Welcome to the Retreat at Running Springs on Lake Tenkiller! Purchased and remodeled in summer 2022, we’ve updated nearly every corner of this quiet hillside cabin overlooking incredible sunsets over the valley in the evening, occasional deer wandering the woods beyond the deck in the morning, and glistening water dotted with fishing boats trolling the inlet just through the trees in the afternoon.
You’ll know you’ve arrived at the Retreat after driving up a steep, paved incline (we’re nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains) and turning onto a very short gravel road winding through the woods. Watch for deer, and keep your eyes peeled for your first glimpses of the water through the trees to your right. When the tree cover opens up, you’ll see our bright blue house perched on the ridge with a sweeping valley view to the right and sparkling clear water through the trees on your left.
THE DECK
You’ll enter the home through the top porch of our three-level, one-thousand square foot deck which was entirely renovated in August 2022. The decking is a cool grey with smooth finished surface, a much friendlier option for bare feet in the summer. Relax on the top level from the two-person porch swing overlooking the views, toss some Cornhole or play giant Jenga from the lower level, or mingle with 12+ friends and family on the main level from the outdoor dining table and Adirondack chairs around the fire pit. In the evening, soft solar lighting around the sturdy handrails with trellis fencing (safer for kids and dogs!) will light your path without blocking out the light from the crystal clear view of the stars above. We provide roasting sticks for hot dogs and s’mores in the kitchen, ENO hammock, a charcoal grill, and even an outdoor movie projector + screen setup so you won’t run out of opportunities to enjoy this beautiful outdoor space throughout our stay.
MAIN LEVEL LIVING AREA
When you enter the home using the easy Nest smart lock, you’ll open the door into the main living room with two-story windows covering the entire southwest wall overlooking the water below and valley across. In the living area, the massive sectional sofa is perfect for large groups of 10-12 or more, long naps, or a relaxing movie night with the 75” smart TV, always logged into several various streaming platforms. The sofa has a floating ottoman so you can create an especially deep corner in the sofa, comparable to a full-size bed for a cozy morning coffee spot or even extra overnight guests.
The dining space with a chandelier hanging over the huge ten-foot dining table has six dining chairs and a long bench, easily seating 8-10 guests for a meal at once. If you’re the board game after dinner type, check out the cabinet near the stairs for a rotating selection of games, typically including Risk, Yahtzee, Battleship, Life, decks of cards, and puzzles.
KITCHEN
The kitchen is one of our favorite spots in the house. With totally stocked cabinets painted a dreamy forest green to complement the lake and woods hues through the windows and new, full-size stainless-steel appliances, you’re equipped to prepare a holiday meal, celebrate an occasion, or host hors d'oeuvres - but we promise to also send over our recommended restaurant list if cooking on vacation is not your cup of tea! Speaking of that, we also stock a kettle and variety of organic teas (usually a black tea and herbal tea option at minimum) and coffees (usually something flavored, something standard, and something decaf at minimum) for the Keurig - which includes a fun iced option for our summer guests. For specifics on what we’re providing in the kitchen, please check out the reference section below or feel free to reach out - we’re always growing the list of items we provide!
BATHROOM
Just off the kitchen, you’ll find the first of three full bathrooms through the hallway. The walk-in shower has high-pressure (2.5 GPM, the maximum allowed) Speakman fixtures with a fixed and handheld shower head with your choice between jetstream or rainshower settings. Help yourself to the Simplehuman soap dispenser stocked with shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel, hand soap, lotion, cotton swabs, cotton balls, and makeup remover wipes - just so you can travel a bit lighter. You’ll dry off with hotel-grade, plush white 100% cotton bath towels, which are always provided in addition to colorful beach towels, kitchen hand towels, paper towels, kitchen cleaning cloths + cleaning kit, and bath hand towels plus wash cloths - because we know there’s nothing worse than a vacation rental that only provides one towel per guest, end of story. And even if you manage to run through all those towels, the bathroom also includes a full-size LG washer and dryer with provided Tide detergent, so you can do a quick refresh of your laundry in case you packed a little too light!
