The Joys of Fall houseboating!

It can't be, the sounds of summer are still in the air... Listen to the roar of a speed boat motor as you push the throttle forward, hear the whoosh of the water under your feet on a wake board, sense the splash of a fish coming out of the water on your line, and feel the silence of those golden sunsets over the calming water... These sounds of summer will create memories to last a lifetime... and yet, the calendar goes on. Fall is coming and you can hear that too... You are just in time for perfect fall weather; perfect fall houseboating.

We have to confess that we had some fun again this month visiting with Carl, a long time houseboater, who shared some of his memories and thoughts with us in "Confessions of a Long Time Houseboater" (his 8 year old seems pretty with it too).

Look north and drink in some of the special taste that only Northern California can offer as we visit Pleasure Cove Marina on Lake Berryessa and Napa Valley. The 44' Patio Pontoon Boat gets the spotlight and some mouth watering advice could make you a real hero at the grill.

Our Top-5 list explores some great approaches to involving children on-board and of course there are some great new specials to consider! Can you believe it is August already?

Welcome back to Waterways and Happy Houseboating!

Click on over and read the full web version of Waterways!

Summer and fall season packages

Pack your bags, act now, there is still time to enjoy the summer and it's definitely not too late to plan the perfect fall houseboat getaway!

Perfect autumn weather, great fishing and sweet water sports await you. So go ahead, top it off with savings on the most popular houseboats with your choice of departure dates.

Find out more about these summer and fall season packages:

-59' Deluxe Houseboat Anniversary Special
-Houseboat Vacation Value Package
-Lake Powell Houseboat Vacation Value Package 2009
-Thanksgiving Special ~ Save 40% and Celebrate!
-Forever Resorts' Military Discount
-Save $50 with your Safe Boating Certification

See details for all of these specials and packages

Confessions of a Long Time Houseboater

Meet Carl...
a previous inside linebacker for the Cincinatti Bengals who played from 1985 to 1992, who has been houseboating "oh between six and eight trips," loves to grill, has a big family, his own ski boat, but had never been to Lake Powell before so "why not tackle this one too?"

Throw in guests (the grown ups) and a full range of "kids" (8, 11, 17, 18, and two 26 year olds), a 70' Silver Millennium Houseboat, fishing gear, a ski boat, wakeboard, air-chair, knee-board, food for the grill, and tons of houseboating experience, and Carl's crew of ten was ready for the time of their lives. Five nights and six days on one of America's favorite waterways!

Here is his story:

Their first impressions:
Driving in to Antelope Point Marina was amazing. The scenery just opened up, it was absolutely beautiful! The marina was by far the nicest marina I have ever seen. They helped us unload our vehicle into a cart that was almost like a Disney wagon and brought us right down to the marina. They did not leave us until we were completely unloaded, the service was really phenomenal.
Confession: "I thought I had seen it all until I got there... should have gone long ago... the beauty of Powell is breathtaking"

Discovering the luxury on board:
The largest houseboat Carl had been on before was the 59XT, so the 70' Silver Millennium was quite a treat. "I had to keep pinching myself to realize it was real. I seriously thought I was in the middle of a dream on Donald Trump's yacht. The boat was amazing, like a five star hotel on the water." (without room service)

The wide screen TV on the wall, (not to mention the smaller flat screen TV's in each state room), the leather oversize Lazy-boy chair, and the floor to ceiling windows were all too much for Carl. "You could almost call it your own personal resort that you can maneuver around. The refrigerator was larger than the one in my home! There were all the conveniences of home with more than enough generator power to run it all without a flicker." Favorite feature? "Wet-bar and hot tub on the top deck. I am 230 pounds still and there was plenty of room..."

Confession: Carl had to confess that as he sat there on the top deck, with the shore going by, he could not help but contrast his current reality to that of the pioneers who must have traveled these lands long ago without the luxury of an air conditioned cabin below and a hot tub at their disposal...

