Not many adults get the chance to relive the endless possibility of childhood. Peggy and Will Line channeled their inner 12-year-olds – minus the limitations – when they built a treehouse near Wadena that’s now available to rent for overnight stays. “We were the best of 12 because we had unlimited access to wood and we had no parental control, so we were able to dream and build,” she said. A couple of unique circumstances allowed the Lines to build what would eventually become a 400-square-foot treehouse, complete with a sleeping loft, full kitchen and bathroom, four-season insulation and heating, even a luxurious hot tub perched on a wraparound deck 15 feet above the ground.
It started in 2000 when the Lines, who owned and operated a sawmill, decided to build a place for their grandkids to play during visits. They already owned a piece of property on the southeastern edge of town and thought it might be a good “campground” of sorts, with a treehouse for the kids to enjoy and plenty of room to set up tents for the adults. The couple also felt confident about building the treehouse themselves after running electricity, building walls and handling minor construction projects as small-business owners. But what started as a simple project turned into a nearly two-year labor of love as the Lines “began dreaming and doing,” spending their evenings and weekends thinking up what to add next. Living the dream Pieces of driftwood collected during a trip to Lake Superior became a one-of-a-kind railing leading up the set of stairs and wrapping around the raised deck. Whole oak logs were brought in from the sawmill to become posts, providing enough support without putting the weight on any nearby live trees. “It just began to take off as this dream between the two of us, back and forth, back and forth,” Peggy Line said. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113011","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]] At the time, the couple was living in a self-built apartment at the sawmill with their adult daughter, Lori. But in December 2001, a customer made an offer to buy the business that was too good to refuse. The Lines sold the business with the stipulation that they could stay in the apartment until the following June, when they would have the treehouse finished enough to move there. The plan was to temporarily stay in the treehouse, which at the time didn’t look like a long-term option for three adults, until they decided where to spend their retirement. But just a month after selling the business, a group home called and asked if Lori, who has Down syndrome, would like to live there. “All of a sudden Will and I realized, ‘Oh my gosh. This is our treehouse,’ ” Peggy recalls. Lori moved into the group home in 2002, and the Lines settled into the treehouse they thought would be theirs forever. But that, too, didn’t go as expected. After three years, Lori missed being around her parents and moved back home – bringing with her a newfound obsession with the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” that made the tight living conditions unbearable. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113014","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]] “After two weeks of that much ‘Hannah Montana,’ we abandoned ship after Lori got home,” she said. “You just couldn’t maintain your sanity, and it was abandon Lori or abandon the treehouse.” During the couple’s three years alone in the treehouse, they constructed a large shop with a gathering room, kitchen and bathroom to host visiting family during the holiday seasons. The Lines converted a guestroom into an apartment for Lori, and made their own space in the shop so they could all live together. ‘Not just for me’ The treehouse sat empty for several years, except when the kids and grandkids would visit. Peggy said she just wasn’t ready to give up on the dream of moving back. She finally let it go at the urging of friends and family and took their advice to consider renting the treehouse out to guests because the unique abode could be a hit with visitors. “I tell people I thought God’s plan was that I got to have the treehouse – how cool is that?” she said. “But the treehouse was not just for me; it’s never always just about me.” All it took was one mention of renting it out in a local monthly newspaper article about the place four years ago for word of the treehouse to begin to spread, and Peggy said it started to book up, despite minimal advertising and no online presence. Other stories about the treehouse boosted its appeal – it appeared on the pages of The New York Times’ Sunday magazine, she said. Now it’s a difficult place to rent because of intense demand. “I don’t need to advertise anymore because it just happens,” she said. “I think it’s good for people’s souls.” [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113016","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]] Fargo resident Danae Moran said she was always drawn to treehouses, and when she started to plan an anniversary getaway with her husband, Michael, she searched online to see if one was available to rent within driving distance. She found an old newspaper article about the Lines’ place, but the June weekend they wanted to stay was booked up – as was every weekend for the next four months. They got a lucky break when Peggy called back a few weeks later to say there had been a cancellation, and the Morans drove down to Wadena for what Danae said was a “magical” anniversary getaway. “We could use the hot tub, and you’re up on a deck in a tree so when you look up, you just see trees and stars above you and a ton of lightning bugs,” she said. “I remember thinking right then, ‘This is like a movie.’ ” Michael said the Lines were very welcoming, gracious hosts, and the treehouse proved to be a serene place for marital reflection and thinking about what the couple wants in the future. The treehouse is now available to rent for $150 a night and has sleeping accommodations for a couple or a family of four. There’s no online reservation option or even a Facebook presence, just Peggy’s personal phone number, (218) 639-8017, that gets so many calls from prospective renters she now simply answers with “Hello, treehouse?” But would-be guests need to plan well in advance – Peggy said it’s booked up the rest of this year, while every Friday and Saturday night and most weekdays in 2015 have been reserved. With demand this high, she said many guests have suggested the couple builds a second, or even third, treehouse to host more visitors, but that’s not going to happen. “I don’t want a business; I just want to share my dream and let you go home and dream bigger,” she said. Tweets by @DLNewspapersNot many adults get the chance to relive the endless possibility of childhood. Peggy and Will Line channeled their inner 12-year-olds – minus the limitations – when they built a treehouse near Wadena that’s now available to rent for overnight stays. “We were the best of 12 because we had unlimited access to wood and we had no parental control, so we were able to dream and build,” she said. A couple of unique circumstances allowed the Lines to build what would eventually become a 400-square-foot treehouse, complete with a sleeping loft, full kitchen and bathroom, four-season insulation and heating, even a luxurious hot tub perched on a wraparound deck 15 feet above the ground. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113010","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]] It started in 2000 when the Lines, who owned and operated a sawmill, decided to build a place for their grandkids to play during visits. They already owned a piece of property on the southeastern edge of town and thought it might be a good “campground” of sorts, with a treehouse for the kids to enjoy and plenty of room to set up tents for the adults. The couple also felt confident about building the treehouse themselves after running electricity, building walls and handling minor construction projects as small-business owners. But what started as a simple project turned into a nearly two-year labor of love as the Lines “began dreaming and doing,” spending their evenings and weekends thinking up what to add next. Living the dream Pieces of driftwood collected during a trip to Lake Superior became a one-of-a-kind railing leading up the set of stairs and wrapping around the raised deck. Whole oak logs were brought in from the sawmill to become posts, providing enough support without putting the weight on any nearby live trees. “It just began to take off as this dream between the two of us, back and forth, back and forth,” Peggy Line said.
