Short Drive, Long Weekend in the Mountains

First, I want to confirm that you can get to Maryland from Cincinnati in less than six hours. This seemed to be the big myth to either prove or de-bunk before departing as anyone who took a seventh grade geography class knows that Maryland is on the east coast (think Atlantic Ocean) and both West Virginia and Pennsylvania (and West Virginia again) are in the way. It just doesn’t seem possible. But it was.

Second, I want to clarify that Deep Creek is not quite the Tahoe of the East as I had been describing, but pretty close. This was my favorite analogy before the trip (and based off a few brochure photos and three common elements: a lake, mountains and a civilized town minus the gambling), but in reality, you just can’t compare the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada peaks to the Great Smokies. We were definitely spoiled by our time out west, so once I accepted that, I enjoyed what nature had to offer – panoramic mountain views from our deck and cool summer evenings (requiring both jackets and a glass of red, just like our Evergreen days).

Lastly, I want to declare that there is nothing relaxing about a lake vacation with a three and five year old. Maybe it is any vacation at this age, but water (in all its many forms, from hot tubs to waterfalls to rivers to the lake itself) offered a few more reasons to sit on the edge of my seat and hyperventilate at least once an hour. Apologies again to all my fellow travelers for my brief, but frequent moments of hysteria. However, by the last day I started to settle in and trust both my kids (Alex was confidently jumping off the dock and swimming to shore) and all the vast safety devices that were put on them (Jen kept reminding me that the pink and orange Barbie life jacket is not just a fashion statement).

But overall we were very impressed with the area and, as always, enjoyed all the laughter with our family. And in our ongoing quest to find the perfect non-commercialized, outdoorsy, yet close to home, get-away-spot in the mountains, Deep Creek Lake is ranking toward the top.

Click here for more pictures from Deep Creek.