The US Forest Service manages rentals of repurposed fire lookouts, but these historic properties are hard to come by. Dabney Tompkins and Alan Colley decided to build their own tower in the early 2000s. "We particularly liked the picture on the front cover," Colley said. The couple attempted to book a stay at the first lookout that caught their eye, but they were out of luck — it was booked through the next year. They managed to secure a last-minute overnight at a different fire-lookout tower, prompting the Portland-based pair to spend the next several years renting similar properties from the US Forest Service.

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Persons: Dabney Tompkins, Alan Colley, Tom Hanny, Tompkins, Colley Organizations: US Forest Service Locations: British Columbia, Portland