During the most wonderful time of the year, winter jaunts are growing in popularity. Families, friends and solo travelers alike, are packing their bags and jingling all the way to merry locales for the holidays.
“Destinations across the Mid-Atlantic have experienced a travel trend over the last 20 years that has seen the industry grow during both the holiday and winter travel seasons,” said Morgan Christopher, board chair of the Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance, which encompasses Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.
“December through March are no longer the months when we hunker down and bundle up,” he said. “Travel has become a traditional part of the celebration.”
Think of winter travel as a holiday present waiting to be unwrapped. In Maryland and its nearby neighbors, consider charming small towns, an amusement park stay or even a wintry beach vacation. We’ve made a list of places — and like Santa, checked it twice.
Deep Creek Lake
Garrett County, Maryland
For holiday adventures in the great outdoors, head to Western Maryland’s picturesque Garrett County. Its scenic tableau of mountains, lakes and rivers, and waterfalls, feel like a gift from Mother Nature.
Winter here brings horse-drawn sleigh rides, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. At Deep Creek Lake, a 3,900-acre human-made marvel, there’s ice fishing and the gigantic 1,800-acre Deep Creek Lake State Park. Its year-round complex offers 20 miles of trails worthy of a holiday hike.
“Swallow Falls State Park is also beautiful in the winter,” said Sarah Duck, vice president of tourism and marketing for the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. Muddy Creek Falls, the state’s tallest free-falling waterfall, is worth seeing whether “it’s frozen or just surrounded by snow.”
The county will host a flurry of regional holiday celebrations, among them, “A Great Small Town Christmas” in downtown Oakland on Dec. 1-2, with a tree lighting ceremony, music, and a stopover by Old St. Nick.
That same weekend at Spruce Forest Artisan Village in Grantsville, meet artisans in their log-cabin studios as they create: bird carving, basket making, hand-loom weaving, hand-thrown pottery, stained glass art, and hand-forged iron. The village’s historic museums will be open, and there will be fun activities for children during the free event.
For holiday lodging, consider the WISP Resort which offers everything from skiing and snowboarding to a Mountain Coaster with glorious views.
for more information visit Travel for the holidays: Here are 5 wintertime adventures for the entire family in Maryland and beyond (baltimoresun.com)
