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Houseboating
with Forever Resorts
Look no further because Forever Resorts has the perfect solution to creating a lifetime memory whether it be for a summer houseboating adventure with a few special friends, another family, or a special Thanksgiving or Easter holiday away as a family on a houseboat. We chose the very end of summer right after Labor Day for our getaway which included our immediate family and two other families with kids who we knew well. Our getaway was three days on Lake Oroville leaving out of the Lime Saddle recreation area and marina but Forever Resorts literally has dozens of lakes and destinations to offer for house boating adventures throughout California and numerous other states as well. Your vacation could be a week or longer but we found 3 days to be perfect for our first trip. On our recent getaway we voyaged out on a new deluxe 59 foot houseboat with four bedroom cabins, two bathrooms, and a full kitchen, living room, and sun deck with wet bar upstairs. The kids absolutely delighted in the water slide. Actually to tell the truth, the grown ups did too! When we weren't fishing and reeling in ten pound catfish or 4 pound bass, we were sipping cocktails on the sundeck up top, flying kites off the aft deck, swimming, water skiing with a ski boat we brought along, watching movies, playing card games, sunbathing or just plain fellowshipping with our buddies in tranquil coves and inlets we scouted along the way while watching for wildlife and beautiful scenery from aboard our luxurious home away from home for three wonderful fun filled yet relaxing days. We had twelve on our houseboat and had ample room for everyone to sleep and move about comfortably. Being lulled to sleep at night in utter tranquility under the moon and stars and surrounded by glimmering water was one highlight. Waking every morning to serene flat glass water and quiet solitude for fishing off the deck and an invigorating morning dip while breakfast cooked was another great memory, as was watching the little one's faces light up as we roasted s'mores after dinner or they relished in ice cream cones in the sunshine and fresh air from atop our little slice of heaven with our friends. Houseboats offered by Forever Resorts provide fresh linens and heat and air conditioning along with satellite TV and VCRs and stereos and all the other creature comforts as well as a full kitchen so anytime of year, a unique vacation experience can be created. Some families like to enjoy a Christmas dinner feast aboard their vessel. In fact, Lake Mead or Mojave offer desert vacation spots with warmer weather during the holidays and Forever Resorts even offers free early boarding and a free turkey for families considering a Thanksgiving houseboat vacation. Think about that one---no fuss over whose house to come to! Being a cruise addict myself, I felt like I was on a mini private cruise and kept making jokes that we should offer bingo on the Lido deck at any moment. Forever resorts offers a thorough pre trip DVD which teaches you the basics of operating your vessel and then when you arrive for your trip at the marina, an employee comes aboard to acquaint you with all the basics for safety and operation before you leave. I do however, recommend having someone along for the trip who knows how to handle a boat. Wind and rocky conditions require someone who knows at least the basics of boating operation or it can be a bit intimidating for a complete novice. Some people prefer to be moving on the boat exploring the waters for a large portion of their trip. Others prefer to find a perfect cove like we did and remain there for most of the trip which we felt was more relaxing and of course keeps the gas costs down. Our gas for the trip cost just a little under $150 for 3 days which is much more conservative than many folks who opt to move around much more than we did. We were too busy having fun and catching a limit of fish. I do recommend bringing simple but fun food to cook. Things like muffins and bagels for breakfast with fresh fruit, sandwiches and salads for lunches and easy BBQ dinners like hamburgers and chicken or an easy spaghetti were satisfying after a long day of water fun and sports. Bring lots of easy snacks like chips, dips, nuts, luncheon meats and plenty to drink including warming-up-kinds of drinks lilke coffees, teas, cider or cocoa for warming after fishing or swimming. Bringing cards or board games is a great option and maybe a few favorite movies for the kids to play in the entertainment center while grown ups are cooking or socializing. A trip back to the marina may be a bit of a jog if you explore several miles up inlets like we did so be sure to pack plenty of ice and bait and staples of that nature if you plan to stay put. Pack layers and a light jacket even if you do houseboat in the summer or fall for those cool nights you may encounter. While houseboat rentals are not cheap, per say, it is an economical way to travel if everyone pays a portion having each family pitch in. Being an outdoorsy water
sport and boat girl myself I know I am now hooked on a new kind of
cruising and so are my kids. I'm sure we'll be houseboating again
one day soon, until then I'll keep remembering the fun and ease of a
houseboat adventure and recommending Forever Resorts to all my
listeners on my radio show. Their staff was outstanding, their boats
exceeded our expectations and the experience left nothing to be
desired....we had it all fun, relaxation and creature comforts. Even
the fish cooperated! Now that's a recipe for a perfect vacation
anytime of the year! Submitted by: Carmel L.
Mooney
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