The Winter Escape is a retreat for UU Young Adults (18-35) and GenXers (30s & 40s) held over Presidents' Day weekend in
Deep Creek Lake, in the center of the panhandle of Maryland (for 2008, that's Friday Feb 15 - Monday, Feb 18). It's volunteer-led, and has been a
regular event since it started sometime in the mid-90's.
Participants stay in rented vacation houses, grouped near enough to walk from one to another.
Wisp ski resort, with downhill skiing and tubing, and state parks, with cross-country skiing and
hiking, are nearby, but many folks enjoy the company and houses - and hot tubs and game tables -
so much that they don't even venture out that far. The weekend is meant to be a relaxing & recharging
getaway, and as such, almost the whole schedule is free time.
The Escape is a little more expensive than other retreats, but the accommodations are nice. The
registration fee covers housing, and is on a sliding scale, based on what each participant can afford.
Everyone prepares one meal and cleans up after one. Breakfast and lunch are for everyone in their own
house, but dinner is a more social event, and folks may go to other houses to meet other people and
sample other cuisine. Meals - especially dinners - have become a point of pride for some, producing
some awesome meals.
Most of the organization of the weekend is handled ahead of time, but every house has a pair of
volunteer "den parents" to handle the obligatory surprise, help folks out, and keep things running
smoothly.
Even though the leadership tweaks the retreat every year based on feedback, the basic formula works
and so remains the same - and that's what's described in this web page. For specific changes, check
out the current registration page.
