If you haven’t already made plans to attend the annual Deep Creek Art & Wine Festival this upcoming weekend (September 11-13th), it’s not to late! Gather the girlfriends or make it a couples retreat & come visit for a weekend full of fun activities.On Friday evening, many of our local dining establishments have planned special wine pairing menus so you can start enjoying the festivities when you arrive. The Wine Festival on Saturday begins at 12 noon and goes to 6 pm while the wine store will continue to stay open until 7 pm. Activities run throughout the day and feature everything from live entertainment, carriage rides, a photo booth and more. Of course there is the reason you came to the festival; the art & wine. Over 30 local artists will be present selling a variety of items like pottery, oil paintings, jewelry, wood carvings and more. Also there will be National Distributors and Maryland wineries there to offer samplings of over 200 different kinds of wine. Definitely something for everyone’s different tastes. The food fare is another great reason to attend. There will be many food artisans there so you can grab a bite while at the festival or choose to take some home with you like Firefly Farms amazing goat cheese or fresh produce and products from Deberry’s Farm. The very best part of the festival? The proceeds go to HART which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the lives of homeless pets in Garrett County. A huge win-win for everyone! We are now offering last minute discount on all available vacation rental homes so now is the perfect time to call us! A fun packed weekend enjoyed art and wine with your friends or another weekend of doing nothing! Make it Count! We can’t wait to see you at the lake!
Category: fun
I suspect someone did a snow dance…..
Snow has officially fallen and stuck to the ground. Prepare for Winter! No one prepares for winter quite like we do here in Garrett County Maryland. Averaging more annual snowfall than Fairbanks Alaska, we are more than prepared to tackle several feet of snow at a time! Bring out the big state trucks, the salt & cinders, plus the numerous “Little Guys” that all have plows attached to the front and we pretty much keep things well covered. The first snowfall always brings a certain amount of excitement whether it’s kids that look forward to playing in it to those that are hopeful for a school “snow day” to the winter enthusiasts that are ready to break out their skis and snowboards! Snow excitement is in the air! 
Speaking of enjoying winter fun, now is the perfect time to start planning your winter getaway. Holidays are popular times to be at Deep Creek Lake so smooch up to your boss for your future days off and then call us! Ski in/ Ski out homes are very popular so if you want the best choice of which one will accommodate your group then I highly suggest that you start looking now before it’s last minute. Because we are the only ski resort in the state of Maryland and only 3 hours from Washington/ DC area, we are a quick and easy winter escape. Not big on skiing? Snow tubing is a lot of fun and requires very little skill only than to hold on! (Perfect for someone like me who can’t even stand up on skis, let alone try to glide on them…) 
Maybe you don’t even need to be outdoors. Cuddle up in front of a crackling fireplace with a favorite book as you take in the breathtaking snowy mountains through the wall of windows in your mountain chalet. Awww, yes! Visions of hot chocolate, snow angels, kids learning to ski, ice skating and more are drifting through your head. The mountains are calling and you must come and play! Call us today to plan your winter playtime 1-866-351-1119 or online www.deepcreekvacations.com. We can’t wait to see you at the lake! So Long to Summer!
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| The Gang! |
Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations’ owners and employees recently celebrated another successful summer season with their annual “End of Summer & BBQ Cook-Off Party!” As a typical Taylor-Made affair, there was an abundance of food, fun, games and prizes. A great time was had by all. An overflowing buffet of food proved once again that there are many talented chefs amongst us (excluding myself as I am officially the “Bring Soda” gal; something I have come to terms with). Justin, from our Hot Tub Department, took home the coveted “Main Dish Grand Prize” for his scrumptious Hawaiian pork and Housekeeper Billi Jean won the “Main Side Dish Grand Prize” for her white potato salad. Both dishes were awesome and deserved to win! (For a full list of the BBQ cook-off winners, see our album on our facebook page.) A big thanks to everyone who put their culinary talents to use and contributed to our table. Joe, Jodi, & Chad continued showering us with goods as multiple other prizes were given out. Tying for 1st place in our “Above & Beyond “contest was Kim G from our Maintenance Department and Chris R from Reservations. They proved that they not only believe in giving the best customer service possible but they are more than willing to go above and beyond to help our guests, vendors, and coworkers! Heather & Jason from Housekeeping took 2nd place as their dedication was shown many times throughout the summer as they were always willing to go the extra mile and step in if need be! Way to go guys!
