We eased our transition home by staying for two nights in the Maryland Mountains. We hadn’t been to Deep Creek Lake in years, and by the time we got there, fall had finally arrived.
Leaves were changing colors. We drove back and forth across the country for five weeks, with no rain. It made for easy driving but it seemed weird. Finally we got some.
Of all the state parks we’ve been to, Maryland’s was the only one with a key-code gate on the camping area. Deep Creek Lake State Park was also the only campsite we used that had bear-proof food storage containers at each site.
Black bears are everywhere in Western Maryland. We didn’t see any, but every other vacation house on the lake is named Bear Retreat or Bear Haven or somesuch.
We had no cell service at Deep Creek Lake, so we had to flag down a state employee to call the park ranger and have him come and give us the gate code.
We headed into Oakland for dinner and had a spectacular meal at the Vagabond Taproom. At first we weren’t sure they offered food – the tables held beer only. But some local residents sitting outside – another restaurant owner and a pig farmer – told us the menu was great, so we went back inside.
In fact the food was spectacular. The owner, Pat Hudnall, had heard we were travelers and came over to hear our story. We wanted to hear his. He is the county’s former water engineer who decided to open a restaurant. He also coaches the Garrett County mountain biking team, the Composites. I think we will still be Howard County supporters, but we wish him well.
The next day, we ran on the trails and fire roads of Deep Creek Lake State Park. Cool temperatures and falling leaves made it fun.
In all the places we stopped in our travels, there were only two where my Verizon hotspot did not pick up a signal: Joshua Tree National Park, and Deep Creek lake. So we headed to a restaurant for our work, and as we returned, the rainfall started.
We hunkered down for the night, and in the morning, packed up one last time and drove home. But first, we stopped for our daily run, on the C and O Canal towpath in Cumberland, the western terminus.
We arrived early at the canal visitor center, and I picked what I thought was a good parking spot. When we came back, I had been parked in on both sides. I was frustrated, and we walked for breakfast with me grumbling the whole time.
I was pondering about whether I would have to unhitch and push Prufrock into a different angle to get out from between the cars. But, as it turns out, I just was able to go back and forth a few times, and pull away.
Karen doesn’t worry about these things. I’m the worrier. She’s usually right.
We have now pulled into our Howard County home. The cleaning, the repairs, and the planning for our next adventure are underway.