At the time, the couple was living in a self-built apartment at the sawmill with their adult daughter, Lori. But in December 2001, a customer made an offer to buy the business that was too good to refuse. The Lines sold the business with the stipulation that they could stay in the apartment until the following June, when they would have the treehouse finished enough to move there. The plan was to temporarily stay in the treehouse, which at the time didn’t look like a long-term option for three adults, until they decided where to spend their retirement. But just a month after selling the business, a group home called and asked if Lori, who has Down syndrome, would like to live there. “All of a sudden Will and I realized, ‘Oh my gosh. This is our treehouse,’ ” Peggy recalls. Lori moved into the group home in 2002, and the Lines settled into the treehouse they thought would be theirs forever. But that, too, didn’t go as expected. After three years, Lori missed being around her parents and moved back home – bringing with her a newfound obsession with the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” that made the tight living conditions unbearable. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113014","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]] “After two weeks of that much ‘Hannah Montana,’ we abandoned ship after Lori got home,” she said. “You just couldn’t maintain your sanity, and it was abandon Lori or abandon the treehouse.” During the couple’s three years alone in the treehouse, they constructed a large shop with a gathering room, kitchen and bathroom to host visiting family during the holiday seasons. The Lines converted a guestroom into an apartment for Lori, and made their own space in the shop so they could all live together. ‘Not just for me’ The treehouse sat empty for several years, except when the kids and grandkids would visit. Peggy said she just wasn’t ready to give up on the dream of moving back. She finally let it go at the urging of friends and family and took their advice to consider renting the treehouse out to guests because the unique abode could be a hit with visitors. “I tell people I thought God’s plan was that I got to have the treehouse – how cool is that?” she said. “But the treehouse was not just for me; it’s never always just about me.” All it took was one mention of renting it out in a local monthly newspaper article about the place four years ago for word of the treehouse to begin to spread, and Peggy said it started to book up, despite minimal advertising and no online presence. Other stories about the treehouse boosted its appeal – it appeared on the pages of The New York Times’ Sunday magazine, she said. Now it’s a difficult place to rent because of intense demand. “I don’t need to advertise anymore because it just happens,” she said. “I think it’s good for people’s souls.” [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113016","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]] Fargo resident Danae Moran said she was always drawn to treehouses, and when she started to plan an anniversary getaway with her husband, Michael, she searched online to see if one was available to rent within driving distance. She found an old newspaper article about the Lines’ place, but the June weekend they wanted to stay was booked up – as was every weekend for the next four months. They got a lucky break when Peggy called back a few weeks later to say there had been a cancellation, and the Morans drove down to Wadena for what Danae said was a “magical” anniversary getaway. “We could use the hot tub, and you’re up on a deck in a tree so when you look up, you just see trees and stars above you and a ton of lightning bugs,” she said. “I remember thinking right then, ‘This is like a movie.’ ” Michael said the Lines were very welcoming, gracious hosts, and the treehouse proved to be a serene place for marital reflection and thinking about what the couple wants in the future. The treehouse is now available to rent for $150 a night and has sleeping accommodations for a couple or a family of four. There’s no online reservation option or even a Facebook presence, just Peggy’s personal phone number, (218) 639-8017, that gets so many calls from prospective renters she now simply answers with “Hello, treehouse?” But would-be guests need to plan well in advance – Peggy said it’s booked up the rest of this year, while every Friday and Saturday night and most weekdays in 2015 have been reserved. With demand this high, she said many guests have suggested the couple builds a second, or even third, treehouse to host more visitors, but that’s not going to happen. “I don’t want a business; I just want to share my dream and let you go home and dream bigger,” she said. Tweets by @DLNewspapersNot many adults get the chance to relive the endless possibility of childhood. Peggy and Will Line channeled their inner 12-year-olds – minus the limitations – when they built a treehouse near Wadena that’s now available to rent for overnight stays. “We were the best of 12 because we had unlimited access to wood and we had no parental control, so we were able to dream and build,” she said. A couple of unique circumstances allowed the Lines to build what would eventually become a 400-square-foot treehouse, complete with a sleeping loft, full kitchen and bathroom, four-season insulation and heating, even a luxurious hot tub perched on a wraparound deck 15 feet above the ground. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113010","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]] It started in 2000 when the Lines, who owned and operated a sawmill, decided to build a place for their grandkids to play during visits. They already owned a piece of property on the southeastern edge of town and thought it might be a good “campground” of sorts, with a treehouse for the kids to enjoy and plenty of room to set up tents for the adults. The couple also felt confident about building the treehouse themselves after running electricity, building walls and handling minor construction projects as small-business owners. But what started as a simple project turned into a nearly two-year labor of love as the Lines “began dreaming and doing,” spending their evenings and weekends thinking up what to add next. Living the dream Pieces of driftwood collected during a trip to Lake Superior became a one-of-a-kind railing leading up the set of stairs and wrapping around the raised deck. Whole oak logs were brought in from the sawmill to become posts, providing enough support without putting the weight on any nearby live trees. “It just began to take off as this dream between the two of us, back and forth, back and forth,” Peggy Line said. