EXPLORING THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE VAN METER VISITOR - Van Meter, Iowa. (Pictured: the former Van Meter Bank where a flying cryptid was encountered in 1903. A fanciful representation of the Otherworldly Creature can be seen on the rooftop.) An intrigued crowd of cryptid curiosity seekers - attending the 2019 “Van Meter Visitor Festival” - brave the nighttime rain to hear a guided account of the strange encounters that occurred on (and above) the streets of this small Iowa town over a century ago. In September and October of 1903, the rural prairie-town of Van Meter, Iowa was terrorized by a bizarre, bat-winged, flying animal that can best be described as being “pterodactyl-like” with a beak, or horn, that projected a beam of light like a “spotlight.” This Strange Visitor was shot at, on several occasions, as it flew from rooftop-to-rooftop - with little apparent effect upon the Being. In an effort to rid the town of the Frightening Menace, townsfolk eventually formed a posse and tracked the creature to its supposed lair - an old mine on the outskirts of town. According to accounts, the monster was found near the mine entrance with a smaller creature of like-appearance that was its likely offspring. What happened next in this legend varies: the Hellish Beasts were driven deep into the dark pit from which they came, or the unwelcomed mother and young escaped into the night sky - never to return again. In any case, this fascinating tale endures to this day as the town celebrates its monstrous lore by welcoming visitors from across the country during its annual “Van Meter Visitor Festival.” A fantastic work on the “Van Meter Visitor” - written by cryptid explorers and festival organizers Chad Lewis, Kevin Nelson and Noah Voss - is available for those seeking more detailed info on this amazing cryptid tale. Photo by Michael Huntington - September, 2019. @Huntington_Strange_Travels #MichaelHuntington #StrangeTravels #HuntingtonAdventures #HuntingtonFamily #UnusualFamilyOutings #Cryptids #Cryptotourism #VanMeterVisitor #VanMeterCryptid #FlyingCryptid #VanMeterVisitorFestival #VanMeterVisitorFestival2019 #ChadLewis #KevinNelson #NoahVoss #BackRoadsLore #VanMeterIowa (at Van Meter, Iowa) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4I0qqBlOKx/?igshid=x4dhweb7727r