There are several decent motels in the Cheboygan area, such as the Best Western River Terrace Motel (847 S. Main St., 231/627-5688, www.bestwesternmichigan.com, $79–129 d), with most rooms overlooking the Cheboygan River.

You can also camp at Cheboygan State Park (4490 Beach Rd., 616/627-2811, state park vehicle permit required, $12–27), at one of 78 modern sites along Lake Huron’s Duncan Bay. The area is a favorite among anglers, but there’s not much in the way of swimming at the campground; instead, head for the park’s day-use area, four miles away, which has a sandy beach and bathhouse.

For good food served up with interesting history, try The Boathouse (106 Pine St., 231/627-4316, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. daily, $7–19), the former boathouse of the infamous Purple Gang, part of Detroit’s 1920s underworld; or the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn (8131 Beebe Rd., 231/625-2919, www.hackmatackinn.com, 5 p.m.–close daily May–mid-Oct., $18–50), housed in a rustic 1894 lodge overlooking the Cheboygan River. Whitefish is the specialty.