Click here to go to the cartridge.
Since the Stonewall Motel is under construction, I am revealing the coordinates in hopes that it makes this WIG easier. Hopefully there are no fences blocking the access to the spot you need to be.
Are you a neon sign enthusiast? Please visit my neon sign blog!Click HERE.
WINTER cachers: If the final cache is buried in snow, no need to dig it out. Just post in your log your completion code (or mention that you got one).
Hint is nearly a spoiler. The listed coordinates are for the first stop point. This WIG begins in the 8000 block of W. Colfax, heads west, then loops back to the same block, for a total of 4.5 miles round trip.
Best at night to see the neon signs, as all but one sign are lit at night, but take a buddy and be aware of your surroundings. Photos are welcome but please no spoilers. Please note your favorite sign in your log.
Thanks to cacher KennyV for letting us use photos of his puppy, Echo, for this Wherigo.
Colfax, at 26.5 miles in length, is the longest commercial street in the USA. It was named after the Schulyer Colfax, a powerful Indiana congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives at the time. Colfax was Speaker when slavery was abolished, and was proud that his signature went on the 13th Amendment.
When Colfax made a trip to Denver in 1865 to visit his sister and to see how the mining industry was doing, Colorado was applying for statehood and because of Colfax's influence, changing the street name to Colfax was supposed to help. Colorado attained statehood ten years later. Colfax Avenue was the southern boundary of Denver at the time the street was named.
Shuyler Colfax went on to become the vice president under Ulysses S. Grant. He was invited to accompany Lincoln to the Ford theater, but declined. He was heavily involved in the planning and construction of the transcontinental railroad. His political career ended when there was a scandal over his handling of railroad funds.
During the 1950's, Colfax Avenue was a wealthy area with scattered mansions, businesses and motels with sparkling swimming pools and glowing neon signs to draw in travelers. The neon signs were each unique to their business, and made with great craftsmanship and artistry.
Then along came Interstate 70, which allowed travelers to completely bypass Colfax. The once-vibrant businesses along the street began their steady decline. Today, the neon signs that survive are a reminder of an important era in the history of Colfax.
The remaining neon signs are in danger of disappearing due to an influx of residents back into the neighborhoods along Colfax causing a demand for new development. The old restaurants, bars, and motels on Colfax as well as their signs are quickly becoming prime targets to be torn down and replaced with artless modern versions of buildings and signs.
New to Wherigos? Wherigo FAQs Here is a play anywhere Wherigo tutorial. And Wherigo forums are the best place to find information about WIGs and your device.
Here are some quick tips:
Wherigos seem to work better on smart phones than on GPS devices.
To play the Wherigo, you will need a Wherigo-enabled device. (For Andriod the app is called "WhereYouGo") info here First upload the Wherigo application to your device, then download the cartridge you want to play from the Wherigo web site, using the app. There is a link to this cartridge above.
As with all Wherigos, make sure you have uploaded the most recent version of the cartridge before you go. COs sometimes make changes to the cartridge and if you have the older version you will have glitches when you go to use it. So just upload it again just before you plan to go.
While using the cartridge, if you are at a zone and there is a glitch of some kind, step 30 feet away and try to enter the zone again. (Wherigo dictates the zones are only 10 feet around.) All zones/ locations are located on public property.
Save frequently during cartridge use.
Choose times of low traffic. Bring paper and pencil to jot down completion code (or take a screen shot) and to sign the log at the final.
Unique to Wherigos, there are two places to log them once found. Post a find on geocaching.com as usual. Groundspeak created another web site just for Wherigos: http://wherigo.com. Note there are no GC codes on this site; you have to do a search by area. To log this cache on Wherigo.com, go to the cache web page and click on the key icon, and enter your completion code. The cartridge will give you this code after the very last stop of the cartridge. Be ready as it is only given once!
FTF! youkfish
Thanks to Greasepot for agreeing to help with maintenance for this cache.
Thanks again to Ranger Fox for his easy-to-use Wherigo kit! RF WIG kit
References: Westword, http://www.colfaxavenue.com/p/history-of-colfax-avenue.html