Early Boarding, the first night:
Carl and his crew took advantage of the early boarding option and "early boarded" at 6pm, unloaded everything, and headed out for the restaurant. They dined at Jadi Tooh which is located right there on the marina. "Surprisingly, the food was phenomenal... to have such variety on the menu that far out was really wonderful... we were expecting burgers but got seared ahi instead (they do serve killer burgers too...) "The kids meals were a good value as well."
Confession: "We should have taken the ski boat back in one other night for another dinner out, the food was that good"

The briefing:
"The young woman Whitney briefed us on the boat and piloted us out the next morning." Even though Carl had been houseboating many times, he had still made everyone watch the video that came with the info packet before the trip started as a refresher. This advance preparation did pay off early on... after Whitney had left them... when Carl was having difficulty remembering how to switch the controls from downstairs to the fly bridge upstairs. His 8 year old remembered the video instructions and proceeded to inform Carl. (good coaching material huh Carl?)

One thing that the 8 year old did not know, however, was how to use the VHS player... "she asked what it was for and how it worked". The kids brought IPods with music of course and "really enjoyed using the state of the art electronics" (where's the AM radio?)
Confession: "I still have VHS tapes." (what about 8-track Carl?)

Landing:
Carl boasted that his crew was perfectly briefed and prepared to beach the boat and tie it in. "When pulling the boat in, it's great to have "helpers" prepared to land the boat and stake and tie it up... We only moved twice to different beaches, every location was grand, and there was good, nice, sand for the kids. They loved fishing off the beach, it just doesn't get any better than that!"

King of the grill every night:
"Grilling is the only way to go on a houseboat" says Carl, who described himself as "the king of the grill every day." Carl grilled up steaks for dinner one night, ribs for dinner the next - hamburgers for lunch one day and hot dogs for lunch the next, add in corn and brats all cooked on the grill and no one ever went hungry on Car'ls boat. "Why cook inside when you can grill outside with a view?" Chicken drums on the grill were a favorite according to Carl, "I used Rib-Rub on em and just threw em on the grill."
Carl's rules for meal preparation:

"Everyone is involved in the preparation of meals"
"Everybody pitches in, no free loaders"
"Everyone gets a different task each day for each meal"

On-board at night:
"We used the hot tub every night... thought it would be too hot, but it was perfect for those sore muscles... sore from trying to be a kid again and keep up with the teenagers on the wakeboard." Movie nights were fun too for Carl and his crew. "One evening of 'Fools Rush In' had us rolling on the floor. We used the surround sound system and the big screen TV... the kids really liked that for movies. Many evenings we left the kids inside watching a movie and took the blender upstairs for margs and stars. The ice maker in the upstairs bar was quite handy."

Confession: "We should have left the blender up there the whole trip."

On the water every day:
"The little ones liked the slide, it was a huge hit, and the water was clear and cool for them." Carl had brought his own ski boat along too with a wakeboard, Air Chair, skis and a kneeboard. "The bigger kids were always in the ski boat and they used several tanks of gas, it was worth every penny for the fun they had out there. They skied every day 'till it got too dark."
Confession: "I am not as young as I used to be, good thing we had the hot tub to recover in at night."

Night Fishing:
Night fishing off the back of the boat was a big hit with everyone. They had worms for bait and a 12 volt light which they dropped into the water at the back of the houseboat. "The light actually draws the minnows in and then the big fish come in after the minnows, you almost don't need the worms, but they make it more fun for us kids...every "kid" caught 3 or 4 fish, then we threw em all back." The catch was mostly catfish, bluegill, and a couple of largemouth bass.

The last morning:
"Powell is beyond beautiful in the morning. We usually got up early and went up on the top deck with coffee and binoculars, it was like an awesome HD picture, full time in every direction. We were always quiet so as not to wake up the kids inside or disturb the wildlife around us outside. We often took the whole coffeemaker up with us and plugged it in upstairs."

The final morning came and it was time to get up and go. "We took our time, enjoying those last tranquil moments before getting everyone up. We launched from the shore and headed back to the marina and the return was just as friendly and efficient as our arrival." The pilot took the houseboat into the dock and the crew helped them shuttle all of their gear back up to the parking lot, "right to our cars."

Final confession: "No confessions here, just a great time once again on the water... I should go houseboating on Lake Powell in a 70' Silver Millennium more often!"

Check out "Confessions of a First Time Houseboater" in our June issue of Waterways!

