tourism – Page 4 – Jay's Real Estate Blog

Oakland, Deep Creek among TripAdvisor’s “Best Fall Vacations”

OAKLAND — The town of Oakland, including the Deep Creek Lake area, has been named by TripAdvisor as one of the “21 Best Fall Vacations in America for Seeing the Colors.”

“We are delighted to be included in this list by TripAdvisor,” said Nicole Christian, president and CEO of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. “Every year, Garrett County garners more accolades for its spectacular fall, which is why we host an annual Autumn Glory Festival. For 50 years, we have been celebrating Garrett County’s most colorful season, with parades, craft and antique shows, Oktoberfest featuring an Oompah band, turkey dinners, and more. This year’s festival is Oct. 11–15. But you don’t have to wait until the festival to enjoy the scenery; you can go ‘leaf peeping’ on one of our Fall Foliage Driving Tours now through the end of the fall season.”

for more info click here

Tenth Annual Festival of Trees – Nov 24 & 25

The Tenth Annual Festival of Trees will be held at the Garrett County Fairgrounds on November 24 and 25. Start your day with Breakfast with Santa on either Friday or Saturday for either 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. and have a professional photo taken with Santa in his sleigh, then decorate your own cookie at Santa’s Bakery. Spend as much time as you want with the many free kids’ activities and the try out the Lego robotics. Be sure shop for your friends and family for only $1 per item at the Elfenheim Mall. Don’t miss a visit with our numerous vendors for mostly hand-made unique gifts for family, friends and YOURSELF. (Pay vendors directly.) And Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, sponsored by Sorrellee’s Pizza, is open all day until 5 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday – Very reasonably priced and tasty food for the entire family. You will also enjoy our new BUY ME NOW tables of holiday items instead of the usual silent auction. No waiting! Treat yourself to a $3 sundae you make yourself, sponsored by the fabulous Lakeside Creamery.

For more information click here

Price Improvement! 6 Bright Passage Lane #1C

Sporting high-end finishes and professionally decorated, this 4 level Villages of Wisp unit will blow you away! Upgrades include hardwood floors & carpet, fresh paint, new lighting, washer and dryer, designer furniture and new TVs. Seller also added 2 AC units. Seasonal views of the water. This specific area has a HUGE backyard area – perfect for entertaining or playing in the yard.

For more information click here

In Netflix’s ‘Wormwood’, the CIA Murders Frank Olson With LSD in Deep Creek Lake

Shortly after, Olson attended a work retreat in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, where CIA officials, including the head of MK-Ultra, Dr. Sidney Gottlieb, were in attendance. In 1975, the American public discovered that MK-Ultra was a secret CIA project that, between 1953 and 1964, conducted unethical experiments on unknowing subjects with the goal of achieving mind-control. Many of these tests included administering LSD on unsuspecting civilians, which the CIA later acknowledged, “made little scientific sense.”

It was in Deep Creek Lake that Olson became one of the unsuspecting victims of MK-Ultra. There, CIA agents secretly slipped LSD into his drink, as a scene inWormwood’s trailer shows. Olson was told, 20 minutes after the fact, that his drink had been laced, and then he left the retreat in an agitated state. On November 24, he told a colleague and his wife that he planned to resign. But before that could happen, the CIA forced him to attend a “psychiatric evaluation”four days later. On November 28, he was found on the sidewalk after emerging from the window of the Statler Hotel in New York City.

For more information about the new series click here

How does a bear cool off at Deep Creek Lake? How else?

Why did the bear cross the lake?

Video Here

We’re not sure what prompted this bear to swim across Deep Creek Lake in Western Maryland, but he did reach the other side, as shown in the video captured by some recreational boaters on the water recently.

This particular bear couldn’t be reached for comment, but it certainly managed to get to the other side of the lake with energy to burn. Watch as the bear climbs ashore near a lake-side residence and jets off into the distance as boaters look on — shouting warnings to folks on land as the swimmer approached shallow water.

That video had 27,000 views as of Monday morning.

It’s not the first time a local photographer captured bears in the lake. Check out this video from 2016 here.

A bear presumably swam across the Susquehanna River last May when sightings were reported progressively more west in Cecil County before there was a report of one in Harford County.

In June of last year, there were 11 reported bear sightings in Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s County in a one-week span.

“You have a lot of young bears looking for territory to call their own,” Natural Resources Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson said at the time. “Male bears need a pretty big hunk of territory, females less so. They keep roaming until they find an area they can claim. It’s all territorial, trying to find a new home.”

But most of the bear sightings in Maryland take place in Western Maryland — where, according to the Department of Natural Resources, there is a breeding population in the four westernmost counties. That includes Garrett County, where Deep Creek Lake is located.

