How does the description of the tip top lodge and it's surrounding/setting further develop the plot of the story?

O’Brien recounts that he decided to run away to Canada. He left a note for his parents, and took the car and headed north. He found a fishing resort called the Tip Top Lodge, and the owner, Elroy Berdahl, took him in without asking questions. The lodge is a place where Tim can reflect on his life. He must decide of fighting in Vietnam or dodging the draft and going to Canada. I think Tim really misses this place: it is one of the more gentle memories that he carries with him.