What to do "Fore!" dad?

It appears that April showers do, in fact, bring May flowers. The mountain top is in full bloom right now and boasting a variety of brilliant greens, anticipating a much desired summer season. In the meantime, the temperature has been perfect and now is the ideal time to plan a nice weekend getaway. What would one do? Why, golf, of course! Although there are many various golf courses in Garrett County, 2 of the most easily accessible here at lake are Wisp Golf Course and Lodestone Golf Course.

The boys taking advantage of the weather to play @ Wisp!

Wisp Golf Course has been named by Golfstyles Magazine as one of “100 Must-Play Courses of the Mid-Atlantic.” Taking advantage of the base of the ski slopes, this course is designed using their natural contours. Mix in spectacular mountain views, this 72 par championship course will provide excitement and challenges for all players. http://www.wispresort.com/wisp/info/s.golf.aspx

Lodestone Golf Course, a new course to our area, is located on a mountain ridge on top of Wisp Mountain. This course is a Hale Irwin Signature design in collaboration with golf architect Todd Schoeder. What exactly does this mean? I was curious. It seems that Hale Irwin is an American professional golfer and one of the few in history to win 3 U.S. Opens. He later developed a career as a golf course architect, designing some of the most prestigious and challenging courses to date.

Morning fishing!

With Father’s Day quickly approaching next month, now is the perfect time to plan dad’s golfing weekend getaway! We have many amazing homes that are just minutes away from both courses. Call us here Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations (1-866-351-1119 or go online www.deepcreekvacations.com) and let us know what you are looking for and we will do our best to find the perfect vacation home for you. Make it a couple’s getaway and we can recommend some fantastic massage and spa options for the women in the group. Summer is just around the corner so now is the time to begin planning that unforgettable family vacation. We can’t wait to see you at the lake!

Deep Creek Lake: The place to be!!

The Top 10 Reasons to Choose Deep Creek Lake as Your Next Vacation Getaway!

1.     The Weather! Besides enjoying fresh mountain air, we are the place to come to beat the scorching heat! Our temperatures tend to run approximately 10° cooler than surrounding cities (and with much less humidity as well!)

2.    Swallow Falls State Park! Housing the largest waterfall in the state of Maryland, Swallow Falls State Park is a must see natural phenomenon for our area. With miles of mountain bike and hiking trails, it’s the perfect place to spend the day and enjoy Mother Nature!

3.    Wisp Resort! In the winter season, it serves as the only ski resort in the state of Maryland but throughout the remainder of the year, it offers an abundance of cool activities for every one of all ages. (The mountain coaster is a must! You can control the speed, which is perfect for the daredevils that crave speed or you can go slow for those of us that like our pace a little more “tame”.)



Zach @ Deep Creek State Park!



4.    We are kid friendly! Both Funland and Smiley’s Fun Zone are the perfect place to take the kids for the day. Both offer go-carts, miniature golf, arcade games and more! Hungry? Have lunch at Smiley’s or DC Pizza, which is attached to Funland.

5.    The Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI)! This man-made river channel is the only mountaintop white water rafting course in the world. It’s ideal for beginners, families and paddling enthusiasts. Not sure if it’s your “thing”, they also manage Fork Run Recreation Area that offers over 500 acres of forest where guests can rock climb, hike, mountain bike, or take geocaching tours.

6.    Festivities Galore!  The Art & Wine Festival, The Highland Festival, The Garrett County Agricultural Fair, Octoberfest and Autumn Glory are just to name a few of the events that take place throughout the year in our area.

7.    Fallingwater & Ohiopyle! Designed by America’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, this home stretches over a 30’ waterfall and is a National Historic Landmark (so famous in fact that Brad and Angelina closed the place down a few years ago so they could take their own personal tour of the home!) Located approximately 35 minutes from Deep Creek, it’s a nice day drive for the family. While there check out the little town of Ohiopyle which offers white-water rafting and eclectic assortment of neat shops and restaurants.

8.    Cranesville Swamp! Located near bordering West Virginia, this swamp is 1,600 acre preserve that is known as one of the last boreal bogs in the southern United States. Visitors can walk along the guided trails and boardwalk. Bird watching and nature lover enthusiasts will quickly fall in love the beautiful surroundings offered here.



Farmer's Market



9.    Small town charm! Oakland, our county seat, is located a mere 15 minutes from the lake. Here visitors can stroll through downtown where they visit charming shops, antique stores and dining establishments. In the summer, guests can head over to the town pavilion where a local Farmer’s Market is set up. Fresh produce, Amish baked goods plus an assortment of crafts and other goods are available for purchase.

10.  The Lake! Boating, fishing, jet-skiing, tubing, swimming, kayaking, and paddleboarding are all fun and exciting activities to do here at Deep Creek! Rent or bring a boat and spend the day zipping around the lake. Many restaurants have dock side dining for easy convenience. Surrounded by plush mountains, you will quickly fall in love with all that is Deep Creek!

Call us today at Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations (1-866-351-1119) or go online at www.deepcreekvacations.com to begin planning your future stay at Deep Creek Lake!

Beverages, anyone?

