated in the signing of a treaty of "peace, friendship, and commerce," which opened the area for homesteaders. The settlement that emerged was named Grape Vine an homage to the wild grapes that grew in the area.

The first recorded white settlement in what would become the modern city occurred in the late 1840s and early 1850s. General Richard Montgomery Gano owned property near Grape Vine and helped organize the early settlement against Comanche raiding parties before leading his band of volunteers to battle in the American Civil War. Growth during the 19th century was slow but steady; by 1890 roughly 800 residents called Grape Vine home, supported by such amenities as a newspaper, a public school, several cotton gins, a post office and railroad service. The settlement made continued gains early in the 20th century, and on January 12, 1914, the post office altered the town's name to one word, Grapevine.

The population of Grapevine fell during the interwar period as the economy stagnated, though the city was officially incorporated in 1936. Cotton was the primary crop for Grapevine until the early 20th century when it was overtaken by cantaloupe farms which accounted for as many as 25,000 acres. For several decades until the early 1970s, the Rotary Club sign outside of town boasted Grapevine as "Cantaloupe Capital of the World." Population growth and economic gains resumed to some extent in the decades immediately after the Second World War, though the opening of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in 1974 spurred massive development in the area. Prior to the mid-20th century, Grapevine depended heavily upon agricultural production, but quickly transformed into a regional center of commerce because of its proximity to the airport's north entrance. The economic benefits of the airport's construction continue to encourage new levels of development in Grapevine to this day.

*****
For your tour of Main Street, start at the intersection of Wall Street and Main Street (N 32 56.384 W 97 04.700).  You will then “walk” about 0.4 miles south on Main Street, making observations along the way.  Approximate north “second” coordinates are listed for each stop, i.e., North 32̊ 56.xxx, according to the three digit numbers listed below.  (These numbers may not always be exact, it was hard to pinpoint them depending on the view used!)  The West coordinate will remain basically unchanged, though you may wander east or west a little to look at certain structures.

X   xxx
A.  377 - What is in the park on the southeast corner of this intersection?
     1 - A sculpture of a grape vine
     2 - A fountain with a statue in it
     3 - A windmill
     4 - A monument to General Sam Houston

B.  367 - How many pillars are on the building on the west side of the street?
     5 - Four
     6 - Two
     7 - Eight
     8 - Zero

C.  341 - There are 2 dates on the top of the building on the east side of the street.  What are they?
     9 - 1914 & 1976
    10 - 1843 & 1943
    11 - 1850 & 1950
    12 - 1891 & 1991

D.  325 - What is the name of the old movie theater?
    13 - Odeon
    14 - The York
    15 - The Palace
    16 - Lone Star

E.  313 - What does Napoli’s Confectionery sell?
    17 - Sweets - Gelato - Chocolates
    18 - Candy - Gelato - Pastries
    19 - Chocolates - Sweets - Ice Cream
    20 - Gelato - Cakes - Candy

F.  300 - What is the name of the shoe repair shop?
    21 - The Dallas
    22 - Ambrose’s
    23 - The Lake
    24 - Messina’s

G.  291 - On the west side of the street is the...
    25 - Grapevine Natural Gas Company
    26 - Grapevine Olive Oil Company
    27 - Grapevine Antiques Shop
    28 - Grapevine Winery

H.  283 - The Grapevine Sun has been published since what year?
    29 - 1872
    30 - 1895
    31 - 1886
    32 - 1868

I.  272 - How many big letters in the name of the shop with the eye on the door? (edited 6 Jun 2014)
    33 - Seven
    34 - Eight
    35 - Nine
    36 - Ten

J.  247 - Here is the wonderful brick building which houses City Drug.  How many brick “turrets” are on this building?  (Be sure to check all sides!)
    37 - Three
    38 - Four
    39 - Five
    40 - Six


K.  225 - The western clothing shop on the east side of the road is called what?
    41 - The Texan
    42 - Bronco Western Wear
    43 - Lone Star Apparel
    44 - Coyote Cowboy

L.  223 - Next door to the clothing store, on the south side is another store “Beyond the _____ Door.”  What color fills in the blank?
    45 - Blue
    46 - Green
    47 - White
    49 - Red

M.  204 - City Florist is on the west side of Main Street.  What shape are the windows in the front doors?
    49 - Round
    50 - Oval
    51 - Square
    52 - Rectangular

N. 156 - The Embroidery & Silk Screen shop has what symbol above the sign and on the doors?
    53 - Grapes
    54 - Star
    55 - Crescent Moon
    56 - Sun

O.  132 - There is a group sculpture on the southeast corner.  What are the figures?  (You may need to go east on College Street a bit to get a good image.)
    57 - Three children and a dog
    58 - A man and a woman sitting on a bench
    59 - A boy riding a tricycle
    60 - A girl playing with a ball and a cat

P.  075 - The large tower at the south end of this portion of Main Street is part of what?  (This image is not in the 2007 images, and may disappear momentarily.  It does come back!)
    61 - Grapevine City Office Building
    62 - Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau
    63 - The Hilton Inn
    64 - Grapevine Fine Arts Center

The final cache is at N 40̊ 38.YYY W 111̊ 58.ZZZ

Add the numbers for the correct answers from A through H.  Add 54 to this total for the value of YYY.

Add the numbers for the correct answers from I through P.  Subtract 344 from this total for the value of  ZZZ.

 

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Arne gur fvqrjnyx, nobhg unysjnl hc gur srapr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)