I’MSUREGLaDWE’REnOT CaLLINGOURSELVES MaRIJUanaVILLE.’

T-shirtsand a great manyvolumes of conjecture, weirdscience and wishful thinkingin thegift shop—alltokeep the lightson. “There’shardly anyminingnow, and environmentalistsjustabout gotlogging killedoff. Whenthat went down, I guess theystarted looking for something,andBigfoot is whatthey ended up with.” Shepoints to the character’s universality.“You’ve gotBigfoot, you’vegotSasquatch,you’vegot Oh-Mah,you’vegotYeti, you’ve gottheAbdominalSnowman,” Castner says, conferring a six-pack upon theAbominableSnowman. “They’re all over theworld.”

When the museum openedin 1989, itfeaturedartifacts from the loggingandmining beginnings ofwhatwas originallynamed China Flatbecauseofthenumber ofChinesewhocametowork themines. After a local collector ofBigfoot “evidence”died, his widow donatedto themuseum all the material—mostly replicas, strands of hair and theever-popular plasterof Paris foot casts —he had been pilingup.Butfor all its proximity to the stomping grounds supposedly favoredby the2,000 ape men estimated by expertstobe on the prowlin North America,the museum is not taken very seriouslybythe species’tirelesscadre of“researchers.”

Animal Planet, the cable network, has run programs on Bigfoot thathavetransformedWillow Creekinto a mini-monster tourist destination.But Al Hodgson,who helped co-found themuseum and who usedtokeep plaster impressions of the creature’sfeetonthe counter at hisgeneralstore, has retreatedfromactive involvement in the exhibit, leavingittothe smaller BigfootDiscoveryProject in Felton —andother outpostsof scientificSasquatchery — tosend gumshoes intothe woods looking for Bigfeet.

Nelson, who isamemberof theWillow Creek town board, believes there wasneveraconscious decision bylocalmerchants to cash in on their shaggybeast. Butthere wasamoment in 2003 when thetownturnedallits energiestoward conveningan International Bigfoot Symposium. “Atfirst,we thought, ‘Why don’t we trytohold a Bigfoot sympo- sium?’”recalls MarcRowley,who runs the impressively upscale Coho Cottages, wheremyfamily and I stayed.“Then somebody said, ‘Why notmake it an internationalsymposium?’Andthen somebody said, ‘Hey,maybe we cangetJaneGoodallto come!’”

Thelegendaryprimatologist seemedan unlikely addition to the roster of eccentricsand goofballs alreadycommitted to thesymposium. But,as it turned out, somebodyin Willow Creek knew somebody who knew somebody who knewGoodall, and before anybody could believe it,the granddame ofthe ape world hadsaid she would come. “Wecouldn’tbelieveit,” Rowley says, “butshe almost showed up.” Almost. Infact, inan interview on National PublicRadio the year beforethe symposium, Goodall insistedBigfootdidexist.“Well, I’m aromantic, so Ialways wanted themtoexist,” sheconceded finally.At the last minute,Tanzania invited Goodallto aceremony to haveagame preserve named after her the sameweekshe was supposedto be in Willow Creek, and onceagainBigfootcame up flat-footed.

Thesymposiumwasconsidered a hugesuccess,attracting researchers whosecredibility stemmedlargely from thedisproportionate numberofBigfoot sightings they seemedtoexperi- ence relative to thenonresearcher population. The town,which hasfewer than 2,000 residents, swelledinsizeby almost a third, and swelledwith pride.Streufert met famous researchers such as Bob Gimlin andJohnGreen.

“Thatwas when Istartedto think theremight besomething to it, rather thanjustacutecultural legend,”he says.“Since then, I’ve had to rethinkthatalot because so many of thereports and beliefs about Bigfoot are franklyludicrous.”

Theconundrum central to thefieldofBigfoot study is, of course,an almosttotal lack of documentation thatwould supportthe species’ existence. A number of famous hoaxers have furthermuddiedtheground upon whichthe creature’splaster of Paris pedigree—andproblematicpedicure —is based.But Lee-Ann Brander,who nextyear will celebratethe20th anniversaryof the Bigfoot Burger sheand her husband serveatEarlyBird, believes everytoe shebakes into theFrench breadbun is basedon areal, hairy whopper.