The Drive-Thru

So Many Choices!

Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations would like to give a shout out to Deep Creek Beverage, one of the newer beverages shops offered here at Deep Creek Lake. Owned by Margaret and James Lascaris, they have brought to the area a wonderful beverage shop that also offers the convenience of a drive thru window. One of the most frequent questions we receive here at Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations, besides asking for local directions, is “Where is the nearest beverage store?” Whether you are looking for wine for that special romantic dinner, champagne to toast with a loved one, or beer for the big football game, Deep Creek Beverage has everything you may need. Located beside Archie’s Barbeque (http://archiesbbq.com/index.php), it’s a convenient stop while you are on your way into McHenry and the surrounding Deep Creek area! Every Tuesday-Thursday, they offer “Happy Hour” discounts on various items throughout the store. Stop in and see what awesome specials they are offering on that given day! In the fall season, Deep Creek Beverage offered its guests beer tasting and they hope to continue to not only offer this but wine testing as well. Did I mention the convenience of getting your order through the drive thru? With the quirky and delightful sense of humor that they bring to their business, they like to describe it as the “oldest drive-thru”, true in the sense that they are the only beverage shop with a drive thru here at the lake! Stop in and say “Hello!” Not sure what you are in the mood for? Margaret, James, and staff will be more than happy to help you find exactly what you are looking for! Again, a big shout out to Deep Creek Beverage!

Gotta Love Deep Creek!

Memorial Day is quickly approaching and vacation rental homes are going quickly! Call us today at Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations to speak to one of our Reservationist who will happily help you find just the right home for you and your family! Docks are going in, the weather has been bright, sunny and warm and the mountains are turning bright green and waking up! Now is the perfect time to visit us! We can’t wait to see you here at the lake!

Behind the Scenes Look: TMDCV Laundry Department

The processing of laundry is a critical element of the vacation experience that is often taken for granted. Check out the following behind-the-scenes look at the Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations laundry department:


In one year, Taylor-Made processes over 100,000 pounds of sheets, blankets and comforters and folds over 25,000 towels. The staff of 4 takes care of the washing, drying, folding and pressing of each piece of laundry to help prepare each home and the many beds that are made over 25,700 times in a year.

There are three 50 pound washing machines, two 75 pound dryers and a pressing machine to make up the in-house laundry department. The soiled laundry is loaded into the washer and a selection is made on the chemical station as to the amount of bleach, alkaline and/or detergent necessary for each load. Then, an hour later, the items are ready to be dried or pressed. 

Chemical Guide for Wash

The flat items such as sheets and pillowcases are processed through a press that heats to 365° to automatically dry, press and fold in less than 20 seconds. The other items are put into one of the two dryers that take approximately 40 minutes to run.

Once the dryer items are complete, there team says there will often be, literally, a 10’ high cart to be folded in the afternoon.

King Bedsheets

The clean and folded items are then organized by size and type. There are folded items on selves divided into king, queen, full, and twin sheets, pillowcases, regular towels, hand towels, washcloths, and bath mats.

This process is non-stop and, depending on the season, between 16-24 loads will be completed in an 8 hour shift.

To prepare the laundry to be taken to the homes, bags are then packaged with a standard 18 towel items in each and then adjusted based on specifics for each home. Separate bags are also prepared for the remaining linens according to the number and size of beds in each home.

Each morning the staging area will be lined with numerous sets of towels and bedding for each home. The housekeepers will take the laundry to the homes and return the soiled linens back to our laundry department. Then, the process repeats again; our laundry department operates 7 days a week.

Ready for the Homes

When you take advantage of some of the amazing discounts and last minute specials we currently have, be sure to thank the ladies in the laundry department for their hard work! Call now to speak to one of our Reservationists and book your next vacation today! 866-351-1119

Cindy and Dawn Demonstrate the Pressing Machine

Another reason to visit Deep Creek...

Anxiously Awaiting!

If you have had the pleasure of being in our area as of late, then you must have noticed the obvious signs of lake life reawakening. Docks are being put in, fishermen are taking advantage of early morning glassy waters and flowers and trees are blooming. This the perfect time of year to get outside and enjoy the fresh mountain air. With a bevy of locations to go hiking, mountain biking or even horseback riding, it is another reason to visit Deep Creek in the off season. One of my all-time favorite outdoor activities is to take the family out on a geo-caching adventure. A “what kind of adventure?”, you may be asking. Geo-caching! (Pronounced G-O Cashing) Geo-caching is a real world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called caches, by using a GPS-enabled advice. It’s like a newer version of scavenger hunting, only more technically advanced. Players go online where they enter the zip code for the area that they are going to be hunting. They enter the coordinates into the GPS, decipher clues if available, and set out on an adventure. These hunts vary in difficulty but it is an easy and fun game to learn. Another neat fact about geo-caching is that most containers contain a book that you can view and sign. How amazing to see how far people have come. (My family has a cache that we created and hid. We were so excited to see one group was from Canada!) In most containers, there are trinkets left from previous cachers. The rule is, if you take something out, you must put something back in. (I claimed a most awesome Winnie the Pooh Pez dispenser!) The Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) located on top of Wisp Mountain offers some terrific Cache Tours which will give you the gist of the game, if you are reluctant to try it solo. There are so many great caches to be found here in our area. So, if you are looking for something a little new, a little different, a little unique, then try out geo-caching!

