Hilltop Retreat Cabin

Hilltop Retreat Cabin is built into the side of a ridge outside Broken Bow, and the view is what people remember. Three levels of dark siding step down the slope, and from the decks you look across mile after mile of pine hills without another roof in sight. It has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and it sleeps 14.

Start with the decks. The upper one is covered and holds a hot tub with color-changing lights and a fireplace at the far end with seating around it. Strings of lights run along the rails, so the whole thing glows after dark. On the lower deck two hanging chairs face the sunset. Down on the ground there is a fire pit ringed with black chairs. The driveway is steep, so take it slow when you pull in.

The living room goes up two stories. One wall belongs to a stone fireplace with a TV mounted over it, and rust-colored leather chairs sit around a low gray coffee table. The kitchen is open to all of it, with a granite island, stools along one side and a wood dining table with a bench and black metal chairs. It has a stainless range with a microwave above it, a coffee maker on the counter and a knife block, so it is set up for real cooking. Whoever is cooking never misses the conversation.

All three bedrooms have their own bathroom. One has gray bedding and a fireplace you can see from the bed. Another has orange bedding, a white carved headboard and a barn door. The third has an iron bed and a leather futon. Sliding glass doors in the kitchen and in the bedrooms look straight out at the hills. The bathrooms have granite vanities and tiled showers, and one has a freestanding tub.

The loft is where the younger crowd ends up. A triple bunk bed stands against one wall, and a round card table, a shuffleboard table and a Street Fighter II arcade cabinet are all within a few steps of each other. Both fireplaces, inside and out, are turned off in summer. Check-in is keyless. The cabin is in Broken Bow, a drive from the lake and from Beavers Bend State Park.