Backin the days when the restaurant soldBigfootDonuts, glazed in the shapeofsomething biggerand badder thanabear claw,Brander’sfather-in-law arrivedearly inthe morning to begin baking,andonemorning he heard a noisethatsounded like screaming.“The local fish and game guy camein,whiteasa sheet,” Brandersays.“After a few minutes, hesaid, ‘IsweartoGod Ijustsaw Bigfoot.’ Hesaid he had gonedown tochecktheweirthat countsthefish,and he said he could smellsomething awful. He went out toward the weir,and as he gotcloser,the smell was overpowering.Hestartledsomething, and it ran away.”

TheBigfootBurger, which weighs 1½poundsand costs $8.49,doesn’tcome with the ghastly smell thatsomewho claim tohaveencountered the bipedbeastgot windof. The dish hasbeensuch asuccess that at theBigfootRestaurant they’re town’smostcelebratedresident,a visualnarrative of Bigfoot’swork building homes and cultivating the gardens of Native American tribes. The mural took artist Duane Flatmoalmost twoyears to complete.“Theoriginal sightings wereright herein town,” explains MikeBackman, the store’smanager. “Thatwas beforeit wasvogue. Before everybody had one.” thinking of addingaburger with toes of theirown. Waitress Jurnie Wildersays hersisteroncesaw Bigfootat their homein Hoopa, whichisn’tfar from theBluff Creekclearing wherethe famous filmwasshot. At first, she thought abear was rummaging through thetrash, Wilder says,buther sister’sfamiliaritywithBigfoot shows on cable TVhelped herdiscern whatwas reallyhappening.

There has beenverylittle local resistanceto Bigfooting, although not long ago theBigfoot Golf and Country Clubinexplicably changed itsname to Willow Creek Golf and Country Club. Members may have realizedthat onceyou getpast theelusive creature, thewordcan have manyallusive meanings. To be “bigfooted”is to have someone who presumablymakes abigger imprinton the world than you do puttheir foot upyour aspirations. If, onthe other hand, you are the bigfoot brought in to solve some problem that hasvanquished lessermortals, well, your big feet are in clover.

Themantle of Willow Creek’s Bigfootbigfoot has fallen to Streufert, who is part of a research projectthat hasplacedmore than adozen surveillance cameras in the woodsofBluffCreek.He is adefenderof the faith, while maintaining a healthyskepticism about both thecreature and the commercialismthathas become amorefamiliar part ofBigfoot’s identitythan hisfootprints.

“Allof asudden it stood upon twolegsandwalkedoff,”Wilder says. “My sister says bears don’t walk on their twofeetunless they’rein the circus.”

Across thehighway,the Ace Hardware store offers amassive tableau in keepingwiththe

“If Iseemprickly, it’sbecause thereare a lot of peoplewho come around hereand justwant to make ajoke of it all,” Streufert says. “There are so manypeople cominghere seekingto exploit the legendofBigfoot, to ridiculeit. There’sasense of humoraboutit here,though. Alot of locals have played pranks on outsiders, and I think a lot of these reports offootprints and stuff gobackto that. Thedesire tohoax the outsider.”

Streuferthas agraduate degree in literature from Humboldt State. Hecame toWillow Creek for thewaters. “I didn’tmove up here to beinvolved in Bigfoot,” he says sadly. “Itjust sort of took over mylife.”

CONTACTBRUCENEWMAN

AT408-920-5004.FOLLOW HIMATTWITTER.COM/ BRUCENEWMANTWIT.

Dancewithfirein SantaCruz

Wanttoaddfireto yourlife?If you’rein SantaCruz any Sunday eveningaround dark,go tothe lighthouse,where fire dancers (withbatons andhula hoops) cavorttotherhythmofwhatever drummers show up. BYOdrum,ifyou want. It’saSanta Cruz happening thathas beengoingonfor years. Noneed to bring weed,justwander inand breathedeeply.

Hiketo...aplanecrash?

Goon a treasurehunt for a bit of BayArea and trans-Pacificaviation historywithahike in ElCorte de MaderaCreek OpenSpace Preserve.Thebackground:OnOct. 29, 1953, aplane inthelastleg of a flight from SydneytoSanFrancisco crashed in the Santa CruzMountains, killingatotal of 19people on board.

Thehike tothe debrisleftbySan MateoCounty’s worst aviationaccident is a moderatetrek about 2 miles into the mountains.

Fordetailsandastory aboutanAustralianman’strekto thesite of thecrash,whichkilledthefatherheneverknew,go tohttp:// bayareane.ws/1ER5TH1.

ExploreourownRockCity

It’snot Detroit, but it’sstillprettycool.Kidslove to climb onthe uniquerockformations atRock City,on MountDiablo. Formedbyerosion,the areahas unusually largesandstone formations and small caves. Hikethere fromthe south entranceto thepark, then follow the Summit Trailpastthe Live Oakcamping area. It’sashortwalk away.Itcangethotduringsummer months, so makesure youbring water.