A few tips from DNR: Don’t feed bears. Don’t panic or approach a bear. Back away slowly. If you’re outside, get inside the nearest building.

If you’re in the lake, boating alongside the Michael Phelps of bears: just keep a safe distance. And maybe do the neighborly thing like these boaters did and warn the unassuming folks on land.

Oh, and capturing it on video doesn’t hurt.

By Sean WelshThe Baltimore SunContact Reporter

For more information click here

Maryland Heritage Area Grants to Boost Cultural Heritage Tourism in Garrett County: Projects Receive Funds from Maryland Historical Trust Heritage Program

Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA), a state heritage organization, awarded 50 matching grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to Maryland nonprofit organizations, local jurisdictions and tourism groups. The grants fund historic preservation, natural resource protection and educational programs in 13 state-designated Heritage Areas. By supporting capital projects and educational activities, the grants spawn renewed interest in Maryland culture from residents and visitors, boosting tourism-related jobs.
Three grant applications submitted by The Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area received funds. Jen Durben, Heritage Area & Groups Director said, “We had diverse applications from throughout our heritage area this year and we are excited to have three projects awarded in another round of very tough competition. More than 100 applications were submitted totaling over $5.6 million in requested funds. Garrett County received a total of $195,000 of the $2.7 million awarded. These grants will allow the recipients to create new resources and expand awareness of heritage here in Garrett County.”

Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is the official Management Entity for the Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area and provides the 1 to 1 match for the Management Grant. The Garrett County Heritage Area & Groups Director administers the Heritage Area Program and works with stakeholders by offering technical and grant assistance for heritage related initiatives that preserve valuable heritage resources and enhance tourism in the County.

Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area projects funded were:
· Highland Festival of Garrett County, Maryland, Inc. (Garrett County Celtic Festival) ($5,000) – PILOT Chautauqua Event: Celtic Roots
· Mayor and Town Council of Oakland, Maryland ($90,000) – Pedestrian Gateway
· Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area ($100,000) – Management Grant for management services of the certified heritage area with a goal to promote heritage tourism.

The Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area is a program of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce which supports heritage tourism in Garrett County through technical assistance and grant opportunities with a focus on heritage related initiatives that preserve valuable heritage resources and enhance tourism in the County. As a state certified heritage area, effort is made to create public and private partnerships to preserve historical, cultural and natural resources focusing on under-utilized resources fostering a greater sense of community pride.

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is the largest professional business association in the region with 600 members representing every industry in the community. The mission of the Chamber is to organize, support and represent Garrett County’s business community in advancing common interests and additionally to promote Garrett County’s hospitality and recreation industry by attracting visitors to the county through comprehensive marketing. The Garrett County Chamber also serves as the Destination Marketing Organization and Heritage Area Management entity for the County.

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2432 State Park Road Price Reduction

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Oakland named one of TripAdvisor’s ’15 Best Honeymoon Destinations’

The town of Oakland was among the destinations recently listed on TripAdvisor’s “15 Best Honeymoon Destinations in the U.S.”

When newlyweds wrote about their honeymoons on the site, the reviews were categorized to identify the highest-rated rentals.

“Our data science team has a proprietary algorithm that crawls every single rental review on our site, assigning certain themes to destinations based off how closely their reviews represent that theme,” explained Ashlee Centrella of TripAdvisor. “These 15 destinations have some of the strongest honeymoon/romance-related reviews across the whole USA.”

Travelers listed Oakland as a refreshing alternative to a tropical destination. Other top areas included in the article are locations in California, Florida, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands.

“If you don’t picture yourself escaping to a tropical paradise dotted with palm trees, you’re not alone,” the article states. “Reviewers highlight Oakland, a small town near Deep Creek Lake, as a refreshing alternative. In this designated Main Street Community, you’ll find antique stores instead of beachy souvenir shops and an old-fashioned soda fountain in place of seafood joints. But that’s not to say the vibe is anything less than laid-back. You’ll spend your days relaxing on the beach at Deep Creek Lake, kayaking from cove to cove, and hiking the best trails in the region. Nearby attractions include Wisp Resort, home to the Mountain Coaster (an alpine slide/roller coaster hybrid), and Adventure Sports Center International, which offers boating and whitewater sports on an Olympic-standard course.”

Michelle Ross, Oakland’s Main Street manager, noted that while she sometimes gets emails about these types of designations, she was pleased to receive this one from TripAdvisor.

“I was a little more excited about this one, because from what I’ve read, it was based on TripAdvisor reviews,” she explained. “So that means there were a lot of people on their site saying, ‘Hey, Oakland’s a great place to have a honeymoon.’”

Ross noted that she wouldn’t have necessarily thought of Oakland as a honeymoon destination.

