Current owner Sally Gibbons now operates the Curtis business whose three cabins with multiple bedrooms and amenities make great vacation destinations or stopping points for many.

Before her father, Frank Gordon, bought the place in 1946, it was “Waterbury’s Resort,” named for the previous owners.

The Curtis vacation spot evolved; Gordon and then the next generation did some remodeling.

Gordon was a teacher, Gibbons explained, so at first the resort was only open in the summers. Visitors liked to fish, swim, and waterski while staying at Gordon’s Resort.

The cabins at Gordon's Resort in Curtis are situated on Portage Creek, which flows even in winter. (Photo courtesy of Sally Gibbons)

“(My father) took two of the cabins and made them into a motel with a couple sleeping units in between … and he put in plumbing,” Gibbons said with a chuckle. Gordon transformed the old-fashioned cabins from rustic into homey — They used to advertise that you could “keep house” at a resort cabin, since there were indoor bathrooms and amenities. Such luxury wasn’t common when camping in the ’50s, especially in the U.P.

Gordon also started a fish hatchery in the 1960s to boost the population in the local inland lakes. Gibbons believes the DNR later took it over.

In addition, Gordon installed a dam on Portage Creek to help raise the water level in South Manistique Lakes so that boats could get in and out more easily.

Today, fishing remains a popular sport for guests of Gordon’s Resort, with people targeting walleye, pike and panfish. As the place is open year-round, ice fishing is very popular, and a lot of snowmobilers come through in the winter, too.

No matter the time of year, Curtis is a “cute destination right in the middle of nowhere,” as Gibbons put it. On and around the tiny town’s main street are stores, gift shops, post office, bank, library, bait shops and restaurants.

The small town of Curtis, where Gordon's Resort is located, is positioned between two of the bigger inland lakes in the central eastern Upper Peninsula. (Google Maps image)

“We’re a really good spot for people who want to take a day trip to Tahquamenon Falls or Soo Locks or Fayette ghost town. You know, we’re right kind of in the middle of all that,” Gibbons said. “So you can fish, you can come home, build bonfire and have your cabin. And if you want to go somewhere during the day for a field trip, then there’s lots of things to do and see within an hour or two drive.”

Curtis itself becomes a destination during certain events, like the Fourth of July, weekly music in the park, and the winter carnival that happens each February.

The resort property once owned by Frank Gordon was divided up amongst his children. The portion Sally Gibbons maintains is a consistently-operating business that offers three rental cabins — two of which her husband built.

The older cabin has three bedrooms, while the two newer ones — erected about 25 to 30 years ago — have two bedrooms. All have full kitchens; outdoors, each features a deck.

Each rental cabin contains the following amenities: “a full-size fridge, stove/oven, microwave, tub-shower, satellite TV, gas grill, coffee maker, and mostly queen-sized beds. Each cabin comes with a large living area, deck along with beautiful views of South Manistique Lake and Portage Creek,” reads a listing for Gordon’s Resort on Pure Michigan.

Cabins 1 and 2 at Gordon's Resort in Curtis are two-bedroom, fully-furnished vacation homes with full kitchens and centrally located in the mid-eastern Upper Peninsula. (Courtesy photo)

During the summers, guests tend to rent for a week at a time, while winter visitors more often come for a long weekend, Gibbons shared.

In the near future, Gibbons intends to make minor improvements as needed at Gordon’s Resort and keep providing a cozy destination for getaways in the central U.P.