Jake the Alligator Man

For some odd reason, I have a picture postcard of an alligator farm, long lost, from Southern California. Actually, when thinking about it, the reason I have the postcard isn't that odd, but the whole idea of having a alligator farm on the west coast is kind of amusingly odd.

I don't know whether the alligators they had decades ago where actually albino gators or whether the individual who colored the card had trouble finding some other shade of green to use. Albino alligators are pretty cool. And they are known to eat chihuahua's of wealthy Beverly Hills types.

However, live alligators in California are pretty normal compared to having a half-alligator-half-man mummy in your collection of tourist crap and shells for sale as can be found at Marsh's Free Museum in Long Beach, Washington. On the Pacific Coast, it ranks in my top five roadside attractions. There's taxidermy, weird penny arcade games, midway attractions. And of course, Jake.

Long Beach also has on public display what is purported to be the world's largest frying pan. Kind of cool.