After years of traveling to northern Minnesota every summer for a week's vacation, we finally decided we were tired of spending three to four hours on the highway on our first day of vacation. We then started traveling south to find a lake closer to home. We came across a neat cabin in 1989 on French Lake near Faribault, Minn. It didn't take us long to make up our minds that this is what we were looking for. The cabin has been enjoyed by many family and friends for the past 27 years. We look forward to enjoying it for many more years as do our children and grandchildren. The short trip from home makes it so much more enjoyable, as 31 miles from home is a far cry from hours on the road. There is always plenty activity going on besides work. We fish, swim, go on pontoon rides, have bonfires, play games and more. Oh, and no one leaves without trying their hand at a game of euchre.

gil and kay hartmann, Jordan, minn.