Taylor-Made would also like to give a heartfelt “Welcome” to all of the Savageman triathletes that are in the area this week. Savageman is an event known as the “voice of melanoma prevention, detection, care and cure.” Stop out and support these athletes at the finish line (Deep Creek State Park). The Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation and Garrett County Health Department will be offering complimentary skin cancer screenings on both Saturday and Sunday from 9:30-2:30. Best of luck to all participants! http://www.winthefight.org/savageman/index.htm In the meantime, Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations is offering some spectacular Fall saving so call today (1-866-351-1119 or online www.deepcreekvacations.com) to plan your future Deep Creek stay. We can’t wait to see you at the lake!Art & Wine? Yes, Please.
Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations is pleased to announce that they are once again helping to sponsor the Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival. Benefitting HART for animals and the Garrett Lakes Art Festival, this annual event continues to grow in popularity. Held the weekend of September 6-8, the festival begins on Friday with various restaurants in the area offering special wine pairing menus for the evening. On Saturday, the festival, held at the Garrett County Fairgrounds will begin at 12 noon to 6 pm. Come out and visit with local artists that are displaying their ware (everything from pottery, handcrafted jewelry, oil paintings, wood furniture, and more!) National distributers and Maryland wineries will be on hand offering over 200 wine samples. A wine shop will also be set up allowing guests to purchase the various wines available. Throw in live entertainment throughout the day & delicious food from local establishments and you have something to offer everyone. The kids? Of course, they didn’t forget them! Face painting, balloon art, air brush tattoos, a moon bounce, carriage rides and even a duck bob will keep them entertained throughout the day. Staying with Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations or book a vacation home with us and we can help you add the Art & Wine Package to your reservation. For a mere $45, this gives you a $25 gift certificate to one of the wine pairing restaurants on Friday, admission into the festival on Saturday, a commemorative wine glass, a discount on your vacation home and free early check in or late check out (depending on availability). Add the package before your arrival and we will have everything ready for you and waiting in the home when you check in. 
Labor Day is beginning to book up quickly so call us today or check us out online in order to get the perfect vacation home for you and your family (1-866-351-1119 or online at www.deepcreekvacations.com) The sun is peeking out, the temperatures are perfect and we can’t wait to see you at the lake!A Lunch Date and Birthday Wishes!
It’s hard to believe that we are already heading into the month of November. It’s sad to see October leave as it is by far my favorite month. How can you not love a month that brings brilliant hues of orange, red, and yellow covering the mountaintop? A month that brings Fall Festivals, Apple Butter, Football, and ends with Halloween and lots and lots of candy? It’s also a fabulous birthday month as well. Now, granted, my opinion is a little skewed and biased due to the fact that we share the same DNA, but October is the month of my firstborn son, Devin’s birthday. This year, we decided to enjoy lunch out together with lakeside dining at Uno’s Chicago Grill. Due to the slightly chilly air, we choose to eat inside but were still awarded with a table by the window that offers fantastic lake views. We decided to split some appetizers so we went with the ultimate nachos and pizza skins. I hate to think of the calories consumed but it was so well worth it. Since the damage was apparently already done, we also split the Reese Cup sundae for dessert. Heavenly! Afterwards, we walked down by the water for some photos. We really had an enjoyable afternoon together. I also like to recommend Uno’s for our guests that are visiting in summer because of the convenience of coming by boat but they also offer a lot of specials throughout the other seasons which they combine to work with The Honi Honi bar located next door. They will once again be kicking off the holiday season with the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony held on November 24th @ 7 pm. Bring the kids for pictures with Santa, live entertainment, Christmas carols and free hot chocolate! If you haven’t booked your vacation home for the Thanksgiving holiday, now is definitely the time to call Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations (1-866-351-1119 or online www.deepcreekvacations.com) to make sure that you get the home that best suits you and your guests. 
As I mentioned earlier, October is an awesome birthday month so we would like to give a Birthday shout out to some of our staff this month! Birthday wishes go out to Linda Winters, one of our beloved hardworking ladies from Housekeeping! From our Reservation’s Department, we give a birthday hooray shout to both Lisa Yommer and Stefany Glotfelty. We are so lucky to have you ladies as part of our team here @ Taylor-Made and we send you heartfelt wishes for a superb birthday! Ski season is just around the corner so start making your Deep Creek vacation plans right away. We can’t wait to see you at the lake!
Mother May I?
