Cedar Sunset

Three levels of tall windows, and the Blue Ridge stacked up in every one of them. This 4-bedroom, 4-bath home sits high on Beech Mountain, a couple of miles from the ski resort. Two gas fireplaces, a game room with a full-size air hockey table and a Pac-Man arcade, and a bunk room the kids claim on arrival. Vaulted ceilings, open kitchen, a deck across the whole back. Self check-in by smart lock. Sleeps 10

Welcome to Cedar Sunset.

The first thing you'll notice is the light. Three levels of tall windows under vaulted ceilings, and the Blue Ridge stacked up in every one of them - ridgeline behind ridgeline, going soft blue and then purple as the afternoon wears on. In October the whole view turns gold and red. In January it goes white and very quiet. The house was built to look at that, and it does, from all three floors.

You're on Beech Mountain itself, which means summer up here is the kind of cool that makes you want a fire at night. There are two of them, both gas - one in the main living room, newly installed, with an instant-on control, and one downstairs in the den.

The Main Level - An open kitchen with a breakfast bar and room to cook for a crowd, flowing into the dining room. The living room is the heart of it, with the fireplace, a sectional angled at the view, and the biggest bank of windows in the house. A deck runs the whole back of this floor, through two sliding doors, with the grill on it. There's a queen bedroom on this level with its own full bath, which makes it the easy pick for anyone who'd rather skip the stairs.

The Second Floor - The primary bedroom, a queen, with an ensuite bath that has a jetted tub and a separate shower, and its own sliding door onto a private deck running the back of the house. A second queen bedroom with its own full bath. An office with a desk, a printer and a double futon for anyone who needs to get a little work done or just wants somewhere quiet to sit. The laundry is up here too.

The Lower Level - A den with the second gas fireplace and a TV above it, a fourth full bath, the game room, and the bunk room. The separate lower-level driveway is down here as well, which is a real gift when the snow comes, and the door opens onto a level area with trees on both sides - well away from the road, which parents tend to appreciate.

The Game Room - A 72-inch air hockey table, a Pac-Man arcade cabinet and board games, with the fireplace and the TV right there. This is where the kids disappear to, and the den around it is big enough that the adults can be nearby without being on top of each other.

Sleeping Ten - Three queen bedrooms, each with its own full bath. The bunk room downstairs has brand-new twin bunks with a roll-out trundle, sleeping three, with stairs instead of a ladder and drawers built into them. The office upstairs has a double futon. Everyone gets their own corner.

Outside - The main deck across the back with the grill, the primary bedroom's private deck above it, and open porches positioned for the view. Morning coffee on one side, evening on the other.

Getting Comfortable - A propane forced-air furnace handles the heat, plus the two fireplaces for cold nights, and there are ceiling fans in every bedroom. There's no air conditioning, and at this elevation you genuinely won't miss it - Beech Mountain summers run cool enough that most nights you'll be closing windows, not opening them. WiFi runs 450-600 Mbps throughout, and the upstairs office makes a good spot to work if you have to.

Television - DirecTV with the entertainment package, including local channels, on all three TVs. The living room and den TVs are Roku, the primary bedroom is a Fire TV, so you can sign into your own streaming accounts as well if you'd rather.

A Note on Stairs - This is a three-story home with stairs between every level and no elevator. The main-floor bedroom and full bath mean you don't have to climb to sleep, but do keep the stairs in mind if anyone in your group has mobility concerns.