Tag: deep creek

Garrett had only growth in Maryland tourism during pandemic

The Garrett County Republican

McHENRY — While Garrett County has experienced a boom in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rest of Maryland is struggling to recover.

While the state’s tourism industry as a whole experienced a 64% decline during the pandemic, Garrett County actually posted a 36% increase from pre-pandemic levels, according to Liz Fitzsimmons, managing director of the Office of Tourism for the Department of Commerce.

“Garrett County was the anomaly,” Fitzsimmons said. “The only region, the only county that was able to do this.”

In 27 years with the Office of Tourism, Fitzsimmons said the Office of Tourism never had to go before any group and say that there were decreases. That changed in 2020, when the industry was dealt a severe blow.

Sales figures for overnight stays in hotels, motels and rental units are key indicators of the state of tourism, she said, as those visitors spend money in other areas, such as food, entertainment, recreational activities and retail items.

For the category of hotels, motels, apartments and cottages, sales figures for the 2021 fiscal year totaled $56.05 million — a 56% drop from pre-pandemic 2019’s $128.6 million. For hotels and motels selling food, the results were even worse: from $35.4 million in 2019 to $10.7 million in 2021. That constitutes a 69.7% drop.

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual tourism update Tuesday morning at its Business Before Hours meeting, hearing from state officials just how hard the pandemic hit Maryland recreation.

“I last attended this meeting two years ago,” said Tom Riford, assistant secretary of the Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism, Film & the Arts. “What a different world it was two years ago to today. Just totally, totally different.”

Riford said tourism is the fourth-largest industry in the state, employing people, providing tax revenue and helping the quality of life.

“Maryland’s tourism industry was especially hard-hit in March of 2020. And the last 20 months has seen the tourism industry working together to move forward to get to the other side,” he said. “I’m very proud of what was accomplished in this county in 2020, and in 2021. You led the state.”

The Wisp Resort’s ski school in 2021 had its best year since it opened in 1955, he said.

In continuing with the Autumn Glory Festival through the pandemic, Garrett County “has shown many other jurisdictions that it can move forward, and move toward a positive tomorrow,” Riford said.

Garrett County’s accommodation sales would have been even higher, but Gov. Larry Hogan had ordered the closing of hotels and motels at the start of the outbreak. When they were allowed to reopen, rooms and houses throughout the Deep Creek Lake area were rented almost immediately. Many were people who were seeking to leave areas of Maryland and Virginia that were experiencing early rises in COVID-19 cases.

That has spilled over into the Garrett County real estate market, where home sales have been strong for months, with houses now averaging $431,461.

However, those same eager visitors now have other options, Fitzsimmons said, with borders reopening and international travel now possible.

Six of the 10 richest counties in the United States are located in Northern Virginia, she said, and those are the customers that Garrett County needs to continue to attract — even as options such as Europe are now available again.

“They are the people who helped drive these increases,” Fitzsimmons said, encouraging business owners to reach out and continue to develop the relationships they’ve developed with visitors during the pandemic.

Deep Creek Lake Water Levels for the Winter 2021/2022

Garrett County Government

Brookfield Hydroelectric facility has agreed to lower the Deep Creek Lake water levels near the lower end of the “Rule Band” for several month during this winter. The lower rule band lake level for December and January is set at 2,455 feet.The lower lake levels during the winter months will have the following benefits:

• allow Garrett County Department of Public Works – Public Utilities Division to install pipes for the McHenry to Thayerville water connection project,
• provide opportunities for lake property owners to conduct maintenance on shoreline stabilization projects,
• potentially reduce nuisance or invasive submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in shallow habitats by exposing the plants to freezing temperature.

