Four years ago, when Geoff and Brenda Carter drove their motor home from Winnipeg via the Maritimes en route to winter in Florida, little did they know they would end up owning a campground in Miramichi, N.B. (campingmiramichi.com).

“At the time I thought it would be an interesting business proposition and give us something to do in the summer,” says the retired TV producer.

The first season they opened (2010) was a huge learning curve but they realized they needed some kind of attraction. “That winter, back in Florida, after one dry martini too many” Geoff says, “I thought—treehouses! Then I started to search the internet.” One more martini convinced him this would be the “attraction” they wanted.

That winter he signed up for a treehouse course in California; he was flying high. Back in Miramichi for the second season, he met with city planners, got an environmental assessment approved, ad infinitum. Then building started in earnest. Not easy for a two-person construction team (husband and wife) using a small tractor, block and tackle to raise 400-lb beams.

Now, five “Standard” treehouses sit 12 feet above the ground hidden just inside the tree line, each with a built-in queen-sized bed and one set of bunk beds. Two larger units include power, toilet and a sink. Each treehouse has a picnic table, BBQ and fire pit. Plans are in the works to complete “The Meadows” this year, replete with satellite TV, full washroom and other amenities.

Down the road? “We plan to be a treehouse resort. Our next step is to build true wilderness treehouses,” says Carter. “We have some very large pines in the back area that are inhabited by deer and moose. Imagine sitting on your deck looking down on a moose as it wanders by.” Time for another martini?

By Sandra Phinney