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113011","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]] At the time, the couple was living in a self-built apartment at the sawmill with their adult daughter, Lori. But in December 2001, a customer made an offer to buy the business that was too good to refuse. The Lines sold the business with the stipulation that they could stay in the apartment until the following June, when they would have the treehouse finished enough to move there. The plan was to temporarily stay in the treehouse, which at the time didn’t look like a long-term option for three adults, until they decided where to spend their retirement. But just a month after selling the business, a group home called and asked if Lori, who has Down syndrome, would like to live there. “All of a sudden Will and I realized, ‘Oh my gosh. This is our treehouse,’ ” Peggy recalls. Lori moved into the group home in 2002, and the Lines settled into the treehouse they thought would be theirs forever. But that, too, didn’t go as expected. After three years, Lori missed being around her parents and moved back home – bringing with her a newfound obsession with the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” that made the tight living conditions unbearable.
“After two weeks of that much ‘Hannah Montana,’ we abandoned ship after Lori got home,” she said. “You just couldn’t maintain your sanity, and it was abandon Lori or abandon the treehouse.” During the couple’s three years alone in the treehouse, they constructed a large shop with a gathering room, kitchen and bathroom to host visiting family during the holiday seasons. The Lines converted a guestroom into an apartment for Lori, and made their own space in the shop so they could all live together. ‘Not just for me’ The treehouse sat empty for several years, except when the kids and grandkids would visit. Peggy said she just wasn’t ready to give up on the dream of moving back. She finally let it go at the urging of friends and family and took their advice to consider renting the treehouse out to guests because the unique abode could be a hit with visitors. “I tell people I thought God’s plan was that I got to have the treehouse – how cool is that?” she said. “But the treehouse was not just for me; it’s never always just about me.” All it took was one mention of renting it out in a local monthly newspaper article about the place four years ago for word of the treehouse to begin to spread, and Peggy said it started to book up, despite minimal advertising and no online presence. Other stories about the treehouse boosted its appeal – it appeared on the pages of The New York Times’ Sunday magazine, she said. Now it’s a difficult place to rent because of intense demand. “I don’t need to advertise anymore because it just happens,” she said. “I think it’s good for people’s souls.” [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113016","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]] Fargo resident Danae Moran said she was always drawn to treehouses, and when she started to plan an anniversary getaway with her husband, Michael, she searched online to see if one was available to rent within driving distance. She found an old newspaper article about the Lines’ place, but the June weekend they wanted to stay was booked up – as was every weekend for the next four months. They got a lucky break when Peggy called back a few weeks later to say there had been a cancellation, and the Morans drove down to Wadena for what Danae said was a “magical” anniversary getaway. “We could use the hot tub, and you’re up on a deck in a tree so when you look up, you just see trees and stars above you and a ton of lightning bugs,” she said. “I remember thinking right then, ‘This is like a movie.’ ” Michael said the Lines were very welcoming, gracious hosts, and the treehouse proved to be a serene place for marital reflection and thinking about what the couple wants in the future. The treehouse is now available to rent for $150 a night and has sleeping accommodations for a couple or a family of four. There’s no online reservation option or even a Facebook presence, just Peggy’s personal phone number, (218) 639-8017, that gets so many calls from prospective renters she now simply answers with “Hello, treehouse?” But would-be guests need to plan well in advance – Peggy said it’s booked up the rest of this year, while every Friday and Saturday night and most weekdays in 2015 have been reserved. With demand this high, she said many guests have suggested the couple builds a second, or even third, treehouse to host more visitors, but that’s not going to happen. “I don’t want a business; I just want to share my dream and let you go home and dream bigger,” she said. Tweets by @DLNewspapersNot many adults get the chance to relive the endless possibility of childhood. Peggy and Will Line channeled their inner 12-year-olds – minus the limitations – when they built a treehouse near Wadena that’s now available to rent for overnight stays. “We were the best of 12 because we had unlimited access to wood and we had no parental control, so we were able to dream and build,” she said. A couple of unique circumstances allowed the Lines to build what would eventually become a 400-square-foot treehouse, complete with a sleeping loft, full kitchen and bathroom, four-season insulation and heating, even a luxurious hot tub perched on a wraparound deck 15 feet above the ground. