Some stops are about the food, some are about the photo ops — and Gustafson’s Smoked Fish in Moran, Michigan manages to be both. Known since 1978 for smoking Michigan fish to perfection, they also stock jerky in every flavor imaginable, plus a mix of snacks, souvenirs, and “just passing through” essentials.
On our visit, the big‑chair tradition was in full swing — part of an ongoing joke with my daughter about my “mirage” size, complete with Oompa Loompa‑style glasses for scale. Between the oversized seating and the smell of fresh‑smoked whitefish, it was impossible not to linger.
The glasses have their own origin story. A few weeks earlier, Zach had surprised me with an off‑road electric scooter. I sent a photo of me riding it to my 15‑year‑old daughter, who immediately declared I looked “TINY.”
My reply? “My size is just a figment of your imagination — I am, in fact, quite tiny. Like an Oompa Loompa.”
She’d just given me a pair of huge white‑framed, rose‑tinted glasses, and from that moment, The World’s Largest Journey was born — a running photo series proving that I might actually be pocket‑sized and the world around me is comically large.
If you’re heading along US‑2 in the Upper Peninsula, this is one of those easy pull‑offs that rewards you with friendly faces, local flavor, and a little bit of roadside whimsy.
