Of the many things you can say about the great State of Washington, one of the best is the fact that it is downright weird. While some may think being called weird is a put down, something to be avoided or hidden away, it is really a great compliment. The opposite of weird, boring old normal, is the last thing a state wants to be. The normal states are the ones you drive through on your way to something interesting.
So what is weird about Washington? After reading either Weird Washington by Jeff Davis or Weird & Wacky Washington Places by Bree Coven Brown you will be asking yourself, “What isn’t?”. Both books try to categorize the unknown and give plenty of detail on such local oddities as the Fremont Troll, the mysterious disappearance of D.B. Cooper, and of course Sasquatch.
If you have trouble suspending your disbelief and want to treat your inner skeptic, check out Annals of Gullibility. Stephen Greenspan provides a rational and scientific explanation of why we are drawn to the unexplained. You could even find out who wore the ape-like costume in the infamous film, made in Washington of course, that made the legend of Bigfoot so popular by reading The Making of Bigfoot by Greg Long.
While I usually side with the rational, I can’t help but find the occasional oddity that I would like to be true. Such is the case when it comes to the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus detailed in Weird Washington. Sure you won’t find an entry for the creature in the many books we have on marine life in the Pacific Northwest, but it is strangely comforting to think it could be out there somewhere…