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113010","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]] It started in 2000 when the Lines, who owned and operated a sawmill, decided to build a place for their grandkids to play during visits. They already owned a piece of property on the southeastern edge of town and thought it might be a good “campground” of sorts, with a treehouse for the kids to enjoy and plenty of room to set up tents for the adults. The couple also felt confident about building the treehouse themselves after running electricity, building walls and handling minor construction projects as small-business owners. But what started as a simple project turned into a nearly two-year labor of love as the Lines “began dreaming and doing,” spending their evenings and weekends thinking up what to add next. Living the dream Pieces of driftwood collected during a trip to Lake Superior became a one-of-a-kind railing leading up the set of stairs and wrapping around the raised deck. Whole oak logs were brought in from the sawmill to become posts, providing enough support without putting the weight on any nearby live trees. “It just began to take off as this dream between the two of us, back and forth, back and forth,” Peggy Line said. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113011","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]] At the time, the couple was living in a self-built apartment at the sawmill with their adult daughter, Lori. But in December 2001, a customer made an offer to buy the business that was too good to refuse. The Lines sold the business with the stipulation that they could stay in the apartment until the following June, when they would have the treehouse finished enough to move there. The plan was to temporarily stay in the treehouse, which at the time didn’t look like a long-term option for three adults, until they decided where to spend their retirement. But just a month after selling the business, a group home called and asked if Lori, who has Down syndrome, would like to live there. “All of a sudden Will and I realized, ‘Oh my gosh. This is our treehouse,’ ” Peggy recalls. Lori moved into the group home in 2002, and the Lines settled into the treehouse they thought would be theirs forever. But that, too, didn’t go as expected. After three years, Lori missed being around her parents and moved back home – bringing with her a newfound obsession with the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” that made the tight living conditions unbearable. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113014","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]] “After two weeks of that much ‘Hannah Montana,’ we abandoned ship after Lori got home,” she said. “You just couldn’t maintain your sanity, and it was abandon Lori or abandon the treehouse.” During the couple’s three years alone in the treehouse, they constructed a large shop with a gathering room, kitchen and bathroom to host visiting family during the holiday seasons. The Lines converted a guestroom into an apartment for Lori, and made their own space in the shop so they could all live together. ‘Not just for me’ The treehouse sat empty for several years, except when the kids and grandkids would visit. Peggy said she just wasn’t ready to give up on the dream of moving back. She finally let it go at the urging of friends and family and took their advice to consider renting the treehouse out to guests because the unique abode could be a hit with visitors. “I tell people I thought God’s plan was that I got to have the treehouse – how cool is that?” she said. “But the treehouse was not just for me; it’s never always just about me.” All it took was one mention of renting it out in a local monthly newspaper article about the place four years ago for word of the treehouse to begin to spread, and Peggy said it started to book up, despite minimal advertising and no online presence. Other stories about the treehouse boosted its appeal – it appeared on the pages of The New York Times’ Sunday magazine, she said. Now it’s a difficult place to rent because of intense demand. “I don’t need to advertise anymore because it just happens,” she said. “I think it’s good for people’s souls.”
Fargo resident Danae Moran said she was always drawn to treehouses, and when she started to plan an anniversary getaway with her husband, Michael, she searched online to see if one was available to rent within driving distance. She found an old newspaper article about the Lines’ place, but the June weekend they wanted to stay was booked up – as was every weekend for the next four months. They got a lucky break when Peggy called back a few weeks later to say there had been a cancellation, and the Morans drove down to Wadena for what Danae said was a “magical” anniversary getaway. “We could use the hot tub, and you’re up on a deck in a tree so when you look up, you just see trees and stars above you and a ton of lightning bugs,” she said. “I remember thinking right then, ‘This is like a movie.’ ” Michael said the Lines were very welcoming, gracious hosts, and the treehouse proved to be a serene place for marital reflection and thinking about what the couple wants in the future. The treehouse is now available to rent for $150 a night and has sleeping accommodations for a couple or a family of four. There’s no online reservation option or even a Facebook presence, just Peggy’s personal phone number, (218) 639-8017, that gets so many calls from prospective renters she now simply answers with “Hello, treehouse?” But would-be guests need to plan well in advance – Peggy said it’s booked up the rest of this year, while every Friday and Saturday night and most weekdays in 2015 have been reserved. With demand this high, she said many guests have suggested the couple builds a second, or even third, treehouse to host more visitors, but that’s not going to happen. “I don’t want a business; I just want to share my dream and let you go home and dream bigger,” she said. Tweets by @DLNewspapersNot many adults get the chance to relive the endless possibility of childhood.Peggy and Will Line channeled their inner 12-year-olds – minus the limitations – when they built a treehouse near Wadena that’s now available to rent for overnight stays.“We were the best of 12 because we had unlimited access to wood and we had no parental control, so we were able to dream and build,” she said.A couple of unique circumstances allowed the Lines to build what would eventually become a 400-square-foot treehouse, complete with a sleeping loft, full kitchen and bathroom, four-season insulation and heating, even a luxurious hot tub perched on a wraparound deck 15 feet above the ground.
