Nope, we don’t think the elusive creature exists, but our belief in fun is sure sparked during the wet and wild days of early spring in Northern Michigan. Here’s how to participate in a (real, but totally not serious) hunt for Bigfoot!
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Things can get a little hairy Up North in April—in the form of mega-muddy trails, uninvited spring squalls, premature donning of shorts and/or sandals.
So, in a month when cabin fever runs amok, we’re applauding a trend we see emerging across the North: spottings of everyone’s fave campy creature, Bigfoot.
Here are a few Squatch-inspired sweets, outings and treasures that will get you in on the hunt—whether you’re a believer or not.
A Big(foot) Greeting from Suttons Bay
Leelanau County artist and Wild Lettie shop founder Annie Lang Hartman is known for her outdoorsy goods and greeting cards that bring a spark of adventure and wink of wit. We are keen on this National Park Sasquatch Patch for your backpack or jean jacket—retro and modern at once—and this sweet Sasquatch hello to send to everyone you know.
Hartman is also expanding her Suttons Bay footprint (wink-wink) this spring. Her shop Wild Lettie will move a block up the street to a new storefront opening Memorial Day weekend, and the current space at 206 N. St Joseph St. will become a new boutique, Summer Camp, stocking vibrant artwork, accessories and “just basically anything that will bring out your inner kid and throw around some summer vibes,” Hartman says. Meanwhile the Wild Lettie in Leland’s Fishtown opens mid-May; or find her online.
Photo by Wild Lettie
Photo by Wild Lettie
Hunt for Frosted Sasquatch Cookies in Bellaire
Ruthann Dexter has been getting locals buzzing on Sasquatch sightings and her stiff coffee drinks. With her abundance of good humor—and a one-of-a-kind matte buttercream—the beloved owner/designer at Ruthann’s Gourmet Bakery in the cozy village of Bellaire has been stocking the bakery case with the legendary monster in cookie form.
Dexter says her sugar cookie Sasquatch traded in his winter scarf for bunny slippers this spring, and there will be many more Sasquatch cookie cameos (and wardrobe changes) this summer. The question is, what will he be wearing for the 4th? Find the bakery at 105 N. Bridge St., Suite B, in Bellaire. (Call to make sure the Sasquatches are available, 231-350-7010, or just take a gamble on Ruthann’s irresistible treats of all species.)
Photo by Ruthann Dexter
Photo by Ruthann Dexter
Photo by Ruthann Dexter
Find Bigfoot on Canvas (and shelves!) in Petoskey
Leave it to the fun-loving crew at Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts in Petoskey to set you up for a Sasquatch sighting in a place most people never consider: a painting class.
At 6 p.m. on May 15, friends will join a guest artist in a whimsical Van Gogh-style painting session immortalizing the big guy on canvas. The Bigfoot Painting Class will be held at The Katydid at 305 E. Lake St., Petoskey. Class size is limited; $35 per ticket.
Grandpa Shorter’s Gifts is big on Sasquatch paraphernalia, period: the store is brimming with wind-up toys, dolls, buttons, bandages, bobbleheads and other silly salutes to the big guy. Their website also shares Bigfoot “facts,” including that Michigan is considered one of the top Bigfoot sighting spots in the United States. The last one recorded in Petoskey was at Wilderness State Park in 2009, where a family reported several unusual moments on their camping trip—including horrendous odor, noises in the night and a 16-inch footprint in the forest floor. (Read all the local Bigfoot gossip here.)
Photo by Grandpa Shorter's
Photo by Grandpa Shorter's
Photo by Grandpa Shorter's
Is Bigfoot real and roaming Northern Michigan? Highly doubtful, and that’s a good thing. But now that the weather is warming up, why not seek out the shaggy folk hero on a spontaneous road trip around the North.