William L. Stuart

author of The Gemstone Chronicles Series

Sasquatch

Expedition Bigfoot Museum Near Blue Ridge Georgia

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I had the opportunity to spend a recent Saturday in Talking Rock, Georgia (near Ellijay, GA) with my children and grandchildren (and the lovely and adorable Lana) at a nice mountain cabin. While there, we discovered a neat little museum near Blue Ridge (home of fairy crosses from The Gemstone Chronicles) devoted to Bigfoot! Called Expedition Bigfoot, it was a neat place! I had no idea Georgia was home to Sasquatch, but it certainly has it share of sightings.

Bigfoot:

If you read the blog, you’ll recall my post about Bigfoot from 2016. That post focused on the Pacific Northwest, where some of the most well-known sightings, photos, and video footage originates. As I found out, though, every state in the contiguous United States, Alaska, and Canada all have sightings. I can’t leave Hawaii out, either. The Hawaiian version, known as Menehune, are humanoid creatures about 3 feet tall. Even if they don’t measure up to the Bigfoot stature, it’s still an unknown creature and makes you wonder.

Expedition Bigfoot:

So, what did we find at Expedition Bigfoot? First, check out this map of Georgia with sightings marked on it. I cropped the bottom half of the state so I could zoom in to the more numerous sightings in North Georgia.

Expedition Bigfoot

Though it’s hard to see, if you look closely at the map, you can see green pins showing the sightings. Interestingly, a number of sightings occurred near Cleveland, GA, where we go gemstone hunting. I’ll have to keep an eye out when I’m up there!

Another famous sighting happened near Barnesville, GA (bottom middle of the map above, just to the left of the lowermost I75 symbol). The picture of the foot casting below was taken near Elkin Creek in Pike County, GA. If this is an accurate casting, the creature certainly has a big foot!

Expedition Bigfoot

If you watch The Travel Channel, you’ve probably seen shows featuring Josh Gates. In 2007, Josh cast a Yeti footprint. Below is the casting with Josh Gates in the background. That’s pretty cool!

Expedition Bigfoot

There are audio recordings at Expedition Bigfoot and you can don a set of headphones and hear cries, thumping on trees, and other sounds attributed to the creatures. Cool stuff!

I know none of this proves the existence of Bigfoot, but it sure makes for interesting speculation. I’ve not seen one, and skepticism runs deep. However, one of the people we spoke with at the museum declared herself not a believer, but a knower, and claims to have experienced many sightings over the years. Who knows? She might be correct!

Which are you? Are you a skeptic, a believer, or a knower? Leave me a comment and let me know! If you’ve seen one, give the details. I’d really like to know! Have you visited Expedition Bigfoot? Let us know and tell us about your own expedition to find Bigfoot!

Connect with me:

If you want to email about your experience, send it to bill@williamlstuart.com. I also welcome new friends on social media. Find me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Tumblr, and Pinterest, say hello, and let’s connect!

Do You Believe? Bigfoot (Or Sasquatch if You Prefer)!!

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Bigfoot (or Sasquatch, if you prefer)!

Bigfoot

Bigfoot:

Frequent readers of this blog know that I have a fascination for conspiracy theories, mysterious places, and other such things. Along those lines, the legends of Bigfoot (or Sasquatch) intrigues me. Though my interest waned somewhat, I recently reviewed Revived by J M Northup, a book with a Sasquatch as one of the main characters, and I’m catching up with the latest in Bigfoot lore.

So, where do the legends begin? Our oft-consulted friends at Wikipedia say the legends mostly begin in the Pacific Northwest. Native American folklore tells us Bigfoot is a hairy bipedal humanoid. So where did the name Sasquatch originate? Again, Wikipedia tells us the name is the Anglicized version of the Halkomelem (the language of the British Colombia First Nation peoples)  word sasq’ets.

Why does Sasquatch attract such attention? And, why do so many people believe in the creature? First of all, Bigfoot is deeply entrenched in popular culture. The creature became popular due to a famous video (the Patterson-Gimlin Film) made in 1967. The video, as grainy as it was, fueled public fascination with Bigfoot. With the release of the video, different groups popped up to either support the idea of Sasquatch’s existence or to debunk the myth.