Lake Berryessa, California

Your gateway to Lake Berryessa is Pleasure Cove Marina. Located just 40 minutes from Napa on the south end of the lake and just off of Highway 128, the friendly staff is waiting to launch you into some serious water fun. In addition to houseboat rentals, Pleasure Cove offers a full compliment of marina services along with genuine Northern California smiles! Frequent boaters will tell you it is an "easy place to load up your stuff and be gone."

Come out and see why over 1.5 million people visit Lake Berryessa each and every year. Don't let those numbers scare you, however, with over 165 miles of shoreline, there is plenty of room for everyone to have a great time on and around the water! The staff like to say, "We provide the fun, the sun is free."

This sparkling man made gem is the second largest fresh water lake in California. It was formed by the Monticello Dam which was completed in 1957 on the Putah Creek. The purpose of the dam and lake was to provide recreation, flood control and some municipal supply. It is 23 miles long, 3 miles wide at its widest point, and contains over 1.6 million acre feet of fresh water. The water levels remain pretty stable and don't fluctuate a lot. (full pool is 440, current pool is 420)

Nearby popular coves welcome houseboaters all season long.

Mild temperatures in the summer make Berryessa a perfect location for you to enjoy water sports, fishing, camping, and wildlife viewing. The weather is usually so nice that you may just want to kick back on the top deck with a cool beverage and just relax... Go ahead, take it all in!

California provides the sun. The fun is free.

The name, Berryessa comes from the last name of two brothers who at one time owned much of the land under the lake today. The earliest dwellers in this valley, however, were the Miwok and Patwin Indian tribes who lived on the valley floor along Putah Creek and its tributaries. There are still roads that run into the water along the shore in a few places, reminders of what lies submerged below.

Many seasoned boaters will tell you that it is an easy lake to navigate and that it is really hard to get lost here. An easy houseboat voyage from Pleasure Cove Marina will bring you to the Little Portuguese and Big Portuguese coves, two houseboater favorites for tying up for the night. Another favorite, Haynes Cove, is closer in, more secluded, and only twenty minutes by houseboat! (see map)

Bring your fishing gear because there is some sweet fishing on this lake too. Anglers enjoy catching rainbow trout, Bass, catfish, crappie and bluegill most of the season and the area is stocked frequently.

Monticello Dam on the Putah Creek (see map) is a great birding area, especially in late fall and early spring. But you will soon discover, the whole lake is great for checking out our feathered freinds. Bring binoculars and check out the Canada geese, pelicans, great blue herons, western grebes, wood ducks, snow geese, and common loons who frequent this area.

The terrain in this area is an unusual mix of oak woodlands, chaparral, grassland and riverine woodland habitats and you will often see turkeys and deer roaming along the grassy hills dotted with oak and manzanita trees along the shoreline.

So there you have it, Lake Berryessa, a sparkling Northern California playground just waiting for you, your family, and friends... Bring the whole crew, there is plenty of water and Pleasure Cove Marina is ready and waiting to get YOU on your way. See you on the lake!

Find out more about Pleasure Cove Marina

Napa Valley for a great day trip!

Welcome to wine country! There it is, only 40 minutes southwest from Pleasure Cove Marina and Lake Berryessa, Napa Valley... a realistic day trip into another world which some describe as a "little spot of heaven on earth."

Take in the picturesque rolling hills covered in vineyards and enjoy the breathtaking views every way you look. Cool wet winters and warm dry summers make this a perfect growing region for some of the best wines in the world.

A spot of heaven on earth. And the wine is bottled poetry.

Taste the wine, and relish the food! Napa is famous for its over 200 wineries and many delicious restaurants, spas and resorts. "It's all about wineries and vineyards around here" many locals like to brag. Winery tours often combine several different varieties and end up at food locations. Many even include hotel and transportation. Cheers!

One fun option where you can leave your car behind for a few hours and just enjoy the ride is the Wine Train It takes a three hour round trip journey between the town of Napa and St Helena. The 1860's tracks "seem" to be in good shape and the trains dining cars are all restored from the early 1900's. The food is said to be excellent and you're sure to enjoy the views of one of the worlds most famous wine valleys.

Balloon rides are also a popular activity and many come with a bottle of (you guessed it) wine to smooth out the flight. Add in spa's with mud baths and resorts and Inns of every kind and flavor and you are sure to find something to fill your glass in Napa!

Enjoy!

Learn more about visiting nearby Napa Valley