Digging for Ramps!

Another unique event to check out that that characterizes life here in the mountains is the Wild Foods and Ramp Cook Off that is being held Saturday, April 27th at the Deep Creek Discovery Center. Ramps or Leeks (Spring Onion) are grown throughout the area and are often picked in late March and April.  With a strong poignant taste and pungent odor, it is often seen as a delicacy and can be used in many food dishes. At the ramp cook off, guests are invited to enter their own tasty dish or just sample some of the many wonderful dishes that are offered (Be forewarned! Ramps will not make you popular as they are also known for leaving those that enjoy them with a strong case of halitosis!) For more information on the event, check out the Discovery Center online. http://discoverycenterdcl.com/. Now is the time to call us here at Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations for the best deals on your next Deep Creek stay! In the meantime, we can’t wait to see you at the lake!

Are you hooked?

Spring weather has finally arrived, better late than never, here in the mountains. We have been graced with some awesome weather and temps in the comfortable 70’s. It’s a great time to get outside and get active. Swallow Falls State Park showcases Mother Nature at her finest and the largest waterfall in the state of Maryland but also offers fantastic hiking and mountain biking trails. Check it out on your next Deep Creek getaway!

Last month Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations was the humble recipient of a hosted lunch by Jearbryo’s Hookers Seafood & Grill. Yum! They served a variety of fresh made wraps and their famous crab dip served with fresh breadsticks! Such a wonderful treat and so greatly appreciated! If you haven’t been up by there in a while, I strongly recommend that you check it out as they offer a wide variety of seafood dishes and choices! Celebrating their 1 year Anniversary this week, they are ready for their guests to come and check out the newly added outside patio, ideal for dining out on a warm spring evening or a nice summer day! (Anyone else picturing fresh crabs and cold beer?) Check out their website (www.jearbryos.com)  for a complete menu listing and to see some of their great offers  (very reasonably priced lunch specials, discount for Seniors on Monday evenings, Double Dinner Deals, and more!) I also got a chance to speak to Bryon, the owner, who is also very busy these days branching out into the catering world. You may have also seen him and his crew out connecting with the community at numerous local events and festivals (Autumn Glory, Art & Wine Festival, Friendsville Days, Little Yough Music Festival, and the list goes on and on!) They usually set up their little booth/ wagon and offer some of their most requested items such as their amazing crab cakes! So, if you are looking for a fabulous meal (especially if you are a lover of seafood like my family) then head to Jearbryo’s for a relaxing dinner out.

Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations is currently running some phenomenal discounts and deals (For an extended weekend getaway, ask about our “Stay 3 nights for the price of 2” special running through the 2^nd week of May!).  Now is also a good time to book your summer vacation. Homes are going quickly so in order to get the perfect home for you and your family, call and speak to one of our Reservationist on what you are looking for in a vacation home. See you at the lake!

Because Anything Can Happen...

     Mother Nature continues to astound us up here in the mountains as the snow still falls. Although a yearning for Spring and spring-like things is in the air, we do what we do best; we use it to our advantage! Looking for a fun-filled family activity? Pack up the kids and head over to Wisp's snow tubing park for a day of excitement and adventure! Cross Country skiing? Snowmobiling? Snowshoeing? Just some of the many options of things to do in the area! Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations is offering some fantastic deals right now! Call now and ask about our "Stay 3 nights for the price of 2!" deal pertaining to most of our homes! I don't know about you but a nice relaxing weekend away seems like the perfect solution for brushing off the winter blahs!
      Taylor-Made employees recently had the pleasure of meeting with Kurt, their representative from Red Sky Travel Insurance. Red Sky Travel Insurance  is an optional traveler's insurance that we offer to each guest that reserves a vacation home with us. Very often, most people assume that the travelers insurance is just an added cost and will not pertain to them so they choose to decline it. However, as we all know, life is not predictable. Although some could say "Better safe than sorry", we look at it like, "Isn't it just better to be prepared?" Anything can happen. Yes, the optional travelers insurance protects you and your family if you have to cancel your vacation due to an unseen medical emergency, but do you know that it also protects you if you have to interrupt your vacation and depart early? What if Little Johnny ignores your pleas and decides that he is, in fact, quite ready to take on the bigger ski slope? An ambulance ride and a cast later, and you are very grateful that you opted to accept the travelers insurance! We proudly offer this to our guests, so please take a moment and ask your Reservationist to explain the policy to you when you are reserving your vacation home.

Easter Bunny!!

     Don't forget that if you are in the area this weekend, The Deep Creek Discovery Center is once again hosting an egg dying session using all natural dyes. You just need to bring your own boiled eggs and they will help you with the rest. The Easter Bunny will also be there with treats and to take pictures with the kids! Definitely fun for the whole family!
     No matter what season you choose to visit us here at Deep Creek Lake, there is always something fun, new, and exciting to do! We can't wait to see you at the lake!