Many folks remember the winter of ‘96 as the year a severe nor’easter paralyzed the East Coast, dumping up to four feet of fresh powder. For Tom and Christine Morse, that year holds a different, albiet not completely unrelated, meaning. Tom and Christine were making memories in a vacation rental home, as they had for many years, with their cherished family and friends.
“Tom was across the street skiing with the older kids and I was home with all the little ones, when Nancy Railey came knocking at the door,” explains Christine. Nancy was there to check on the number of people staying at the home.
Tom and Christine knew their group of family and friends were over the occupancy limit at the time that they made their vacation reservation, but they booked the largest home that Railey Vacations had to offer.
“We basically got busted for breaking the rules”, explains Christine. “It opened up a dialogue about needing bigger houses that would accommodate large family getaways.”
By the end of the conversation between Nancy and the Morse’s, Tom and Christine decided to build their ideal vacation home, and Nancy would manage the rentals.
“It was kind of like ‘Field of Dreams’ – If you build it, they will come – so we decided we would build one,” Christine joked.
The Morse’s had been discussing owning their own lake house, but not a very big home. After talking to Nancy, they decided that a larger home would be beneficial for all.
“Nancy convinced us that big was better and it would be more economical for us. We wouldn’t have to rent a second house when we visited to accommodate our big groups, and other families would flock to it”, tells Tom. Their home became the first large vacation rental that created the big house market at Deep Creek Lake.
Memory Maker is one of Railey Vacations top performing properties, and it’s no wonder why. Tom and Christine put an immeasurable amount of care and consideration into every detail of Memory Maker while designing it, and they are committed to making continuous upgrades to the home to ensure the most enjoyable experience for all types of vacation goers.
“It’s got everything. It’s a retreat away from the city. It’s got winter and summer sports. The fall is so beautiful. All year long it’s beautiful and fun.”
Tom and Christine hope that Memory Maker will make memories for their guests as it has for their family. “We wanted this to be a place where people feel at home.”