Caleb’s Covered Bridge Caper is a scenic Scavenger Hunt!  It celebrates the glory of our New England fall foliage and the rich history of covered bridges in New Hampshire. The Hunt begins and ends at the Inn at Pleasant Lake, following the IPL Covered Bridge Tour route.  The challenge is to help Caleb, a young, mischievous turtle, reunite with Momma Turtle and his siblings.  Participants can help Caleb by finding all the hidden clues of the scavenger hunt at each of the destination sites along the tour, and document each clue found by a photograph.  The hunt is fun for all ages and works well as a family outing or in groups.  Road enthusiasts from motorcyclists to antique car owners, and anyone who enjoys a beautiful afternoon drive will love this activity.   Make it an adventure and help Caleb while touring New Hampshire’s countryside.  Finding all the clues is guaranteed to be a challenge!! Good Luck!!

After your day’s adventures, why not reward yourself with our signature five-course dinner at Oak & Grain.  For many folks, one day is just not enough to explore the area.  Extend your stay a few nights and enjoy our best midweek rates!

Conducting Your New England Caper:

This is a self-guided activity following the Inn at Pleasant Lake Covered Bridge Tour route.  It begins and ends at the Inn.  You will need the following items for the hunt:

• IPL Covered Bridge Tour Guide Booklet (provided by the Inn).
• IPL Covered Bridge Scavenger Hunt Clue Sheet (provided by the Inn).
• Map of the area roads or GPS with good cell signal (Verison is advisable in this area)
• Cell phone or camera to take photographic evidence of clue answers
• Pen/Pencil for note taking
• There are shops for food, ice cream or other refreshments along the route.
• Picnic lunches are also available when reserved in advance from our To Go Menu.

Caleb’s Story

Caleb is a very curious and some might say mischievous turtle.  While generally well behaved, he has been known to make rash choices and go to great lengths to reach his goals (however misguided they sometimes may be).  Momma Turtle can often be seen wagging her head back and forth muttering, “Caleb, Caleb, Caleb.  What shall we do with you?”  This gesture has become somewhat of a ritual at the Inn, and is assured to ignite Caleb’s siblings to snickering and teasing him.  Caleb has developed a rather thick shell about it and a fiercely independent streak that sometimes gets him into an unanticipated scrape.

Caleb overheard Momma Turtle talking with their cousins about planning a fall visit, but he really wasn’t paying much attention.  He had been absorbed for hours trying to determine how to extract a salamander that had crawled under a large stone nearby when he realized he was late for dinner…….again.  Momma had just scolded him earlier that week for the very same offense.  Being conscious of time was a skill that Caleb did not seem to possess, nor did he have the aptitude.  When he came plodding into the kitchen to find it barren during the dinner hour, his mind went frantic.  That’s when he realized that Momma and his siblings must have left on holiday and forgotten about him.  It would serve him right for his repeated tardiness.  Momma had warned him profusely that this would lead to trouble, and now he was in the thick of it.

What Caleb did not know was that Momma had a very tiring morning and was simply napping in the living room of the inn.  It was very unusual for Momma to nap during the afternoon, and unthinkable that she would nap through dinner.  The notion never entered Caleb’s mind.  Instead, he packed his nap sack with the essentials of water, peanut butter, and an assorted array of wilted lettuce leaves, and set out to rejoin his family on their journey.  He had visited his cousins’ nests at the covered bridges several times, and he felt certain he would be able to remember the way.  Thus begins Caleb’s Covered Bridge Caper.