“But once you start thinking about some of the things that they mentioned in their article – about going to the old soda fountain and all the hiking trails and all of the canoeing and all of the things that are available here — it’s a romantic place,” she said. “Sometimes you get such tunnel vision, and when other people are looking in your little box, it looks much different.”

According to Ross, the town of Oakland tries to promote this type of information as much as possible for visitors and residents alike.

“For people who live here, it gives them pride in where they live,” she said. “We do a lot for visitors, but we try to do a lot for residents too, because we want people who are here to be happy and stay here.”

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce also received notification of the designation.

“We are delighted to be included in this list by TripAdvisor,” said Nicole Christian, president and CEO of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. “We know we are a hot spot for honeymoons and destination weddings, so it is great to see a major travel company like TripAdvisor recognizing this as well. We hope visitors are able to join us in person to see all that Oakland, Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County have to offer.”

Sarah Duck, director of tourism and marketing for the chamber, noted that in surveys conducted of county visitors, small-town charm, beauty and serenity are all listed as reasons Garrett County appeals to them. She feels that this, coupled with all of the activities in the area, makes Garrett County the perfect fit for a honeymoon.

“Through the work of our heritage area and group’s director, the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce has been advertising the area as a wedding and honeymoon destination in wedding-specific publications, which has helped increase our exposure to the wedding and honeymoon market,” she said.

Centrella noted that the list is being promoted on TripAdvisor’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as through FlipKey’s social media accounts.

The full article can be viewed at: www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalsBlog/2017/07/14/best-honeymoon-destinations-in-the-us/.

For more info, click here.

Testimonial Tuesday

“In short : Jay Ferguson and Taylor-Made Real Estate are the best! Jay sold our home in record time and made it a great experience to boot.

From day one Jay told us ” I am going to sell your home,” and there was an offer on the table less than 8 hours after the house was listed. Jay did his homework. He had a thorough understanding of pricing trends and of the strengths of our unique development before the unit went on the market.

The results : our unit sold faster than almost any other house in our community that had been listed over the past five years and it sold at a higher price than most if not all of those same units.

Jay and his wonderful, friendly staff at Taylor-Made have created a digital marketing juggernaut. They take the time to get it right the first time and are very effective in making sure potential buyers will easily find your home’s listing online with accurate information on well designed, eye-catching web pages.

Jay is honest and straightforward. Jay never made a promise he did not deliver on. Jay is an expert negotiator and we always felt he was looking out for our best interest first. Jay very patiently walked us through all the steps we needed to sell our home. Jay was readily available to answer any questions or to update us on any developments regarding our contract. Jay’s knowledge and acumen are second to none. He is just a great upbeat guy and a pleasure to work with. He is also a cool cucumber. Selling a home can be a stressful situation at times but thanks to Jay’s people skills he always kept things on an even keel.

His excellent support staff (including Megan, Susan and Allie) were also tremendously helpful and friendly. Everything Jay does is deliberate and has purpose. Jay is truly there to serve his clients and exceed his client’s expectations which he definitely did in our case.

I would recommend Jay to anyone who is considering selling their home. Jay is one of the hardest working, most positive, talented professionals we have had the pleasure to work with in any field. While there are a lot of great agents in Western Maryland Jay is in a class of his own. We were blessed to have him in our corner and I promise you will feel the same if you choose Jay to sell your home.” – Rob Paine

Planning for 40th annual Grantsville Days nearly finished

GRANTSVILLE — Planning is nearly completed for the 40th annual Grantsville Days June 23 through 25. The event includes food prepared by local, nonprofit groups, a parade, two nights of fireworks and entertainment throughout the event.

The schedule this year includes the Grantsville Fire Department parade Friday at 6.45 p.m. Food and other booths are open at the Grantsville Park after the parade and Saturday and Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. Fireworks will be featured Friday and Saturday, Lions barbecued chicken will be available Saturday and Sunday and an interdenominational church service coordinated by Grace Community Church will be held Sunday at 11 a.m.

This year’s music entertainment schedule will bring Jimmy B to perform Friday night after the parade. On Saturday the entertainment features the return of the Vandells at 12:30 p.m. For the first time, direct from Broadway, “Beatlemania Again,” the musical history of the Beatles, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, beginning at 2 p.m., the Fabulous Hubcaps will be back for its annual event in Western Maryland.

The lawn tractor pulls begin Saturday at 9 a.m., with registration at 8 a.m. Championship Pro Wrestling will make its inaugural appearance in Grantsville at 4 p.m. on the basketball courts and will feature WWE superstar The Patriot.

Also new this year will be crafts and arts vendors at the tennis courts and a classic car show Sunday beginning at noon. Dashboard plaques will be awarded.

All events are free and open to the public. The event is family friendly and no alcoholic beverages are allowed.