Here we are bursting into the month of May! Who doesn’t love the month of May? It’s that time of the year where the outdoors explode with life, the month that children eagerly start crossing off days on the calendar while anxiously waiting for the last day of school. The month where you can begin to daydream of hot summer days spent swimming in the lake, barbeques, and basically all things summer! Now is a great time to come visit our mountains as the leaves are turning lush and green, docks are going in and we are running some fabulous spring specials. Not sure what to do while you’re in the area? With several state parks to choose from, now is a spectacular time for hiking and mountain biking. Now, yes, I am a big fan of Swallow Falls State Park. It’s hard to go wrong with the sheer beauty of the falls and walking trails, so this time I decided to go a different route and so the family and I headed down to New Germany State Park, located outside of Grantsville, and approximately 30 minutes from McHenry. With over 10 miles of walking trails, you may find yourself wandering through a dense hemlock forest, colorful mixed hardwoods, rhododendron-filled stream valleys or towering pines and spruces. Hiking, trail-running and biking are the most popular activities throughout the year. Whether walking along the lake or wetland, or hiking the scenic trails, visitors are sure to have an opportunity to view birds and wildlife. Abundant bird species can be found throughout the area, such as pileated woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, barred owls, great blue herons and an occasional osprey. In the late spring and summer, guests of the park can purchase snacks from the snack bar or rent a kayak or paddle boat to roam around the l3 acre lake. Swimming is also popular in the designated beach area. This Friday, May 4, there will be a “Live Jam” held at the Lake House. This is an awesome opportunity for musicians and spectators alike to join together to play and enjoy traditional folk, bluegrass, and any “old-time” Appalachian style music! Again this will be held in the Lake House from 6:30-9:30 and the admission is free! Check it out! Mother’s Day is just around the corner so now is the perfect time to treat mom to a weekend getaway. Call Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations today to begin finding your perfect vacation home. We can’t wait to see you at the lake!
Let the games begin….
Last Spring some of the creative people at Taylor-Made began to brainstorm some ideas of something new and fun to offer our guests. Light bulbs were going off like crazy but finally an plan emerged. Summer Scavenger Hunt 2011! The plan was to encourage our renters to really get out and enjoy some of our favorite places and establishments around Deep Creek Lake. During check in, we give our renters a welcome bag (our thank you for their patronage). The idea was to figure out the given clue and have a party member(s) take a picture with the welcome bag at the location. The grand prize was a Free 3 night stay in one of our rental homes! Wow! What a great turnout! For all of those that participated and sent in your pictures, we would like to say Thank You! We loved seeing everyone’s photos and hearing your positive thoughts on the hunt. Finally, a winner had to be announced!
Michael and Robin Crawford from Hanover, PA was the grand prize winner. They enjoyed a 7 night stay in On Eagle’s Wings in July and will be visiting us again in April for their free trip. Congratulations Michael and Robin!
The fun doesn’t stop there! We got such great feedback that we decided to continue the Scavenger Hunt for awhile longer! And so it has began, Fall & Winter Scavenger Hunt 2011! (Okay, so we could have tried to come up with another, more unique name….this title just seems to say it all!) Good Luck to all our future participants. In the meantime, as skiers and snowboarders get giddy with anticipation, see you at the lake!
Orlando never stood a chance!
Some of Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations staff members just returned from a whirl wind trip to Orlando where they attended the annual VRMA conference (Vacation Rental Management Association). What an enlightening experience! Most days and evenings were spent attending seminars, checking out the showcases, and networking with other vacation rental companies. It was a very rewarding and educational opportunity to pass ideas around with associations who are in the biz! Of course, all work and no play makes for a grumpy group. Taylor-Made got in the spirit of things by dressing as crazed WVU fans for the tailgating party that VRMA hosted. I must say, they can throw down one heck of a party. An awesome band, game stations (foosball, darts, air hockey, etc.), beverages, and food galore! Mix in a fireworks display and you can’t go wrong! Sadly, our group did not win the grand prize. In all honesty, I’m not quite sure what the winning category even was (Best dressed??? Best costume???) I do know that if the category was ‘loudest’, ‘most spirited’, ‘most verbally harsh on the ear drums’, we would have been a shoe in! We finished our trip with an amazing, fun trip to the Islands’ of Adventure! Roller coasters, water rides, shops, slushies, basically all things good! Chad was like a kid in a candy store when he entered Harry Potter’s village! Too funny! All in all, the trip was an awesome experience. I learned a lot of useful information and met some extremely interesting people, many of whom I plan to stay in touch with. We arrived home just in time for a gusty, yet sunny and fabulous Autumn Glory Parade (and to the clown who, oh so kindly, dumped a bucket of candy at the feet of my 8 year old son, “thanks! That was meant as sarcastic btw!”)! Until next time when I pass on more of my Deep Creek knowledge, see you at the lake!