It is the height of tourism season here in Northern Michigan, and visitors are finding all kinds of ways to spend their time - and their money. But they're also finding ways to stretch their dollars.

One way many are doing just that, is by "renting" their way through vacation. For some it means saving money by renting campsites instead of hotel rooms. Others rent campers or RVs to get more of the amenities without paying the premium prices.

Campsite managers we talked with say tourist traffic does appear to be up over this time last year. And they say people are adding days onto their itinerary. But in some cases campers tell us they're taking one long vacation instead of several shorter ones.

For some people, saving money on lodging helps them spend money in other ways, visiting places they wouldn't have gone otherwise. Who knows - it may even mean you have a few bucks leftover... to rent a boat. Other travelers and tourists we caught up with were renting boats for a day on the water - or as little as an hour at a time.