Deep Creek Lake Rule Band for monthly water levelsInformation on the Deep Creek Lake water level “Rule Band” can be found at the following Department of the Environment website: https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/water/water_supply/pages/deepcreeklake.aspxand on the Department of Natural Resources website: https://dnr.maryland.gov/pprp/Pages/DeepCreek/results.aspx

118 Sears Lane Price Improvement

Price improvement! PRIVATE setting near the southern part of the lake, just off of Sky Valley Rd. Well maintained home with hardwood floors, spacious kitchen and plenty of room for entertaining! Large master suite, huge rec room and lots of storage options. Ample parking, shady lot & yard area. Just a few miles to Deep Creek Lake State Park and shopping, dining, entertainment!

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Annual Autumn Glory Festival set for October in Garrett County, Md.

Just Listed! 162 Highline Drive!

“Irvana”, a 6BR 5.5BA vacation rental in Highline. Over $60k in yearly rental income! Enjoy HUGE lake and mountain views stretching even beyond DCL State Park! Home is well equipped with 4 master suites, 3 fireplaces, a screened in porch and a loft. Outside, enjoy low maintenance yard space and a hot tub overlloking the lake. Ski-in, ski-out — Wisp ski slopes are a few hundred feet away!

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62nd-annual Garrett County Agriculture Fair kicks off

The 62nd annual Garrett County Agriculture Fair kicks off with events running for an entire week.

The event will include many competitions, ranging from the judging of farm animals to canned goods, photography and 4-H and school projects.

All exhibit barns will be open to the public beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, the carnvial rides will be open from 1-11 p.m. and various contests/competitions will be held throughout the day. Tuesday will be Senior Citizens Day, with free admission granted for those ages 60 and older. Seniors may ride midway attractions free from 1-5 p.m. The day’s schedule will also include a pet show, a 4-H robotics challenge, and a Barrell Ba$h.

for the rest of the weeks schedule and info click here

Price Change for 2095 Rock Lodge Road!

4BR 2.5BA split-lakefront home on a whopping 3.25 acres! Deep-water Type A dock in coveted Cherry Creek Cove. Contemporary home offers a cozy, lodge feel with double-sided fireplace, a roomy kitchen, exposed beams, Anderson windows, 2nd living area and a sun-drenched deck. Lakeside deck area to enjoy shade by the lake! Paved driveway and improved basement has ample storage and a workshop area!

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Reel Report: There’s something for everyone right now

If you didn’t get a chance to take advantage of Maryland’s last free fishing day on the Fourth of July, you should most certainly get yourself a license and hit the water this weekend because there’s something for everyone right now in every fishing hole from the lakes and reservoirs to Ocean City’s shores.

Fishing early and late with topwater lures is a great way to target bass right now. During the heat of the day, most bass will find the nearest drop-off from shore and hold near available cover. Fishing around low trees and docks with lightly weighted soft plastic baits, jig-and-craw combos or creature-type baits is your best bet.

The bluegill are eager to eat small pieces of nightcrawler or live crickets. Fishing for bluegill early and late in shallow water is productive as they’ll also move to deeper, cooler water during the heat of the day.

Just a reminder that the park opens at 7 a.m. on weekends and 7:30 a.m. during the weekdays. The park closes seven days a week at 8 p.m.

for more information click here

Taylor-Made Continues to Expand Real Estate Capabilities with the Addition of New Agents

Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations & Sales, a leading vacation rental and sales firm located in McHenry, Maryland, is pleased to announce the recent expansion of their real estate team. Seventeen Deep Creek Lake area real estate agents joined the robust and highly regarded Taylor-Made sales division in June of 2018. Many of the new team members are accomplished agents with decades of experience in Deep Creek Lake real estate. With proven track records, they have successfully handled thousands of transactions. With thirty-nine sales agents, Taylor-Made’s real estate philosophy centers around the belief that technology, coupled with a collaborative team, can build a powerful business that thrives over the long haul. The company’s independent agents are encouraged to share resources to boost overall productivity and client satisfaction. With an in-house staff dedicated to strategic marketing, sales agents have access to services that include professional photography and videography, 3D tours and drone photography along with aggressive email and social media marketing.

for the full article click here