February 2020 Deep Creek Times Cover Story

Written By: Mike Tumbarello

Since February is the month with Valentine’s Day in it, I thought I would write about “love” in this month’s Cover Story.  But unlike the love we normally associate with Valentine’s Day – love of another individual – I thought I would touch on love of “place.”

In this case, I wanted to specifically get readers thinking about their attraction to and love for the Deep Creek Lake area of Western Maryland.  If you read Deep Creek Times, you likely are a resident, second homeowner or visitor in the area.  We find many of our readers have a true “love and devotion” for Deep Creek, including its many natural wonders, its destinations, its peaceful, real-world beauty, its adventure activities, its serenity, and its people and its varied communities that dot the mountain landscape.

I will list my favorite things about the Deep Creek Lake area that make me love living and working here and writing about it in Deep Creek Times.  I will also list a piece from way back in 2010 that was written by an author I do not know on a site I am not a reader of….  But when searching the Internet for thoughts for this article, I came across this piece on what appears to be a site on environmental causes and thought the feelings expressed by their readers were interesting and worth sharing.

First, why I love the Deep Creek Lake area:

  • The natural beauty
  • The lack of congestion
  • The variety and number of things to do
  • The people and institutions
  • The safety and serenity I find here
  • The simplicity and integrity I often find
  • The chance to witness nature up-close and personal
  • The wildlife

I pulled Sarah in to list her favorite things about living in the Deep Creek Lake area, too:

  • The four distinct seasons
  • The best road biking on the East Coast
  • The large network of trails to hike
  • The best “swimming hole” at Swallow Falls State Park
  • The small-town, quiet feeling; the street-lights flashing after 10pm
  • The water: in all its forms — the abundance of lakes, streams, sparkling ice, and snowfall
  • The deep, starry night sky
  • The community of non-profits, small mom and pops, and large businesses working to “do good”
  • The close-knit folks who will do anything to lend a hand
    (recently, I had an acquaintance drive by my house, see me unloading a truckload of bricks and stop to help….  he and I unloaded every last one of them!)
  • The friends who become family

What do you love about the lake area and why you visit or make it your home?

Here’s the link to the article I told you about, written by Sarah Goodyear of Grist and titled “Why You Love the Places You live, in Your Own Words.”  It includes short pieces from a diverse number of people on why they love their home city.

https://grist.org/article/2010-12-01-our-readers-tell-us-why-they-love-the-places-they-live/

Enjoy and I hope you all find and have love this month and forever!

Mike

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