By Gregg Rosenzweig

It started when Pete Nelson was eight years old, repurposing unused storm windows as much-needed panels for his childhood escape. Since then, he's blossomed, building over 200 treehouses while becoming a central figure in the global treehouse movement as an author, teacher and inspirational force for builders.

As an authority on the subject, Nelson's published several books on these smile-inducing havens including New Treehouses of the World, his picturesque pursuit of the world's most beautiful hideaways. He's also built one of the first hotels to live amongst the trees, a bed and breakfast called Treehouse Point (slides 1 and 3). This inn sits alongside his Nelson Treehouse and Supply in Issaquah, Washington, which conducts treehouse workshops for do-it-yourselfers. As Nelson put it during our interview, "I'm all about putting adults in trees." Inner children beware...

Want to see what it takes to build a treehouse firsthand? Have a peek at his new reality show, Treehouse Men, when it premieres on Animal Planet, September 22 at 10pm.

Or just read the interview to your left...