Evidence:

Despite the lack of physical evidence like bones, Bigfoot believers are legion. Footprints, unclear photos, and other such evidence abounds, but most of the footprints are from other creatures (often bears), and the photos in existence don’t provide indisputable evidence.

To illustrate the divide between believes and non-believers, let’s use the lack of bones as evidence. Believers say it is due to Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) burying their dead. While that makes sense, non-believers would argue there aren’t any bodies because Bigfoot isn’t real.

Where does Bigfoot live?

Believers maintain the creatures exist. And the beasts aren’t confined to the Pacific Northwest or even North America. In Florida, you have the skunk ape (although the US Park Service views this as a hoax). The Yeti inhabits the Himalayas, while the Yowie is Australia’s version. Mongolia has the Yeren and Japan the Hibagon. With all of the different versions of the creature, it’s no wonder belief runs deep. In addition, the stories about the creatures have been around since at least the 6th century (St. Brendan allegedly encountered one during his visit), so we have centuries for the stories to become ingrained in our psyche! We even have road signs!

Bigfoot X-ing Sign

And that belief has spawned an industry and is worth big bucks! Animal Planet produces Finding Bigfoot (6 seasons and going strong)and  Discovery Channel devoted a special to Bigfoot. We even have an organization devoted to scientific research about the creature – The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization! All of this translates into money for the networks,  donations for research, and fuels the mythology and legends.

Bigfoot and the Media:

Bigfoot also is an advertising, TV, and movie staple. The Messin’ With Sasquatch commercials from Jack Link Jerky come to mind, as does the TV show Harry and the Hendersons. There are tons of others, including the series and special mentioned above.

I know I haven’t answered the question about Bigfoot’s existence. I can’t and, in spite of years of tales and legends, no one else can either. Similar to UFOs, there is no definitive proof Bigfoot exists, yet believers in both abound. As with many paranormal and conspiracy theories, you have to make up your own mind. Or, to quote the X-Files “the truth is out there.”

What do you think about Bigfoot? Real or legend? Are the sightings just hoaxes or is there a species wandering the forests successfully evading capture and hiding its existence? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Connect with me:

If you want to connect with me on social media, find me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Tumblr. You can always drop me an email at bill@williamlstuart.com, too!

Revived (Snoqualmie Valley Sasquatch Book 1) – My Review

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Revived – My Review!!

Revived Cover

 

I entered a brave new world for me with Revived (Snoqualmie Valley Sasquatch Book 1). I’ve read books about sparkly vampires, regular vampires, zombies, and werewolves, but this was my first foray into Sasquatches. The book pleasantly surprised me, though!

Synopsis (from the author): When a mysterious friend reappears in the lives of cousins Hannah and Jenna, a haunting past is revived. Tragic loss and prejudices lead to a search for answers about ancient myths that thrive in the Snoqualmie Valley of Washington State.

Does modern science hold the key, or does the truth lie in something supernatural? Heartbreak and hope encourage an unlikely romance while drawing out the darkness of unexpected enemies.

Can the strength of the cousins’ bond protect them from a fearful future?

What I liked: Who knew Sasquatches had such abilities? Super speed, the ability to disguise themselves, and a barrier between the human world and their own made this a cool story. The tragedy connecting Hannah, Jenna, and Adam provided a great background. In addition, the romance that blossomed between Adam and… oh wait, that might be a spoiler!

With good writing and a story that moved along at a nice pace, the book had enough interesting twists to keep me entertained. The family interaction among the Sasquatch tribe was pretty cool, too!

What I didn’t like: Despite how well written the book was, I had a hard time relating to the characters. Maybe it was due to the almost human (though hairy) Sasquatches, but I had a little trouble getting into the story.

Overall impression: I liked the story and it moved along quite nicely. The tragic background of the tale, the interaction among the characters, and the possibilities alluded to for subsequent books make Revived a book to consider. I recommend it to anyone who likes paranormal romance and Sasquatches!

My rating: 4 Stars

Connect with the author:

Interested in knowing more about J M Northup and her books? Find her on her Amazon Author Page or at her author website! If you read Revived or any of J M Northup’s other books, please consider leaving a review!

Connect with me:

Do you have feedback for me on this review? Please leave a comment, drop me an email at bill@williamlstuart.com, or connect with me on social media. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Goodreads, and Tumblr. I look forward to hearing from you!!