In 1996 we decided to get some property on a lake. Our youngest was 13 at the time, but our friends still had young children, so we looked for something with low elevation — we wanted to see them at all times on the dock and in the water. After looking for a long time at a lot of properties we finally found one we thought we could afford. As bonuses, the property included two cabins and a large garage.

The remodeling and repair work has never really ended, but it's been a labor of love. In the early days, we entertained a lot (it was a sneaky way of getting extra hands for our projects). But as we've grown older it's mostly just our children and their families who join us there. We started keeping a journal the day we moved in and are now on our sixth book. Every guest writes in the journal. It can be sad, but also funny, to go back to the early days and see entries from friends and family no longer with us.

The cabins are located in Chickamaw Beach, a few miles outside of Pine River, Minn. We go there year-round and enjoy the summers as well as the winters. If it isn't bitterly cold, New Year's Eve at the lake has become a tradition, a way to ring in the new year and reflect on our blessings — which include this place on a lake where so many great memories are made.

Now that we have grandchildren the cycle of hearing children laughing, s'mores at the nightly campfire, exploring the woods and fishing from the dock is being repeated. It isn't the fanciest place on the toniest lake, but we wouldn't trade it or the memories for anything!

STEVE AND TERESA NETKOW, MOUNDS VIEW

Tell us about your favorite hideout, be it a lakeside lodge or a hunting shack. Email your story along with photos to cabins@startribune.com. Don't forget your name, city of residence and the general vicinity of your cabin or campsite.