So when my husband, Ben, and I decide to haul our brood to Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort for a late-fall overnight, we realize “gazing at foliage” better not be alone on the agenda.
Fortunately, it isn’t. Because although there’s no shortage of fun, outdoorsy things to do at the Allegany County resort during the warm months, some of them are even cooler when it’s cooler.
Which is why we find ourselves taking off on a hike a mere 10 minutes after chucking our bags in our sixth-floor room.
In high summer, we’d make a sticky beeline for the lakefront beach and treat the acres of woodsy glory surrounding it like a courtesy-of-Mother-Nature frame. But with a serious chill in the air, the idea of working up a little sweat suddenly sounds appealing.
“We have a whole wide range of outdoor adventures,” says Shelley Miller, owner of Western Maryland Adventures, which books and runs activities from the resort’s lobby.
“The guided Segway tours, rock climbing, paintball, rappelling, whitewater rafting—but if you’re a family, you could choose not to leave the property and just take advantage of what’s right here.”
With just one day to visit, that’s exactly what we do.
Formal activities aside, “what’s right here” includes a 3,200-acre state park (the resort proper boasts 300 acres), miles of hiking and biking trails, the aforementioned Lake Habeeb, an aviary, playgrounds, tennis and volleyball courts, and a championship golf course. What we didn’t know sits on the property, though, is the 19th-century cemetery we stumble upon during our hike.
The burial ground, which we later learn is the Lemel Bucy Family Cemetery, contains several austere Civil War-era headstones, many with their inscriptions wiped nearly clean by time. Our kids spot the graves of two young children—likely siblings—who passed away days apart in the 1800s. It’s the only moment of our trip that they have nothing to say.
Still thinking of the long-ago family we’ll never meet and never forget, Ben and I let the kids lead us down toward the lake. Well, 14-year-old Sadie and 9-year-old Sam do the leading; our youngest, Elie, plays the toddler card and demands a ride on Daddy’s shoulders. Good thing it’s 50—and not 90—degrees outside.
The squirrels and chipmunks darting around nearby seem way feistier than they do in August, making it impossible for the kids to approach them. And they get no closer to grabbing the minnows at the water’s edge, either. Clearly, if we had to survive on our own in the wilderness, we wouldn’t.
Noticing it’s getting late, we hike a short distance to the aviary for a quick up-close-and-personal glance at the birds of prey housed there. Spotting a great horned owl, our 2-year-old says, “Ooh.” Spotting our 2-year-old, the great horned owl probably thinks, “Mmm.”
Making our way back to the lodge—and marveling that we’ve been outside for hours without anyone whining about being too hot—the kids hurry us through dinner at the Lakeside Lounge so we can get to their all-time favorite thing to do at Rocky Gap, no matter what the thermometer reads: the campfire.
“The campfire is an absolute must,” says Shelley, “because every kid, every person, can remember the smell of the fire…the crackling sound…the marshmallows.”
And the pure, simple pleasure of seeing your children mesmerized by the glowing embers, the popping logs, and the welcoming warmth of the dancing flames.
How cool is that?
To experience Rocky Gap in all its cold-weather glory, consider celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even New Year’s Eve at the resort. For more information, visit www.rockygapresort.com. And to get some great ideas from Shelley Miller about what to see and do when you come, check out this article.
To view the digital print version of this article, click here.
Latest Comments