MAIN LEVEL SUITE
The king bedroom suite is tucked in the back of the main floor, with a private ensuite bathroom and located at the end of the hallway for a little extra privacy. The large bedroom features a comfortable king bed with a medium-firm, ten-inch hybrid foam+spring core mattress from Avenco with 4.5/5 stars from several online retailers. You’ll sleep well on the bed made with a plush pillow topper, fluffy down duvet with a waffle weave cover, cozy throw blankets, highly adjustable shredded memory foam pillows (four sleeping pillows provided on the bed with extras in the closet), and crisp 400 thread-count percale cotton sheets. There’s a desk with chair and lamp in case you need to get some work done, tucked next to the sitting area for your morning coffee and a full-length mirror in case you decide to go out (but we won’t judge if you never leave!). The ensuite bathroom has a private water closet, double sink and mirror vanity, and large walk-in shower with a bench, providing all the same amenities as the hall bathroom described above. You’ll also find a steamer, hair dryer, and iron in the bottom drawer, plus a drying rack, luggage racks, bedding bag with extra blankets and pillows, infant/toddler pack ’n play with bedding, Hunter oscillating table fan, and hangers in the closet - we’ve got you covered!
UPSTAIRS LOFT
Climb the stairs from the living room to arrive in the upstairs landing - we call it the loft, since it overlooks the living room and shares the same breathtaking view of the woods and the water as below, with an even better sky-high perspective. The loft makes a perfect reading nook from the super-cozy chaise sofa loaded with oversized plush pillows, made of the fuzziest chenille you can imagine. If you forgot to bring a book, feel free to borrow one from the cabinet under the TV downstairs or the drawer in the game cabinet under the stairs, or join a friend with one of those board games or the mancala set on the coffee table. This space shares its own upstairs thermostat with the bunk room and the queen room, so you don’t need to worry about temperature differences despite the high ceilings.
When you’re ready to turn in for the night, you can choose from the bunk room and the queen guest bedroom which are both located upstairs, beyond the landing.
QUEEN BEDROOM
The queen guest bedroom has a super plush memory foam mattress, topped with a luxury pillow topper, crisp 400 thread-count percale cotton sheets, and a heavy woven Pottery Barn buffalo check duvet with a warm down insert. The green velvet curtain accent wall doubles as blackout shades for an extra restful night, and you’ll always have access to extra shredded memory foam pillows, an additional fleece blanket, and luggage racks and hangers inside of the extra-wide closet. This bedroom also has a desk, chair and lamp, creating the second workspace available behind a closed door, just in case you need to WFH - we have super-fast Fiber internet at 135+ mbps, meaning you should have no issue joining a Zoom call while the rest of your group might be streaming or browsing.
BUNK ROOM / PLAY ROOM
The bunk room is a spectacular, fun option for all sorts of groups, from a space to send the kids and cousins during a family gathering to the perfect bonding space for weekend retreat groups, bachelorette parties, and beyond. The double bunk bed configuration offers four twin beds with memory foam mattresses, jersey sheets, soft white quilts and fun navy waffle-weave throws, with extra fleece blankets on hand for each bed in case you prefer the extra layers. If sleeping four isn’t quite enough, the bottom beds pull out and the mattresses unstack to create a twin-over-king bed configuration for both bunks - now sleeping six with the extra sets of king bedding provided in the bedding bags in the closet (or pre-made before you arrive, by request!). This bunk room is kid-friendly with railings on the upper bunks, a 55-inch TV for additional entertainment, and drawers of wooden toys in the console beneath the TV. The toy sets are friendly for wide age ranges with a train building set, blocks, and lincoln logs for hours of simple, creative and imaginative fun!
The upstairs bathroom is the third and final full bathroom in the house, with the same amenities and supplies as the other two. In the extra-large storage cabinet, you’ll have room for any additional supplies you bring along, plus you’ll find some extra beach towels that you’re welcome to borrow for lake outings, pet paws, or sunbathing on the deck, etc.
TECHNOLOGY
Beyond the amenities listed, we also include several smart features throughout the home to help you customize the space for your stay and keep you feeling at home. We have smart thermostats on both levels so you have full temperature control, keep several streaming services logged in on both televisions (including Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, Hulu, etc…) and place smart speakers throughout the house so you can cast your music when you’re connected to wifi.
