By 1967, Grandmother and Granddaddy were living in a small house in Mesquite with four children ranging from ten down to three. The first three had arrived in quick succession, with the fourth following nearly four years later. It was a whirlwind of family life, all unfolding rapidly after Granddaddy returned from his tour in Japan and the couple married. They were managing a bustling household while essentially getting to know each other again after two and a half years apart. 

And so, the story begins. Grandmother caught wind from family and friends back in Corsicana about land for sale on the newly completed Cedar Creek Lake, just an hour southeast of Dallas. Though she was a stay-at-home mom at the time, she was determined. She insisted on returning to work specifically to fund a family getaway; it was either a piece of lake property or therapy sessions. 

Within a year or so, as soon as finances allowed, they reached their first major milestone: building the shell of the cabin. For the next fifteen years, the cabin property was a perpetual DIY project, and family vacations were spent right there—working and playing together on the shores of Cedar Creek Lake. Appropriately, Grandmother named their hard-earned sanctuary "Eaton's Escape." 

The property to the left of the cabin, previously the location of a massive trailer house, became available for purchase. Granddaddy purchased that property and built a metal garage on the far back left of the lot. The rest of the property was bare—just what was needed for the septic drain field of a new aerobic septic system.

On our annual fishing trip in the summer of 2020, Granddaddy agreed to build a bunkhouse to expand the sleeping quarters once the septic system was updated. And so began a four-year remodel project. The goals were simple: bring the cabin into the twenty-first century with space and amenities that would encourage use, while honoring Grandmother's spirit by keeping the cabin... the cabin.

Eaton's Escape represents a place to get away from the demands of work and home—to laugh, play cards, ski, and fish. It has been rebuilt with love for this purpose. We encourage you to lean in and make memories with your family, just as Grandmother and Granddaddy did with theirs.