Grantsville Days is fully funded by donations from regional businesses. Sponsors of each event are listed in the Grantsville Days brochure available at sponsors’ businesses.

Parade and booth applications are being accepted and are available upon request by email at gbeachy@comcast.net or by calling 301-895-5387. Questions about the event can be sent to the same email address.

The Grantsville Lions Club is the coordinator of Grantsville Days and 100 percent of the proceeds from the event are returned to the community in the form of eyeglasses, scholarships and donations to other groups helping those in need.

Tag: tourism

Oakland, Deep Creek among TripAdvisor’s “Best Fall Vacations”

Tenth Annual Festival of Trees – Nov 24 & 25

Price Improvement! 6 Bright Passage Lane #1C

In Netflix’s ‘Wormwood’, the CIA Murders Frank Olson With LSD in Deep Creek Lake

How does a bear cool off at Deep Creek Lake? How else?

Maryland Heritage Area Grants to Boost Cultural Heritage Tourism in Garrett County: Projects Receive Funds from Maryland Historical Trust Heritage Program

2432 State Park Road Price Reduction

Oakland named one of TripAdvisor’s ’15 Best Honeymoon Destinations’

The town of Oakland was among the destinations recently listed on TripAdvisor’s “15 Best Honeymoon Destinations in the U.S.”

When newlyweds wrote about their honeymoons on the site, the reviews were categorized to identify the highest-rated rentals.

Travelers listed Oakland as a refreshing alternative to a tropical destination. Other top areas included in the article are locations in California, Florida, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands.

Michelle Ross, Oakland’s Main Street manager, noted that while she sometimes gets emails about these types of designations, she was pleased to receive this one from TripAdvisor.

“I was a little more excited about this one, because from what I’ve read, it was based on TripAdvisor reviews,” she explained. “So that means there were a lot of people on their site saying, ‘Hey, Oakland’s a great place to have a honeymoon.’”

Ross noted that she wouldn’t have necessarily thought of Oakland as a honeymoon destination.

According to Ross, the town of Oakland tries to promote this type of information as much as possible for visitors and residents alike.

“For people who live here, it gives them pride in where they live,” she said. “We do a lot for visitors, but we try to do a lot for residents too, because we want people who are here to be happy and stay here.”

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce also received notification of the designation.

“Through the work of our heritage area and group’s director, the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce has been advertising the area as a wedding and honeymoon destination in wedding-specific publications, which has helped increase our exposure to the wedding and honeymoon market,” she said.

Centrella noted that the list is being promoted on TripAdvisor’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as through FlipKey’s social media accounts.

The full article can be viewed at: www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalsBlog/2017/07/14/best-honeymoon-destinations-in-the-us/.

For more info, click here.

Testimonial Tuesday

“In short : Jay Ferguson and Taylor-Made Real Estate are the best! Jay sold our home in record time and made it a great experience to boot.

From day one Jay told us ” I am going to sell your home,” and there was an offer on the table less than 8 hours after the house was listed. Jay did his homework. He had a thorough understanding of pricing trends and of the strengths of our unique development before the unit went on the market.

The results : our unit sold faster than almost any other house in our community that had been listed over the past five years and it sold at a higher price than most if not all of those same units.

His excellent support staff (including Megan, Susan and Allie) were also tremendously helpful and friendly. Everything Jay does is deliberate and has purpose. Jay is truly there to serve his clients and exceed his client’s expectations which he definitely did in our case.

Planning for 40th annual Grantsville Days nearly finished

GRANTSVILLE — Planning is nearly completed for the 40th annual Grantsville Days June 23 through 25. The event includes food prepared by local, nonprofit groups, a parade, two nights of fireworks and entertainment throughout the event.

The lawn tractor pulls begin Saturday at 9 a.m., with registration at 8 a.m. Championship Pro Wrestling will make its inaugural appearance in Grantsville at 4 p.m. on the basketball courts and will feature WWE superstar The Patriot.

Also new this year will be crafts and arts vendors at the tennis courts and a classic car show Sunday beginning at noon. Dashboard plaques will be awarded.

All events are free and open to the public. The event is family friendly and no alcoholic beverages are allowed.

Grantsville Days is fully funded by donations from regional businesses. Sponsors of each event are listed in the Grantsville Days brochure available at sponsors’ businesses.

Parade and booth applications are being accepted and are available upon request by email at gbeachy@comcast.net or by calling 301-895-5387. Questions about the event can be sent to the same email address.

The Grantsville Lions Club is the coordinator of Grantsville Days and 100 percent of the proceeds from the event are returned to the community in the form of eyeglasses, scholarships and donations to other groups helping those in need.

For information about joining the Lions Club, contact Grantsville Lions Club Secretary Gerry Beachy or visit the Grantsville Lions Facebook page.

For more info, click here.

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