Hi.
I’m Maureen, the Pocket Gardener!
I’m Maureen, the Pocket Gardener!
Three inches of snow stuck to the ground today and I just CAN'T EVEN anymore. As we trudge through our 7th month of Winter (aka April) here in Garrett County I'm at risk of losing my reputation as an optimist with a multitude of MAKE IT STOP posts and frowny face emojis. I thought maybe I'd try to steer some negative energy into creative juice and write about what we're all cursing today, the 17th of April: The Tundra of Maryland.
This weekend I was able to get to the Deep Creek Lavender Farm for their last weekend of the season. They are still open through Monday September 7, so if you haven't been yet, its not too late! They will also be having a holiday open house in December, so its a perfect time to purchase locally sourced Holiday gifts!
July was a really exciting month for us. We launched our website and facebook page, and have had a great response from everyone so far. We have a long way to go, but we've had a great first month sharing Garrett County Maryland with all of you!
We started our #gclocallove posts on Instagram, and its probably my favorite social media platform. I've connected with people across the world that share similar interests, design aesthetics, and even someone who's nick-name for their son is the same as my dog's... Through our @garrettcountylocallove Instagram page we've connected with users visiting Deep Creek Lake, as well as full time Garrett County residents, and we wanted to share some of their snap shots of this beautiful county!
Golfing at Deep Creek Lake is a great way to get out and enjoy the summer sun with friends. Although golf is a difficult sport to master, anyone with patience can get out there and spend a fun filled day with friends or family. And what other sport can you take your time and enjoy a drink or two in the sun? (not many!)
The Mountain Fresh Farmers Market in downtown Oakland has amazing produce this summer. Every Wednesday and Saturday from 10am - 1pm in the pavilion by the town parking lot you can grab a rainbow of fresh produce, baked goods, soap, maple syrup, eggs and meat, not to mention hand-made crafts; all supporting our local economy. I for one enjoy planning my meals for the week around the amazing fruits and vegetables I get each Saturday morning. Feel free to ask the wonderful people selling their produce how they like to eat it. They might come up with something new, and they love to share their passion about growing and eating food.
Today I tried something new, Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP)! At the Deep Creek Lake State Park you can rent stand up paddle boards and kayaks through the Wisp Resort. Once you get your board, life vest and paddle you are free to go! Rentals are by the half hour or hour, and I’d say an hour is the perfect amount of time. Not knowing what to expect we were a bit nervous, but once we mastered getting up from our knees to standing and stabilizing ourselves, we were paddling off away from the beach!
Theater on the Lake is a great summer series at the Ridgeview Valley community barn with shows playing in July and August. Ridgeview Valley is a community in Garrett County located at the end of Gravelly Run Rd, a few miles from Deep Creek Lake.
Head to the Honi Honi Bar this afternoon for Welcome Party Mondays! The Honi Honi bar has a great outdoor patio that overlooks Deep Creek Lake, and has lots of activities for the kids. Browse the tables featuring local businesses and see whats happening around town, and maybe win some prizes! Matt & Co hits the stage at 5pm.
Garrett County Local Love started as a passion project a few months ago, and continues to grow. We are a team of 6, and each one of us has a deep love for Garrett County, and a passion for anything "local." There is an energy here that we all love, and we wanted to do our part to share it with each of you.
The Wisp concert series is every Wednesday evening in July and August starting at 6:30 pm, and rocking until sunset. The Shawn Owen Band had a great vibe, somewhere between reggae, rock, and jam band.
Garrett Trails is a local non for profit organization that develops and maintains trails around Garrett County. They rely heavily on volunteers and fundraising from their annual event, The Taste of Garrett.
Sideling Hill is a gem on route 68 while traveling to Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County from Baltimore or Washington, DC.
The Eye for Art Gallery & Studio recently hosted an opening reception on Friday, July 10, for local photographer Laurel Baker. Baker attended Garrett College, and is currently a senior at the Savannah College of Art & Design, where she will finish this Fall. Her works consists of mostly digital photography images from her experiences while living in Georgia and studying abroad in Lacoste, France. The show will run until Wednesday, July 29, 2015.
There are many family friendly activities happening this weekend around Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County!
Deep Creek Lake joins the ranks of St. Petersburg, Florida and South Lake Tahoe, California as a rising vacation rental destination in 2015! There are a lot of choices when finding someone to rent through while visiting the Deep Creek lake area, a few of our favorites are listed below!
Last Friday I had the pleasure of viewing the work from Sandra Wright at the Back Room gallery at the Garrett Arts Council in Oakland, MD.
Sandra's piece "Shhh..." was recently featured in a group show at the Eye for Art Gallery in Oakland, and can be seen in this months edition of the Blue Door Quarterly.
