Tag: deep creek

Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone and John Burroughs were friends who enjoyed traveling and camping together in the early 1900s. They called themselves the Vagabonds. However, in 1921 Burroughs died, leaving an empty spot among the group.

Firestone and President Warren G. Harding were longtime friends. Firestone invited the president to join the Vagabonds on their trip. Harding accepted, but he wasn’t able to accompany them on their entire trip. Instead, he said he could join them on July 23 at their campsite near Licking Creek.

“Selection of Harding to take the vacant place in this camping club of distinguished men is considered one of the most unique honors conferred since he became President,” the Frederick News reported.

Harding wouldn’t be able to accompany them on the entire trip, but he would camp with them on July 23, 1921, near Licking Creek. The area in Washington County is now called Camp Harding County Park.

The president left Washington, D.C., at 9:30 a.m. He must have been eager to get away overnight because he averaged 50 mph on the trip there.

“The Secret Service and the many journalists and photographers had difficulty keeping up with the President’s car as it journeyed toward Funkstown,” according to The Model T Times. “He arrived shortly after Ford, Firestone, Edison, and company arrived.”

They arrived at the campsite on Licking Creek around 1 p.m. The group ate lunch in a dining room with a table that had a Lazy Susan and a nine-foot diameter.

After lunch, they spent a casual afternoon. The president took a nap in his tent. Ford and Firestone competed in wood-chopping. Edison lay down under an elm tree and took a nap.

When Harding woke up, he, Ford and Firestone went horseback riding. Harding’s personal secretary, George Christian, and Secret Service agent, Col. Edmund Starling, accompanied them.

“The President then visited a local general store and made a phone call back to the White House to check on the health of his wife,” The Model T Times reported. “While there, he bought candy for several local children gathered at the store.”

Back at camp, they enjoyed a hearty dinner. Music was provided by a player piano powered by a portable electric generator. The Vagabonds stayed up until 2 a.m., talking and telling stories around a campfire.

The following day, the group went horseback riding after breakfast.

After the ride, Bishop Anderson held a Sunday morning worship and memorial service in memory of Burroughs, one of the original Vagabonds.

“Mrs. Firestone played the piano and the congregation sang hymns,” The Model T Times reported. “There were several hundred in attendance, as many local farmers and visitors joined the service. The service concluded with the audience joining President Harding in singing ‘Rock of Ages’ and ‘Nearer My God to Thee.’”

They lunched at the campsite, and Harding and his entourage left around 4 p.m. to return to Washington. It had been a quick getaway for Harding, but the trip was only beginning for the remaining Vagabonds.

for full story Looking Back: President Harding becomes a Vagabond | Local News | times-news.com

The Garrett County Administrative Charging Committee meeting scheduled for Monday, November 27, 2023 has been cancelled due to no cases to be presented.
 
The next Garrett County Administrative Charging Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 18, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.

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)