Walk on Water!

You can kneel on a wakeboard, sit on a jet ski, stand on water skis, and sit or stand on a ski boat, but only on a houseboat can you truly walk on water.

Walk onto your home on the water and stop by the outside grill. (Can you smell dinner cooking yet?) Walk through the main cabin and back past the kitchen and bathrooms to your own private stateroom. (Is it time for a nap yet?) Upstairs on the top deck, walk under the shade canopy to the railing. Look out over the water and at all of your friends and family having the time their life. The waterslide beckons you, offering to take you down to the lake below. All you have to do is walk to it. Are you ready to walk on water yet?

Happy Houseboating!

Two deals to "bookend" your summer

Take a quick look at these two new specials and see if they fit your crew's summer schedule. There's one for the start of the summer and one for the end.

Last minute specials like these won't last long though, so book your fun soon and lock in your own summer savings:

Don't risk being left high and dry.

Your houseboat all set up on that perfect beach, the fridge full of great food, the sun slowly rising, your crew just starting to stir as a gentle breeze waifs over the calm water, and your small boats, there on the beach, all lined up and ready to go.

We had a tough time taking care of everyone's requests last year.

"They go very fast," said one marina manager, "between mid June to August 18 we often sell out of powerboats."

The simple way to avoid disappointment is to call reservations and book your powerboats, fishing boats and jet skis in advance. That way, when you arrive, there will be no surprises. Here's the number: 1-800-255-5561

There is an extra bonus too, the Power Boat Discount. Just book a powerboat with your houseboat for the same length of stay and save 10%. You can do this at the time of your original booking or add it to your reservation later. The key is to do it as soon as you can so you won't be left high and dry.

Click here for this and other savings!

Kick off your boating season!

Dive in to all the fun and activity on National Marina Day, June 12, at Callville Bay Marina on Lake Mead.

This full day of events and activities, combined with National Get Outdoors Day, is a great way to kick off the boating season.

There will be "open houses" on the houseboats, free fishing, a bass tournament, kids casting, a poker run, on-the-water houseboat training trips, safe-boat training and even free hot dogs for lunch! Here are some more details:

The Poker Run
Play a hand if you like in this open tournament sponsored by the Lake Yacht Club. You'll need a powerboat to play however. Just sign up the day of the event, pay for a hand, and take your boat on a scavenger hunt for the winning hand. Different locations around the lake will provide you with a recorded card and who knows, you might end up collecting the winning hand!

"Open Houseboats"
Walk on board and check out a few different models side by side. The marina will also be hosting some "on the water" houseboat training classes at 9, 11, and 1pm. These trips are fun and popular so reserve your space in advance. (call Penny at 702-565-4813)

Tournament and fishing
Cast your line in the open tournament sponsored by WON BASS. The weigh in is at 3pm, so even if you're not really an angler but want to hear all the stories and see the catch, 3pm is the perfect time to be at the marina to catch the action. (without getting up at the crack of dawn)

Visit these participating organizations for more information:

National Marina Day

National Get Outdoors Day

Nevada Department of Wildlife

National Park Service

Callville Bay Marina

Join the trek back into time

For a houseboater on Lake Powell, the journey north of Antelope Point Marina by boat will take you to one of the most popular destinations in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Rainbow Bridge National Monument.

It is the world's largest known natural bridge - nearly as tall as the Statue of Liberty (290' vs 305') and over 300,000 visitors a year take the short hike up to this spectacular natural icon.

One hundred years ago, however, the "short Hike" was not so short and not so convenient.

To commemorate the 100 anniversary of the bridge becoming a National Monument, a group of hardy trekkers armed with old photos and maps recently set out to re-trace the original journey taken by the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Zane Gray, Wildhorse Albright and Jessie Laskie.

The original trek was August 12-14, 1909. The thirteen members in that party left their pack animals and headed out for the last leg with two little mules to help carry their gear.

An archival photo from the Theodore Roosevelt journey contrasts Steve Carothers, General Manager of Antelope Point Marina, standing on the same spot as Roosevelt.

The journey was an adventure into another world as they followed their guide. Teddy Roosevelt wrote afterward, "Huge and bare the immense cliffs towered, on either hand, and in front and behind as the canyon turned right and left."

"At last we turned a corner, and the tremendous arch of the Bridge rose in front of us. It is surely one of the wonders of the world"

May 30, 2010 will mark the 100th anniversary of Rainbow Bridge becoming a National Monument.

They could not have imagined what would transpire in the next 100 years. In 1909 there was no Las Vegas, there was no Lake Powell, and there were no houseboats. They might as well have been on the moon as far as they were concerned.

Our six modern hikers came in from the south side, the dry side, just like the original trekkers. (The North side has the boat dock.) They reported, "got goosebumps walking in Teddy Roosevelt's footsteps." They left at 6:15 am on Friday and returned by 4:00pm on Sunday. Those 33 hours and 45 minutes were a true walk back into time.

When they first sighted their destination, one in the party yelled out the famous Byron Cummings quote, "Eureka, there she is!"

Getting to the bridge today, the easy way by water, just requires a powerboat, personal watercraft or tour boat (houseboats cannot easily access the narrow canyon that can have pretty rough waters on busy days).

Now, you just leave your powerboat or personal watercraft at the courtesy dock and walk the approximate one-mile trek back in time. As you follow along the trail, note the layers in the sandstone walls along the way. Picture this area 200 million years ago, as the sands of a great desert accumulated layer by layer, forming the sandstone that would over time be carved into Rainbow Bridge.

History has a way of surrounding those who visit here, and while gazing up from the edge of the small meandering Bridge Creek, you too may find yourself contemplating those who have stood here before.

Teddy Roosevelt finally described this place by writing "This great natural bridge, so recently 'discovered' by white men, has for ages been known to the Indians." Today, many say that this special place truly does span cultures in a sacred landscape.

To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Rainbow Bridge's designation as a National Monument, a very special package has been put together by Forever Resorts and Antelope Point Marina.

These packages allow you to leave your houseboat on the beach for a while and take the trek back in time. It won't be the same as hiking with Teddy Roosevelt but Rainbow Bridge will be just as spectacular.

Click here for information about this special package.