It was pouring with rain the day we traveled through Kalkaska.  I needed a K for our alphabet tour as we made our way through several Northern Michigan towns, on a two day adventure.  As soon as I saw the giant 17 foot long fish, located near the old railroad depot now turned Nature Museum, I knew that I needed  this picture.  Truth be told, unless you count the gas station and convenience stores there weren’t many other options for exciting photos of this tiny town.

Taking this picture made me smile as imagined what people were thinking as they saw me standing in the pouring rain, holding a letter for no apparent reason.  It was likely the most entertainment in the town in a while. Curiosity generally gets people talking.  It is often the way we often start discussions about our ABC adventures. Although Kalkaska attracts many visitors, most people were smarter than us on this day and didn’t get out of their cars.

With a population of just over 2,000, Kalkaska is the kind of small town most people just drive through unless you know someone or are coming to explore the great natural beauty which surrounds the town.   Still, rain or shine, Alan and I don’t miss opportunities and now I have a picture with a giant fish to prove it!

These kinds of oversized oddeties exist all across the USA, there quirkiness is worth capturing as part of the fabric of our country.  Even though they seem out of place, there is often more than meets the eye and such was true for the giant fish which was dedicated in 1966.  It has become an icon to welcome people to the area.

The Kalkaska County website boasts that there are “561 square miles with 80 inland lakes and 275 miles of streams and rivers.  Kalkaska is well known for its wide open spaces and of course for its trout fishing.  It is so celebrated there is a festival which honors the Brook Trout, which also happens to be the state fish of Michigan.  The National Trout Festival is held the last week of April annually.  Earnest Hemmingway also frequented the area and I would have never realized that unless I had stopped to read the historical information located near the the giant fish.

Summer and fall are not the only time people come to play. With an annual average of 126 inches of snow per year, winter is also popular giving way to activities such as skiing, sled dog racing and snowmobiling.   It is no wonder that this area is described as natures playground.

Like the stories still to be told of the area, I hope the giant fish, which catches travelers and reels them in, holding them spellbound to enjoy the unspoilt beauty will be here for many generations.  If you find yourself wanting to slow down and take in a little more of the area, try Trout Town Tavern for fish and chips or smoked trout pate’ and be sure to grab a picture, you may only pass this way once!