It started in 2000 when the Lines, who owned and operated a sawmill, decided to build a place for their grandkids to play during visits.They already owned a piece of property on the southeastern edge of town and thought it might be a good “campground” of sorts, with a treehouse for the kids to enjoy and plenty of room to set up tents for the adults. The couple also felt confident about building the treehouse themselves after running electricity, building walls and handling minor construction projects as small-business owners.But what started as a simple project turned into a nearly two-year labor of love as the Lines “began dreaming and doing,” spending their evenings and weekends thinking up what to add next.Living the dreamPieces of driftwood collected during a trip to Lake Superior became a one-of-a-kind railing leading up the set of stairs and wrapping around the raised deck. Whole oak logs were brought in from the sawmill to become posts, providing enough support without putting the weight on any nearby live trees.“It just began to take off as this dream between the two of us, back and forth, back and forth,” Peggy Line said.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113011","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]]At the time, the couple was living in a self-built apartment at the sawmill with their adult daughter, Lori. But in December 2001, a customer made an offer to buy the business that was too good to refuse. The Lines sold the business with the stipulation that they could stay in the apartment until the following June, when they would have the treehouse finished enough to move there.The plan was to temporarily stay in the treehouse, which at the time didn’t look like a long-term option for three adults, until they decided where to spend their retirement. But just a month after selling the business, a group home called and asked if Lori, who has Down syndrome, would like to live there.“All of a sudden Will and I realized, ‘Oh my gosh. This is our treehouse,’ ” Peggy recalls.Lori moved into the group home in 2002, and the Lines settled into the treehouse they thought would be theirs forever.But that, too, didn’t go as expected. After three years, Lori missed being around her parents and moved back home – bringing with her a newfound obsession with the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” that made the tight living conditions unbearable.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113014","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]]“After two weeks of that much ‘Hannah Montana,’ we abandoned ship after Lori got home,” she said. “You just couldn’t maintain your sanity, and it was abandon Lori or abandon the treehouse.”During the couple’s three years alone in the treehouse, they constructed a large shop with a gathering room, kitchen and bathroom to host visiting family during the holiday seasons. The Lines converted a guestroom into an apartment for Lori, and made their own space in the shop so they could all live together.‘Not just for me’The treehouse sat empty for several years, except when the kids and grandkids would visit. Peggy said she just wasn’t ready to give up on the dream of moving back.She finally let it go at the urging of friends and family and took their advice to consider renting the treehouse out to guests because the unique abode could be a hit with visitors.“I tell people I thought God’s plan was that I got to have the treehouse – how cool is that?” she said. “But the treehouse was not just for me; it’s never always just about me.”All it took was one mention of renting it out in a local monthly newspaper article about the place four years ago for word of the treehouse to begin to spread, and Peggy said it started to book up, despite minimal advertising and no online presence.Other stories about the treehouse boosted its appeal – it appeared on the pages of The New York Times’ Sunday magazine, she said. Now it’s a difficult place to rent because of intense demand.“I don’t need to advertise anymore because it just happens,” she said. “I think it’s good for people’s souls.”[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113016","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]]Fargo resident Danae Moran said she was always drawn to treehouses, and when she started to plan an anniversary getaway with her husband, Michael, she searched online to see if one was available to rent within driving distance. She found an old newspaper article about the Lines’ place, but the June weekend they wanted to stay was booked up – as was every weekend for the next four months.They got a lucky break when Peggy called back a few weeks later to say there had been a cancellation, and the Morans drove down to Wadena for what Danae said was a “magical” anniversary getaway.“We could use the hot tub, and you’re up on a deck in a tree so when you look up, you just see trees and stars above you and a ton of lightning bugs,” she said. “I remember thinking right then, ‘This is like a movie.’ ”Michael said the Lines were very welcoming, gracious hosts, and the treehouse proved to be a serene place for marital reflection and thinking about what the couple wants in the future.The treehouse is now available to rent for $150 a night and has sleeping accommodations for a couple or a family of four.There’s no online reservation option or even a Facebook presence, just Peggy’s personal phone number, (218) 639-8017, that gets so many calls from prospective renters she now simply answers with “Hello, treehouse?”But would-be guests need to plan well in advance – Peggy said it’s booked up the rest of this year, while every Friday and Saturday night and most weekdays in 2015 have been reserved.With demand this high, she said many guests have suggested the couple builds a second, or even third, treehouse to host more visitors, but that’s not going to happen.“I don’t want a business; I just want to share my dream and let you go home and dream bigger,” she said.Tweets by @DLNewspapersNot many adults get the chance to relive the endless possibility of childhood.Peggy and Will Line channeled their inner 12-year-olds – minus the limitations – when they built a treehouse near Wadena that’s now available to rent for overnight stays.“We were the best of 12 because we had unlimited access to wood and we had no parental control, so we were able to dream and build,” she said.A couple of unique circumstances allowed the Lines to build what would eventually become a 400-square-foot treehouse, complete with a sleeping loft, full kitchen and bathroom, four-season insulation and heating, even a luxurious hot tub perched on a wraparound deck 15 feet above the ground.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113010","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]]It started in 2000 when the Lines, who owned and operated a sawmill, decided to build a place for their grandkids to play during visits.They already owned a piece of property on the southeastern edge of town and thought it might be a good “campground” of sorts, with a treehouse for the kids to enjoy and plenty of room to set up tents for the adults. The couple also felt confident about building the treehouse themselves after running electricity, building walls and handling minor construction projects as small-business owners.But what started as a simple project turned into a nearly two-year labor of love as the Lines “began dreaming and doing,” spending their evenings and weekends thinking up what to add next.Living the dreamPieces of driftwood collected during a trip to Lake Superior became a one-of-a-kind railing leading up the set of stairs and wrapping around the raised deck. Whole oak logs were brought in from the sawmill to become posts, providing enough support without putting the weight on any nearby live trees.“It just began to take off as this dream between the two of us, back and forth, back and forth,” Peggy Line said.
