‘BIGFOOT IS A WONDERFUL THInGFORWILLOW CREEK.

Clockwise from top left:Though thecountry club dropped “Bigfoot”from itsname, you still passBigfoot Avenueonthe way; a painting adornsthe bathroom door at BigfootBooks; Bigfootburger buns welcome patrons tothe Early Bird restaurant; StevenStreufert, ownerofBigfoot Books,has plentyofBigfoot titles on offer; themural at AceHardware depicts gentle, communityorientedBigfoots; andJanetand monster —remainlargely invisible to outsiders.

Bruce Nelson produceBigfoot Red wine at their SentinelWinery.

“People comefromallover the world to Humboldt County,and it’sall because of the marijuana, not Bigfoot,”says Bruce Nelson, whoseSentinel Winery produces severalhundred cases of Bigfoot Red everyyear. He’stalking about a youthful cohortofbud trimmers, whostickmostly to the backwoods and produceaharvest of pot thatgoesto legal dispensaries inplacessuch as Oakland and San Jose, and to streetdealers all over thestate.

“We’realittle bittytown that needsto takeadvantage of what we have locally, so we’re thrilled to havesome otherthing for people to focus on,”says Nelson, who retiredtoalife of winemaking after a33-year careerin theCalifornia Highway Patrol. “Bigfoot is awonderful thing forWillow Creek. I’msuregladwe’renot callingourselves Marijuanaville.”

Nelson’sBigfoot blend outsells his otherwine 2-to-1, and he’snot alone in findingacommercial upsidetothe exurbanlegend.

“Weused tobe aloggingand mining town,” says TerriCastner, a volunteerat theWillow Creek-ChinaFlatMuseum, which hasadedicated Bigfootwing,with