"Freshwater Fish Hall of Fame" Hayward by Travler409

We punched the coordinates into Sheila the GPS and left Minneapolis under her guidance. Hayward was our next stop on the big circle tour. I had been wanting to get to this photo op place for a couple of years. When the Twins baseball agenda came up, I seized the opportunity. The highpoint (in more ways than one) of the visit is to climb up inside the fish and look out over the surrounding area.

Me and the Boy in the open mouth

Stepping inside the giant fish takes anglers back to another time, a long ago time. Historic black and white photos and men and their fishing days line the dark walls. Two flights of steps go up to the open mouth observation area. It would be better if it looked out on one of the Great Lakes instead of a windmill and a road. But what the heck: It is kitschy roadside attraction at it's best.

The one that got away

The large fish scattered around the grounds are set up for photo ops. Some even have large fishing lines. boats, platforms, etc to use in the pictures.

• Pros:Tons of fishing memorabilia and photo ops.
• Cons:It's a long drive unless you live near Hayward.
• In a nutshell:You either have to love fishing or photo ops or both.