Fordetails, call925-837-2525.

Goforasoakin Berkeley

Noshirt?Noshoes?No swimwear?No problem.

Formanyyears,skinny-dippers havebeencomingto abackyard in Berkeleyfor asecretsoak. In1975, the Essex HotTubwas built, and sincethen, ithashosted tens of thousands of visitors. It isopen towomen; men are welcome, too, but they must beaccompanied by a woman. Accessingthe spotinvolves acomplicated codesystem, in which everyonehastheir own number. Smokinganddrugsare notallowed, and there’sano-talking rule.

SeekouttheFairyDoor

Forasurreal experience,head to Golden GatePark in SanFrancisco andsearch forthefantastical Fairy Door,putthere byactualfairies (people say).Kids bring trinketstoleavefor the fairies, and the search, similar to a treasure hunt,is funbutchallenging. While you’rein the park,hit the Japanese Tea Garden (75 HagiwaraTea Garden Drive). Andif you goon a Sunday,bring bikes,andyoucan tool all aroundthe park when it’sclosedtocars. Then grab a bite and abeer atPark Chalet(1000 Great Highway), at the western edge ofthe park, nearOcean Beach.

FordetailsontheFairyDoor,go tohttp://bayareane.ws/1JCeQFi.

Dropsomecoinon thewharf

AmidthetouristyhustleandbustleofFisherman’s Wharf isthis gem: MuseeMecanique, hometo one of the largestprivately owned collections of coin-operatedmechanicalmusical instrumentsand arcade machines. Theplace is home to more than200 machines, andthey’re inworkingorder. MuseeMecaniqueis on Pier45, at the foot ofTaylor Street, and admission is freeeveryday.

Fordetails, go tohttp://museemecaniquesf.com.

Putanewspinon ‘dinnerdate’

Thefood atthis Pacifica TacoBellis exactlywhat you’dexpect.What setsthisoneapartis its location. “Romantic”and“fastfood” are probablyrarely uttered inthesame sentence,except perhapswhen talking about the Pacificafranchise, which is directly on the beach and, naturally,affords fantasticviews of the ocean. ShareaNacho Bell Grande withyour sweetie, andflirt using hot saucepackets.

5200CoastHighway.For details, call650-355-4210.

MakesomeNatureFriends

Established in 1912, the MountTamalpais branchof theAustria-basedFriendsof Nature organization is amembers-only club thatwelcomes nonmembers on selectedweekends.Theclub’sthreeannual festivals are opento thepublic andfeatureapolka band, traditional dances, heartyfoodand thirst-quenchingbeer. Upcomingeventsinclude oneson July19 and Sept. 20.

Fordetails, go tohttp://touristclubsf.org.

Customers“with sandy feet”are urged to order at the walk-up window onthe restaurant’s wraparound deck.

Above: Onlookers ponder their options: freejazz,cheap tacos orvintage clothing.

What’sthebestfreeweeklyjazzconcertona sidewalkinfrontofaSalvationArmystorenexttoatacotruck?

Easy:That’sHipsteria, a band thatsprawlsout along ValenciaStreetat theotherwise charmless cornerof Cesar Chavez StreeteverySaturdayin the Mission, 11a.m.-5p.m. Therelative absenceoffoot traffic only makesiteven more fun to stumble upon. Funkiness might be vanishing from the neighborhood, but Hipsteria proves it’snotallgone. —Chris Colin

RelivetheeraoftheDead

Tuckedin a 1,400-square-footroomknown as Dead Central on themain floor ofUCSanta Cruz’sMcHenryLibrary,this treasure troveoftheGratefulDead empiredocuments 30 yearsofperforming, from concert postersto backstagepassesto photos and press clippings. Even ifyour Grateful Deadconcert attendancecount isnot so respectable, theexhibit descriptions areenough to allow evenlightweight Dead fans a colorful insight into the history of the band.

Fordetails, gotohttp://library.ucsc.edu/grateful-dead-archive.

Sidleuptoagreasyspoon

Wantataste ofnostalgia?Go toHazel’sDrive In in Antioch, whichhasthe feel of aset from “Happy Days.”Thehamburgers here come invarious sizes and getasbig as dinnerplates — perfectfor sharing withfriends. The milkshakes comein a varietyofunusual flavors,such aspeanutbutter and banana, and, like any great old-fashionedshake,are served with extrainametal container.

1820W.10th St.

