Celebrity Mole!
In your role, you will complete a series of challenging puzzles to earn money for the pot, which starts at $3,000. Each contestant tries to add money to the total, but only one player will eventually win all of the money earned. Working undercover against everyone, however, is the Mole, a double agent planted by the cache creator to sabotage your efforts. It is the goal of the contestants to decide who they think the Mole is, then learn as much about him or her as possible -- difficult because each contestant is staying in a different room at the Hotel de la Mole. To win the ultimate jackpot, you must discover the identity of the Mole.
"I am Señor Mole!"
Go to N37 19.952 W121 53.341. This Mole contestant (who we'll call "Trevor") was featured in the "Taking Back the Schools" episode of the television show "Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement", and also has a school named after him in Willow Glen, California. The hotel room number for this contestant is the last two digits of the year this pioneer received a diploma from Columbia University. The amount of prize money added to the jackpot by "Trevor" is determined by a multiple choice question, solved by following the "ribbons of marble" that will eventually lead you to the answer. What did "Trevor" consider his most personal weapon? If the answer is:
- the Sword of Damocles, the prize money was $1748.
- Truth, Justice and Peace, the prize money was $1849.
- the Sword of the Written and Spoken Word, the prize money was $1894.
- a Bullet in the Gun of Robert Ford, the prize money was $1984.
- the Sword of the Spirit and the Word of God, the prize money was $1789.
This location is rated T1/D3, and is suitable for bicycles and strollers.
"I am the Mole!"
Go to N37 19.568 W121 53.470. This Mole contestant (who we'll call "Sara") donated her ceramic tile murals for this seating area that was commissioned and sponsored by the San Jose Convention, Arts and Entertainment Department. The budget for the project was $40,000, and construction was completed in March 2000. The hotel room number for this contestant is the number of tiles in the orange and purple artwork that she donated. The amount of prize money added to the jackpot by "Sara" is the year in which the nearby tilework mural was signed and dated by the artist Zeledon. This location is rated T1/D2, and is suitable for bicycles and strollers.
"No way! I am THE Mole!"
Go to N37 13.560 W121 47.757. The first man-made swimming pool in what is now the Santa Clara Valley was located near here, the result of a 35000-gallon reservoir created by this Mole contestant (who we'll call "Bruce") to store water for farming and orchard operations. The hotel room number for this contestant is determined by a multiple choice question, solved by wandering around the park looking for the answer. What did the "Bruce's" son find during his childhood that lead to his eventual establishment of a fertilizer company? If the answer is:
- cinnabar ore, the room number was 49.
- a fresh water spring, the room number was 59.
- tallow, the room number was 69.
- shells, the room number was 79.
- Santa Teresa, the saint of healing, the room number was 89.
The amount of prize money added to the jackpot by this Mole contestant is the year in which one of his ancestors was granted the 10000-acre parcel by the Mexican government. This location is rated T1.5/D2.
"I could definitely be the Mole!"
Go to N37 13.330 W121 58.823. While one of the plaques indicates that this Mole contestant (who we'll call "O'Malley") sold a nearby ranch to a gentleman named Touchard, it was actually bought by Touchard at a sheriff's bankruptcy sale for $26,613 one year earlier than mentioned here. The hotel room number for this contestant is the last two digits of the year of the sale as reported by the on-site plaque. The amount of prize money added to the jackpot by "O'Malley" is the size of the ranch sold in acres. This location is rated T1/D1, and is suitable for bicycles and strollers.
"I am Mole-icious!"
Go to N37 13.325 W121 59.017. Take the photographic tour of the plaza. This Mole contestant (who we'll call "Herb") took an oath in Washington DC in 1889 while holding an umbrella over his head because of torrential rain. One day in early May, he and his wife (who we'll call "Eileen") visited this very spot and gave a speech at the station that was nearby. The hotel room number for this contestant is the last two digits of the year this prominent man gave the speech. The amount of prize money added to the jackpot by "Herb" is the year in which a plaque in the area, embossed with the miniscule name of the manufacturer, "M. Greenberg's Sons", was dedicated. This location is rated T1/D3, and is suitable for bicycles and strollers.
Take the Mole Quiz...
What is the Mole's gender?
What is the Mole's real middle name?
1. Alexander
2. Paniagua
3. Ernesto
4. The middle name is not known, or the Mole does not have a middle name.
In what country was the Mole born?
1. Costa Rica
2. United States
3. Scotland
4. Mexico
5. The country is unknown
In what year was the Mole born?
1. 1805
2. 1833
3. 1905
4. 1841
5. The birthyear is unknown
Who is the Mole?
1. "Bruce"
2. "Sara"
3. "Herb"
4. "O'Malley"
5. "Trevor"
Directions to the Cache...
A cache is located at N37 14.AAA W121 57.BBB and is rated T1/D2. To get there, you must figure out the following:
Add up the total of all prize money won by the contestants. As usual, the Mole has been active, and you must not include his or her prize winnings when calculating the total. Subtract from that the amount of income tax the IRS takes: $175 times the total of the numbers of all the answers you got on the five-question Mole Quiz. Dividing that final answer by 10 (discarding the remainder, if any) will give you AAA.
To get BBB, add the room numbers together and multiply the total by three. The catch is that the Mole has deceived you yet again, and his or her room number above is incorrect; you must substitute the Mole's true room number (70) before performing the final calcuation of BBB.
You have already been provided with several clues as to the Mole's identity. I will not provide additional clues.
Have fun!
The original cache (which eventually went missing) included:
- a logbook and a pen
- an explanation of the choice of the Mole
- a $100-dollar keychain
- three ball-bearing pinball-type games
- a water-squirting plastic hand grenade
- two activity pads
- a new factory-sealed toothbrush
- an innovative fingernail clipper
- an annoying hit-the-bouncy-ball-on-the-wooden-paddle game
- the "Bruce" the Human Satellite travel bug
- the "Herb and Eileen" travel bug
- the "O'Malley" Homeland Security travel bug
- the "Sara" the Puddy Tat travel bug
- the "Trevor" the Troll travel bug
The replacement cache contents:
- a logbook and a pen
- a keychain
- a mini lock and key set
- assorted barnyard and zoo animals