Two Feathers in Portland's Cap

Some people just can't be satisfied. Apparently I am one of those. I'm always grousing that there's little to do here in Maine--except for hiking, biking, sailing, kayaking, gardening, rafting and swimming, weather permitting. But not much aimed at the intellect. Yet, after five years as a local resident I still had not visited the world's only cryptozoology museum, which is located right here in downtown Portland, Maine. Until yesterday. (While I'm divulging, I have been to Paris several times and not once have I set foot inside the Louvre. I have also never been to the Maine Jewish Museum. But at least now I can say I have been to the International Cryptozoology Museum, and I'm betting not that many of my readers can.)

Cryptozoology is defined as the study of hidden or unknown animals; as one might imagine, they are tough to pin down. Bottom line: It's all about Bigfoot, a.k.a. Sasquatch, and some other maybe-they-exist cryptids like Nessie (the Loch Ness Monster) and a few I've never heard of. Evidence has been amassed after "five decades of field research" by the museum's director, a man named Loren Coleman who is either wildly wacky or plum out of his mind.

While many of the displays consist of rubber and foam depictions of Bigfoot, i.e. toys, still others purport to be scientifically sound and indisputable evidence that the big hairy guy exists. Come to Maine and judge for yourself. Or don't bother and just look at these pictures I took at the museum and consider it done. If you do make the trip be sure to stop at OTTO Pizza which is just a few blocks away, and really is a damn good reason to visit Maine.