At the time, the couple was living in a self-built apartment at the sawmill with their adult daughter, Lori. But in December 2001, a customer made an offer to buy the business that was too good to refuse. The Lines sold the business with the stipulation that they could stay in the apartment until the following June, when they would have the treehouse finished enough to move there.The plan was to temporarily stay in the treehouse, which at the time didn’t look like a long-term option for three adults, until they decided where to spend their retirement. But just a month after selling the business, a group home called and asked if Lori, who has Down syndrome, would like to live there.“All of a sudden Will and I realized, ‘Oh my gosh. This is our treehouse,’ ” Peggy recalls.Lori moved into the group home in 2002, and the Lines settled into the treehouse they thought would be theirs forever.But that, too, didn’t go as expected. After three years, Lori missed being around her parents and moved back home – bringing with her a newfound obsession with the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” that made the tight living conditions unbearable.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113014","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]]“After two weeks of that much ‘Hannah Montana,’ we abandoned ship after Lori got home,” she said. “You just couldn’t maintain your sanity, and it was abandon Lori or abandon the treehouse.”During the couple’s three years alone in the treehouse, they constructed a large shop with a gathering room, kitchen and bathroom to host visiting family during the holiday seasons. The Lines converted a guestroom into an apartment for Lori, and made their own space in the shop so they could all live together.‘Not just for me’The treehouse sat empty for several years, except when the kids and grandkids would visit. Peggy said she just wasn’t ready to give up on the dream of moving back.She finally let it go at the urging of friends and family and took their advice to consider renting the treehouse out to guests because the unique abode could be a hit with visitors.“I tell people I thought God’s plan was that I got to have the treehouse – how cool is that?” she said. “But the treehouse was not just for me; it’s never always just about me.”All it took was one mention of renting it out in a local monthly newspaper article about the place four years ago for word of the treehouse to begin to spread, and Peggy said it started to book up, despite minimal advertising and no online presence.Other stories about the treehouse boosted its appeal – it appeared on the pages of The New York Times’ Sunday magazine, she said. Now it’s a difficult place to rent because of intense demand.“I don’t need to advertise anymore because it just happens,” she said. “I think it’s good for people’s souls.”[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113016","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]]Fargo resident Danae Moran said she was always drawn to treehouses, and when she started to plan an anniversary getaway with her husband, Michael, she searched online to see if one was available to rent within driving distance. She found an old newspaper article about the Lines’ place, but the June weekend they wanted to stay was booked up – as was every weekend for the next four months.They got a lucky break when Peggy called back a few weeks later to say there had been a cancellation, and the Morans drove down to Wadena for what Danae said was a “magical” anniversary getaway.“We could use the hot tub, and you’re up on a deck in a tree so when you look up, you just see trees and stars above you and a ton of lightning bugs,” she said. “I remember thinking right then, ‘This is like a movie.’ ”Michael said the Lines were very welcoming, gracious hosts, and the treehouse proved to be a serene place for marital reflection and thinking about what the couple wants in the future.The treehouse is now available to rent for $150 a night and has sleeping accommodations for a couple or a family of four.There’s no online reservation option or even a Facebook presence, just Peggy’s personal phone number, (218) 639-8017, that gets so many calls from prospective renters she now simply answers with “Hello, treehouse?”But would-be guests need to plan well in advance – Peggy said it’s booked up the rest of this year, while every Friday and Saturday night and most weekdays in 2015 have been reserved.With demand this high, she said many guests have suggested the couple builds a second, or even third, treehouse to host more visitors, but that’s not going to happen.“I don’t want a business; I just want to share my dream and let you go home and dream bigger,” she said.Tweets by @DLNewspapersNot many adults get the chance to relive the endless possibility of childhood.Peggy and Will Line channeled their inner 12-year-olds – minus the limitations – when they built a treehouse near Wadena that’s now available to rent for overnight stays.“We were the best of 12 because we had unlimited access to wood and we had no parental control, so we were able to dream and build,” she said.A couple of unique circumstances allowed the Lines to build what would eventually become a 400-square-foot treehouse, complete with a sleeping loft, full kitchen and bathroom, four-season insulation and heating, even a luxurious hot tub perched on a wraparound deck 15 feet above the ground.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113010","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]]It started in 2000 when the Lines, who owned and operated a sawmill, decided to build a place for their grandkids to play during visits.They already owned a piece of property on the southeastern edge of town and thought it might be a good “campground” of sorts, with a treehouse for the kids to enjoy and plenty of room to set up tents for the adults. The couple also felt confident about building the treehouse themselves after running electricity, building walls and handling minor construction projects as small-business owners.But what started as a simple project turned into a nearly two-year labor of love as the Lines “began dreaming and doing,” spending their evenings and weekends thinking up what to add next.Living the dreamPieces of driftwood collected during a trip to Lake Superior became a one-of-a-kind railing leading up the set of stairs and wrapping around the raised deck. Whole oak logs were brought in from the sawmill to become posts, providing enough support without putting the weight on any nearby live trees.