NORTH GEORGIA MUSEUM TRIES TO ANSWER THE QUESTION

Written and Photographed by TAMRA ANNE BOLLES

Is Bigfoot out there?

I wondered that very thing while walking through Expedition Bigfoot: The Sasquatch Museum in Cherry Log, above five miles from downtown Blue Ridge in North Georgia.

David and Malinda Bakara, both field researchers, opened their museum in 2016. On display are several Bigfoot reports, some from within Georgia, along with missing persons clippings, which provide information to educate the public on past and present investigations.

If you've noticed the enormous Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, statue when traveling south on Highway 515 from Blue Ridge towards Ellijay, you've spotted the museum. It's a 4,000-square-foot complex with collected items, full size displays, a mini research vehicle, and a map of Bigfoot sightings in Florida and Georgia.

Picking up a copy of Sasquatch Field Guide from the gift shop, I roamed the museum interior to become acquainted with how everything was organized, noticing first that there's no priority given to one display over another.

"We put a lot of effort into building all the displays," says David. "There's not one that is more important than the other."

Among the items featured is the 2007 Josh Gates Yeti footprint, which made the visit that much more intriguing since I remembered the circumstances surrounding how and where Gates found that footprint on the Nepal Expedition, which was broadcast on TV.

David described the personalities of several researchers he's worked with and said they all share the same commonsense research values that he holds dear, mainly, that they don’t simply focus on finding evidence of Bigfoot.

"The most important characteristic we share is to speak the truth and follow the evidence, no matter where it leads,” says David, sharing that he’s been interested in Bigfoot since he was 12. His wife didn't share his intrigue until she joined him on a Sasquatch hunting adventure.

"Malinda went on a reporting investigation with me, and after listening and talking to the people who were giving their accounts, she became very invested in the process," says David.

The Bakaras agree that items that qualify to be showcased in the museum include "sturdy pieces of evidence" like footprint casts, hair samples, audio/video recordings and photos.

One of the biggest surprises the couple has encountered since opening their museum eight years ago is the staggering number of unreported claims of Bigfoot encounters in the Blue Ridge area.

"When we first opened, Malinda and I noted the number of people lined up to tell of their encounters," David recalls. "It was as if they were just waiting for someone to tell their story to, someone that would believe them."

The museum tour is self-guided, but questions are encouraged by those who facilitate visits. While most visitors are from the Southeast, a casual flip through the museum guest book reveals visitors from Hawaii, New England, Washington State and the Midwest. Many comments left by visitors support the entertainment value of the museum for anyone planning a unique family afternoon.

Looking at the faces of those touring with me, some expressions seemed perhaps a little fearful, especially given the number of exhibits, some of which could be described as ghoulish. Certainly, the unknown can be scary, especially when it's portrayed to be between 8 and 13 feet tall or taller.  

Displays include a one-page history detailing circumstances surrounding the find, along with props, often casts of footprints, and sometimes Sasquatch sketches with distinguishing features.

In the guide from the museum’s gift shop, written by Dr. Jeff Meldrum, who studies fossils and living primates along with early hominins, I read that he was motivated to travel the world in search of Sasquatch after finding a line of 15-inch footprints in southeastern Washington.

Did I consider myself a Bigfoot believer after touring the museum?

President Teddy Roosevelt's exhibit gave me pause for further reflection. It displays a passage in his 1892 book, "Wilderness Hunter," that relays the story of a trapper named Bauman who supposedly had a Bigfoot encounter. And seeing Yates’ Yeti footprint in person after watching the television show was exciting.

As they say, "The truth is out there."

But what left me with the greatest impression were the moments I spent listening to David while standing with him in his investigation office. The newspaper clippings, Bigfoot sketches, pictures of hair samples including those of different species, some that are identified as unknown and attributed to Bigfoot: All provide room for further speculation.

David spoke about firsthand accounts from people he's met, some from military backgrounds and police officers he's interviewed involving missing persons cases. I could feel the hairs standing on end realizing the volume of stories that he has collected. It became more real while listening and learning from David, glancing side-to-side at what surrounded us, wondering to myself, "What is out there, or for that matter, who?"

Personally, I'm not convinced yet that Bigfoot exists, and hopefully while traveling Georgia's country backroads, my confirmation will never materialize.

But those who run Expedition Bigfoot do believe in the existence of Sasquatch, either from personal experience or testimony and exhibit.

Whether you're a skeptic or not, you'll enjoy what's presented at this unique attraction, billed as the world's largest museum dedicated solely to Bigfoot.

Visit expeditionbigfoot.com. If you've had a Bigfoot encounter you'd like to report, write the Bakaras at  expeditionbigfootblueridge@gmail.com or call them at 706.946.2601.  NCM