The owners, Nancy and Ken Kratky, both grew up in Eastern Nebraska. In 1996 they moved to Colorado, got married in Hidden Valley, Colorado and honeymooned in Estes Park. In 2001 they returned to Nebraska and stayed eleven years. During that time they continued to return to Colorado multiple times per year, always visiting Estes Park, and always casually looking at real estate property with the dream of ownership some day.
In December of 2011, while on a vacation to celebrate their December birthdays, they came across this quaint little cottage in a historic little area for sale. It needed lots of attention, but they saw it's potential, and knew they could give it new life to fulfill their dream of a rustic mountain get-away. They put in an offer and the offer was accepted on Ken's Birthday! It became a 'labor of love'! They now reside in Longmont, CO.
Black Bear Cottage received it's name after a very large adult black bear climbed up the apple tree next to the cottage in the middle of the night to feast on apples! When we started to make noise, the bear got so excited, it had a difficult time trying to get back down off the roof!! The next day the apple tree was cut down... And our bicycle-riding bear was placed on the tree stump to memorialize the event!