Special Deal!

Here’s a relaxing TAX BREAK!  Lake Pointe Inn is offering a ‘stress less’ rate of $185 per night (dbl occ) Sunday through Thursday during the month of April.  REALLY surprise someone and come celebrate their Birthday or Anniversary early (or late);  Relax now that taxes are filed!  Can’t take that week- long vacation- so do a mid-week retreat instead!  Book early because you will get the best room available at the time you make your reservation! A savings of 20-30% off the regular room rate!

Accident

Most people think Accident is an interesting name for a town. Just yesterday I was asked about it by a CBP officer on my way home. Not too many residents know the story of the name though. As what many could call a suburb of the lake, Accident is a small town with its own history to it. The Drane family received this land as part of a grant program that dates back to right after the Revolutionary War. They wanted to find the best tract of land in all of Western Maryland. So, they sent out two different surveyors. When the surveyors returned to have Drane choose his tract, they discovered they had surveyed the same exact tract of land, from the same tree to rock. This land was chosen and named the Accident Tract. Their original log cabin remains standing on the edge of the current town, and is open on holidays and during special historical society events. Now accident is just a quaint main street town. The homecoming is on the Fourth of July, and a parade and town social is held with contributions from local businesses and churches. For further reading on Accident, and the area known to some as Flowery Vale, look for Flowery Vale: a History of Accident, Maryland  by Mary Miller Strauss.

Goodbye winter...Hello Spring!

When the winter draws to a close, and spring is on its way, the county wakes up from hibernation the only way we know how: saying goodbye to winter with a bang! The wisp has its own tradition for this time of year. The Beachin Weekend is a celebration at the end of every ski season as its last hurrah. With crazy competitions and the theme spread throughout the resort, this is one weekend packed full of fun. From music to the staff being dressed in attire seemingly straight from Hawaii, you will feel like the beach has come to the ski slopes for a weekend. The biggest event of the weekend is the cardboard box derby. Every year teams get together and build a creative derby car from cardboard. These designs range from the standard box all the way to crazy works of art. These are then raced down the bear claw tubing park lanes. While waiting for the craziness of the races, the lodge has a dj all weekend to spin some beachin music, and activities throughout the weekend. So if you are looking for snow at the beach, a crazy weekend of fun, or just an escape, maybe Garrett County is the place for you.

Photography © Nicholas McIntosh. All rights reserved. 
Photography © randi voss photography. All rights reserved. 
Photography © Lance C. Bell. All rights reserved. 
Photography © Ryan Smith. All rights reserved. 

Our Recipes: Part 2

With maple syrup season in full swing, you are bound to have cravings for it. What better to pair it with than pancakes. so from us to you, our Pumpkin Walnut Flapjacks.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
¾ cup canned pure pumpkin
4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
¼ cup sugar
¾ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups cake flour
1 ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice (or allspice)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup ground walnuts (optional)

Method
Whisk buttermilk, pumpkin, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl to blend; whisk in melted butter.  Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend.  Add dry ingredients to buttermilk mixture and whisk to combine.
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form.  Fold whites into batter.
Lightly oil or butter heavy large skillet set over medium heat.  Working in batches, pour batter in 1/3 cupfuls onto skillet; cook until bubbles from on top, about 1 ½ minutes. Turn flapjacks over and cook until second sides brown, about 1 minute. Transfer flapjacks to plates. (sprinkle with  finely chopped walnuts) serve Syrup

Maple Syrup Season

      When you think maple syrup, what comes to mind? For most it’s the New England area. But, Garrett County has one family that has been making maple syrup for generations. The Steyer family of Oakland boasts the oldest production in the county, now owned by Randall and Mike Steyer. When the weather starts to warm, the sugar maple trees start to thaw out. When these trees are tapped, a high water content syrup is taken from the tree to then be processed. This year, the Steyer’s are using 8,500 taps on their 100 acres of woodlot. Since not all of the water can be hand collected, 35 miles of rubber tubing is used to collect the majority of the sap. Production takes hours for 39 gallons of water have to be boiled off to make one gallon of pure maple syrup. This tradition is now shrinking in our state. In 2002 there were 16 licensed producers of maple syrup in Maryland, and that number is always shrinking. The Steyer’s will probably be producing for generations to come, production being a tradition as old as the family its self. Their syrup is sold world wide, and can be ordered from anywhere. So if you cant make it to the county, you can still have a taste of it.

The Steyer's can be reached by phone or mail:
301-334-2900

2727 Gorman Road
Oakland, MD 21550