“It just began to take off as this dream between the two of us, back and forth, back and forth,” Peggy Line said.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113011","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]]At the time, the couple was living in a self-built apartment at the sawmill with their adult daughter, Lori. But in December 2001, a customer made an offer to buy the business that was too good to refuse. The Lines sold the business with the stipulation that they could stay in the apartment until the following June, when they would have the treehouse finished enough to move there.The plan was to temporarily stay in the treehouse, which at the time didn’t look like a long-term option for three adults, until they decided where to spend their retirement. But just a month after selling the business, a group home called and asked if Lori, who has Down syndrome, would like to live there.“All of a sudden Will and I realized, ‘Oh my gosh. This is our treehouse,’ ” Peggy recalls.Lori moved into the group home in 2002, and the Lines settled into the treehouse they thought would be theirs forever.But that, too, didn’t go as expected. After three years, Lori missed being around her parents and moved back home – bringing with her a newfound obsession with the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” that made the tight living conditions unbearable.
“After two weeks of that much ‘Hannah Montana,’ we abandoned ship after Lori got home,” she said. “You just couldn’t maintain your sanity, and it was abandon Lori or abandon the treehouse.”During the couple’s three years alone in the treehouse, they constructed a large shop with a gathering room, kitchen and bathroom to host visiting family during the holiday seasons. The Lines converted a guestroom into an apartment for Lori, and made their own space in the shop so they could all live together.‘Not just for me’The treehouse sat empty for several years, except when the kids and grandkids would visit. Peggy said she just wasn’t ready to give up on the dream of moving back.She finally let it go at the urging of friends and family and took their advice to consider renting the treehouse out to guests because the unique abode could be a hit with visitors.“I tell people I thought God’s plan was that I got to have the treehouse – how cool is that?” she said. “But the treehouse was not just for me; it’s never always just about me.”All it took was one mention of renting it out in a local monthly newspaper article about the place four years ago for word of the treehouse to begin to spread, and Peggy said it started to book up, despite minimal advertising and no online presence.Other stories about the treehouse boosted its appeal – it appeared on the pages of The New York Times’ Sunday magazine, she said. Now it’s a difficult place to rent because of intense demand.“I don’t need to advertise anymore because it just happens,” she said. “I think it’s good for people’s souls.”[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113016","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]]Fargo resident Danae Moran said she was always drawn to treehouses, and when she started to plan an anniversary getaway with her husband, Michael, she searched online to see if one was available to rent within driving distance. She found an old newspaper article about the Lines’ place, but the June weekend they wanted to stay was booked up – as was every weekend for the next four months.They got a lucky break when Peggy called back a few weeks later to say there had been a cancellation, and the Morans drove down to Wadena for what Danae said was a “magical” anniversary getaway.“We could use the hot tub, and you’re up on a deck in a tree so when you look up, you just see trees and stars above you and a ton of lightning bugs,” she said. “I remember thinking right then, ‘This is like a movie.’ ”Michael said the Lines were very welcoming, gracious hosts, and the treehouse proved to be a serene place for marital reflection and thinking about what the couple wants in the future.The treehouse is now available to rent for $150 a night and has sleeping accommodations for a couple or a family of four.There’s no online reservation option or even a Facebook presence, just Peggy’s personal phone number, (218) 639-8017, that gets so many calls from prospective renters she now simply answers with “Hello, treehouse?”But would-be guests need to plan well in advance – Peggy said it’s booked up the rest of this year, while every Friday and Saturday night and most weekdays in 2015 have been reserved.With demand this high, she said many guests have suggested the couple builds a second, or even third, treehouse to host more visitors, but that’s not going to happen.“I don’t want a business; I just want to share my dream and let you go home and dream bigger,” she said.Tweets by @DLNewspapersNot many adults get the chance to relive the endless possibility of childhood.Peggy and Will Line channeled their inner 12-year-olds – minus the limitations – when they built a treehouse near Wadena that’s now available to rent for overnight stays.“We were the best of 12 because we had unlimited access to wood and we had no parental control, so we were able to dream and build,” she said.A couple of unique circumstances allowed the Lines to build what would eventually become a 400-square-foot treehouse, complete with a sleeping loft, full kitchen and bathroom, four-season insulation and heating, even a luxurious hot tub perched on a wraparound deck 15 feet above the ground.