In 1915 my great-grandfather rented one of the Hough Cottages on the west side of Gull Lake. He was enamored by the view, bought it and added on the next year. There being no road from Brainerd or Nisswa around the back side of the lake, they ferried across from the point on the opposite shore.

Since then my family has trekked north from Kansas every summer to escape the heat and to bask in the view. Unlimited fishing, boating, card-playing and jovial bonding abound. Electricity arrived in 1947, the year of my parents' honeymoon.

Today the sixth generation arrives from all over the country to share in the bounty of this legacy, staying in "the new cabin" (built in 1961, with indoor plumbing!) and the "little cottage" (extra bedroom/bath, 1997). The ways to play have changed with the times, but as my father often lovingly remarked, "I think we are a great family because of this place."

Kathryn Timpany, Sioux Falls, S.D.