'Smore Deep Creek Lake, Please

I believe this is our first family vacation, a real trip away with just us, not on a touring agenda, but on a "being" agenda. Deep Creek Lake is a little Maryland gem three hours away, where we rented a house in the woods for one week and took the kids for an outdoor buffet; that is, a sampler of some great American fresh-air experiences. Even with a two-year old we boated, canoed, rafted on the Yougheheny river, took a trail ride on horseback, and played at the beach. I thought too much time had passed to record these things, but as I put Jack to bed tonight, he said "Want to go to Deep Creek. Want to feed ducklets." (Love the "ducklets.") So he, too, remembers a highlight of the trip: the Pizzaria Uno positioned on the lake with a playground, a vast, green yard reaching to the water (where the ducks waited for children to feed them) all conveniently adjacent to the Honi Honi bar where Mommy and Daddy could take turns playing on the big pirate ship and sipping margaritas. The great(er) outdoors!

We'll forget: having lost my voice AND my cell phone, Jack's tantrums, John's bad idea to try to play minigolf (Jack with a stick in his hand and a handful of balls to throw; Gabby with myriad waterfalls to splash in and faux hills to climb); my bad idea to try to fish (Jack again with the stick, not to mention Gabby and Kit throwing lines with hooks through the air).

I'll remember: standing on a foggy dock with Kit, raindrops beginning to blot the placid lake with perfect circles; a sky bursting with stars; Kelbi freely roaming the woods--and Gabby trying to do the same; quiet, quiet, quiet; our three children playing together with such love and giddiness, and wishing to go back.











We didn't get enough vacation, of course, gluttons that we are, so after the drive home Saturday we ordered up Chinese food and a couple of friends and neighbors. Diana made crowns for the children out of hydrangeas. John made a fire in the backyard, and we feasted on 'smores, the only proper feasty food for gluttons.