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113010","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"750"}}]]It started in 2000 when the Lines, who owned and operated a sawmill, decided to build a place for their grandkids to play during visits.They already owned a piece of property on the southeastern edge of town and thought it might be a good “campground” of sorts, with a treehouse for the kids to enjoy and plenty of room to set up tents for the adults. The couple also felt confident about building the treehouse themselves after running electricity, building walls and handling minor construction projects as small-business owners.But what started as a simple project turned into a nearly two-year labor of love as the Lines “began dreaming and doing,” spending their evenings and weekends thinking up what to add next.Living the dreamPieces of driftwood collected during a trip to Lake Superior became a one-of-a-kind railing leading up the set of stairs and wrapping around the raised deck. Whole oak logs were brought in from the sawmill to become posts, providing enough support without putting the weight on any nearby live trees.“It just began to take off as this dream between the two of us, back and forth, back and forth,” Peggy Line said.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113011","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]]At the time, the couple was living in a self-built apartment at the sawmill with their adult daughter, Lori. But in December 2001, a customer made an offer to buy the business that was too good to refuse. The Lines sold the business with the stipulation that they could stay in the apartment until the following June, when they would have the treehouse finished enough to move there.The plan was to temporarily stay in the treehouse, which at the time didn’t look like a long-term option for three adults, until they decided where to spend their retirement. But just a month after selling the business, a group home called and asked if Lori, who has Down syndrome, would like to live there.“All of a sudden Will and I realized, ‘Oh my gosh. This is our treehouse,’ ” Peggy recalls.Lori moved into the group home in 2002, and the Lines settled into the treehouse they thought would be theirs forever.But that, too, didn’t go as expected. After three years, Lori missed being around her parents and moved back home – bringing with her a newfound obsession with the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” that made the tight living conditions unbearable.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1113014","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"450","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"338"}}]]“After two weeks of that much ‘Hannah Montana,’ we abandoned ship after Lori got home,” she said. “You just couldn’t maintain your sanity, and it was abandon Lori or abandon the treehouse.”During the couple’s three years alone in the treehouse, they constructed a large shop with a gathering room, kitchen and bathroom to host visiting family during the holiday seasons. The Lines converted a guestroom into an apartment for Lori, and made their own space in the shop so they could all live together.‘Not just for me’The treehouse sat empty for several years, except when the kids and grandkids would visit. Peggy said she just wasn’t ready to give up on the dream of moving back.She finally let it go at the urging of friends and family and took their advice to consider renting the treehouse out to guests because the unique abode could be a hit with visitors.“I tell people I thought God’s plan was that I got to have the treehouse – how cool is that?” she said. “But the treehouse was not just for me; it’s never always just about me.”All it took was one mention of renting it out in a local monthly newspaper article about the place four years ago for word of the treehouse to begin to spread, and Peggy said it started to book up, despite minimal advertising and no online presence.Other stories about the treehouse boosted its appeal – it appeared on the pages of The New York Times’ Sunday magazine, she said. Now it’s a difficult place to rent because of intense demand.“I don’t need to advertise anymore because it just happens,” she said. “I think it’s good for people’s souls.”
Fargo resident Danae Moran said she was always drawn to treehouses, and when she started to plan an anniversary getaway with her husband, Michael, she searched online to see if one was available to rent within driving distance. She found an old newspaper article about the Lines’ place, but the June weekend they wanted to stay was booked up – as was every weekend for the next four months.They got a lucky break when Peggy called back a few weeks later to say there had been a cancellation, and the Morans drove down to Wadena for what Danae said was a “magical” anniversary getaway.“We could use the hot tub, and you’re up on a deck in a tree so when you look up, you just see trees and stars above you and a ton of lightning bugs,” she said. “I remember thinking right then, ‘This is like a movie.’ ”Michael said the Lines were very welcoming, gracious hosts, and the treehouse proved to be a serene place for marital reflection and thinking about what the couple wants in the future.The treehouse is now available to rent for $150 a night and has sleeping accommodations for a couple or a family of four.There’s no online reservation option or even a Facebook presence, just Peggy’s personal phone number, (218) 639-8017, that gets so many calls from prospective renters she now simply answers with “Hello, treehouse?”But would-be guests need to plan well in advance – Peggy said it’s booked up the rest of this year, while every Friday and Saturday night and most weekdays in 2015 have been reserved.With demand this high, she said many guests have suggested the couple builds a second, or even third, treehouse to host more visitors, but that’s not going to happen.“I don’t want a business; I just want to share my dream and let you go home and dream bigger,” she said.Tweets by @DLNewspapers
