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Lake Mead
Written by: Janet Pope
In the past I have enjoyed cruising, as well as river-boating. I have even, at one time or another, found myself on a sailboat, a speedboat, a raft and even an inner tube, but I had never been houseboating before. And now that I have experienced it firsthand, it is among my top vacation ideas.
Recently, my husband and I went to a destination known far and wide for primarily one thing – casinos. Typically, Las Vegas is a hot spot for gambling, shows, and all those activities one would imagine doing, but houseboating is definitely not an image you associate with “sin city”. Our home away from home was a luxury houseboat from Foreverhouseboats.com. Docked in Lake Mead, we were about one hour from the heart of the strip – far enough away to feel like you are in another world, but close enough for an occasional "deposit", if you so chose. I actually didn't know what to expect when we were first offered the opportunity to houseboat. I am not a person who likes to "rough it” – and to be honest, I don't even swim. I was relieved and somewhat surprised when I first entered the 70' x 16' Forever Resort houseboat. The living room, dining area and kitchen were all open and surrounded by windows, affording a panoramic view. This "great room" was fully equipped with all the standard kitchen amenities, including a trash compactor and a wide screen TV, as well as a barbecue grill outside the sliding glass doors.
There were four bedrooms which were snug but manageable for a vacation getaway. There were also two bathrooms that were larger than I expected. Our houseboat had a back, front and top deck, which included a hot tub, lounge chairs and a bar area – I could get used to this. Also, due to the inverted "W" bottom, this boat had only the slightest movement, which felt like gentle rocking in the evening.
There are 250 houseboats in the Forever Resorts fleet, which go 8 to 10 knots (12 mph to the boating novices). When renting one of these houseboats, you are given an instructional lesson on both safety and driving, and I am assured that it is much easier than driving a car. Most renters take out the boats for 3,4,5 or 7 day trips. Most of them are fishermen or boaters, but many are just looking for something different.
Lake Mead is a large man-made lake in Las Vegas, with 550 miles of shoreline. It was formed in the 1930s, when three rivers flooded the valley to form the largest lake in the United States by sheer volume of water. The lake itself is part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area federal park. The surrounding area is primarily untouched, with a variety of of natural land formations. The scenery here is truly beyond words- pictures won't do it justice.
Most people rent the houseboats to enjoy the serenity and the privacy. We found a pretty little spot to beach (park) the boat, and all of a sudden a tiny bit of heaven seemed to be all ours. My husband explored the shoreline on foot, while I took a beach chair off the boat and read for a while. We spent the next few days relaxing, watching TV, eating, lounging on the deck or the beach, reading, or going off on a day adventure. At night we were lulled to sleep.
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Dining area and living room |
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On a day excursion, we headed to the Hoover Dam, the biggest Public Works in American history. The dam was built for essential flood control, but now 21 million people depend on this river for its 98% pure water supply. In addition, the hydro-electric power generated by the dam produces 4.5 billion kilowatt hours per year for both Arizona and southern California. The dam was built by 21,000 men from almost every state, including 117 men from foreign countries. Building the Hoover Dam was a grand unifying effort for our country and its great presence and value is a tribute to the 112 men who died during its construction. This is a definite stop when you are in the area.
There are quite a few docking places on Lake Mead, one of which is the Temple Bar Marina. Here you can find a restaurant (for the nights you don't want to grill), a hotel and a picnic area. Between Labor day and Halloween is naturally their busy season. At this point, Vegas, as most people know it, and most of civilization, is 75 miles away. Many celebrities like the anonymity that this location allows, as do the ordinary folks. This place is a well-kept Las Vegas secret.
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A cove for fun, relaxation and privacy |
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On another day during our house boating adventure, we took a river raft trip through the Black Canyon down the Colorado River. I was worried about ending up in the river, as I pictured white water waves crashing into our capsizing raft. I was relieved and happy to see a rather large, sturdy looking raft, which allowed in only a little spray now and then. But, the view on this trip would have been worth a dunk. First, we saw the Hoover Dam from below, and if you think it is awesome from up top, you should look up at this structure from beneath. Then we traversed the canyons and saw a land untouched for centuries. Along the river's edge or atop the mountain peaks we searched for Nelson Bighorn sheep, coyote and cougars. There are 1.5 million acres of land and water and the scenery goes on forever. Having come from the city, I was truly impressed by the natural bounty of this pristine landscape.
We checked out another marina on the lake called Cottonwood Cove, which is a vacation destination in itself. Here there are 24 spacious rooms with small patios leading to a private beach overlooking the harbor. This is very much a family resort with many repeat customers. On premises there is also a cafe, a large store and a state of the art marina.
Okay I admit it, I couldn't leave Las Vegas without donating to the economy – so yes, we managed a ride down the strip and a stop in a casino. But, when I got home and people asked me about Las Vegas, I surprised them and told them about my new discovery - houseboating.
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