Playsailor,andsingthepart

Once amonth, the National Park Servicelets average citizens play seadog,allowing would-be sailors to hopon board a lovinglypreservedhistoricship dockedatHydeStreetPier for the Chantey Sing. Parkrangersleadguests in a singalong of traditional sea chanteys in thebelly ofthe boat, andhotapple cideris providedto keepeveryonetoastywarm. And keepyour classicSan Francisco experiencegoing by stopping atthe nearbyBuena VistaCafefor an Irish coffeeafterward. Reservations are requiredfor the singalong.

2905HydeSt.For details, go tohttp://bayareane.ws/1EDk00w.

BeAlameda’spinballwizard

Needapinballfix?Go toPacific PinballMuseum, on WebsterStreetin Alameda,wherehundredsof machinesawait.Don’tworry—youdon’tneeda pocketful of quarters. It’sjust $15for unlimitedplay for adults.

1510WebsterSt.Fordetails,goto www.pacificpinball.org.

Dancethenightaway

PieRanchis asustainable, community-minded farm in gorgeous seasidePescadero. Inadditiontorunning aCSA,Pie Ranch offers farmer training and foodeducationprograms. On thethird Saturdayofthe month, guestscanparticipatein aworkdayandtour, ending in apotluck and barn dance.Apatientcaller explains dances tothe crowd before everyoneisinvited to swing their partner ’round to spiritedlive music.

By the end ofthe evening,eventhe shyestwallflowers will findthemselvesgrinningear to ear as theydance withstrangersandfriends alike. This family-friendly event is alcohol-free, and RSVPs are required.

2080CabrilloHighway.For details, go towww.pieranch.org.

Buybargainbooks,guilt-free

Abook isaman’sbest friend. Forproof of that,head to FortMason Center’sdayslong Spring BookSale, wherebibliophilesdescend each yearto pick through the massiveassortment of paperbacks andhardcovers of all genres.

Amid thecountless castoff copies of “Twilight”and “Eat PrayLove”are hidden gems and time-tested classics — this year’slot includedahandsome hardbound Dickenscollection and works by authors ranging from James JoycetoE.L.James.Andthe event, which raises moneyfor the San Francisco Public Library,is so packed, no one will noticeif a copyof “50 Shades” “slips”intoyour cart.

Can’twait until spring?The five-day Big BookSale, also atFortMason Center, kicksoff Sept.16. Everything is $3orless,and, likeattheSpringBookSale,all items remainingonthe last dayare $1.Can’tbeatthat.

2Marina Blvd.For details, go tohttp://www.friendssfpl.org.

Setup shop(withasurfboard)

Can’tpartwith your laptop—orsurfboard—on overnight trips? Both are encouragedat Surf Office, auniquelodging and co-work space that’ssteps from alegendarysurfbreak onSanta Cruz’sspectacular Westside. Entrepreneurs, freelancersanddigital nomads bang out business plans during theday and link up for social events atnight. Inthemorning, hit the wavesor justsurf theWeb.The space isopen to all who want a scenicescape withthe option of getting some work done come Monday morning. (ATahoe location is comingsoon, we’re told,forwintersports enthusiasts.)

Fordetails, go towww.thesurfoffice.com.

PlanahuntforBigfoot

Northern California is primeBigfoot country,andthe curatorof this quirky,one-room museum can tell you all about it. Nestledinthe small, tree-filled community of Felton, theBigfootDiscoveryMuseumis a 15-minute hopfromSantaCruz,andit’ssaid you can hearSasquatchrootingaroundin theforest. Takea photo with the massive woodenBigfootoutside,then head indoors to ogle Bigfoot art, artifacts andmemorabilia. Afterward, head to the nearbytavern,Monty’s LogCabin(5755Highway 9), forabeer onthe patioto discusstacticsforspottingthe legendyourself.

ON BIGFOOT

Formoreonthe legend of Bigfoot, turn to Page26 to readBruce Newman’stale of the extreme Northern California town built aroundthe legend.

VisitadiconsatBellPlastics

Witnessthe Bay Area’slargestcollection of fiberglass advertisingicons atthis fun Hayward plasticsshop. Owner Bruce Kennedy welcomes visitors from all over the world to marvelat histowering Doggie Diner heads, Bob’sBig Boy andmufflermen — the Paul Bunyan-sized guardians of roadside businesses of yore. Oneperkofowningaplastic shop?Fabricating bobblehead versions—which visitors can takehome —ofthe figures.

2020NationalAve.For details, go tohttp://bellplasticsfabrication.com.