It's time to go... America's favorite waterways are waiting!

The air is warming up and the water is just right! Dive in with us this month as we launch into some of the action on America's favorite Waterways.

Great dates are still available, it's time to get going!

There are some great specials to share (see Vacation Value Packages below) and a few potential discounts for you to consider as well. (see side)

We have to confess, we really had some fun visiting with Marilyn, a first time houseboater, who shared some of her confessions with us in "Confessions of a First Time Houseboater."

California gets the spotlight this month as we explore Trinity Lake and breathe in the sweet smell of the pines. There is news about the grand opening of the Oak Bottom Marina on Whiskey Town Lake and Lake Oroville is up and running. To cap it all off, the fish seem to be biting everywhere as we report in What's biting now!

Take a look at the 56' Getaway and we hope you enjoy our Top-5 this month, the Top-5 Water Themed Dog Names. It's time to go, America's favorite Waterways are waiting!

Vacation Value Packages!

Discover some great value and some fun extras along with free gas for your final fill up with these Vacation Value Packages:

The Vacation Value Package:
Rent a 59' Deluxe houseboat before October 31st at Callville Bay, Cottonwood Cove, Don Pedro , Lake Oroville, Moccasin Point, Pleasure Cove, Temple Bar, or Trinity Lake and receive:
- free gas for your final fill up
- 4 cases of Dasani bottled water
- 4 cases of Coke beverages
- 5 bags of ice
- $75 store coupon for the marina gift shop to use during your rental dates.

The Antelope Point Vacation Value Package:
Rent a 59' XT houseboat at Antelope Point Marina before October 31st and receive:
- free gas for your final fill up
- 15 % discount on a PWC or Powerboat

Give our fun reservations agents a call for all the details at 1-800-255-5561

Visit Special offers and Packages at foreverhouseboats.com

Confessions of a first time houseboater

Meet Marilyn, a native Arizonan who had never been houseboating before, had never been to Lake Powell before, and who just wanted to treat her son to a "really fun" 30th birthday weekend...

Throw in her husband, her two sons, eleven of her son's best friends, a 70' Millenium houseboat, an open bow ski boat, two PWCs, wakeboards, tubes, etc. and it's safe to say that Marilyn got one heck of a first time houseboating experience. (whew! talk about diving in head first)

Here is her story:

The idea: Marilyn and her husband Kenny met with their son Scott over dinner and told him of their houseboating intentions... to take him, his brother, and some of his friends out on the water for 5 days and 4 nights to celebrate his birthday. Having been on several houseboat trips before, "Scotty was thrilled with the idea." Over the next month they planned and reviewed the trip. They made a list, "Scott sent out an e-vite, and things just started to fall into place, we have known these guys since college days."

"The thing that mattered the most that first night was the moon shining on the water...can't explain it."

The orientation video: "Glad we watched the orientation video in advance" says Marilyn, "there were some great tips on the video which saved us a lot of work on the water. "One great video tip was to keep pop and beer in the ice chest," another was to "bring big water jugs with taps instead of bottles, the water went a lot further that way." "The suggestion to bring white styro chests (cheap at Target) for frozen stuff and to tape em shut after packing was great and made loading and unpacking easy... everything stayed frozen too." The video also recommended bringing large ziplock bags and "that was excellent advice."
Confession: "If I had it to do it over, I would have had a planing party and watched the video together with the group and gotten them more involved with the planning."

Martha Stewart? Dining on the water: Marilyn came up with a menu for each day (see her complete menu and list below) and prepared every detail in advance. "I love to cook, I love to plan parties" and she "felt we were pretty organized about things." She brought paper plates, aluminum cooking pans, and foil trays to eliminate as much clean up as possible and "used the oven a lot." The "stuff that I did ahead of time was prepared for the oven, it saved a lot of prep time on the water and made cooking for such a big group easier." She even made fresh chocolate chip cookie dough ahead of time and froze it so all she had to do on board was bake and serve her "son's favorite." (Let's see Martha Stewart think of that!)
Confession: "I tried to do to much myself, I took too much food... I would bring more things we could grill next time... get the guys more involved in the food prep."

First impressions, the arrival: She said it was amazing... "Our arrival at Lake Powell was so scenic... we came over the hill and just before you come down, the views just take your breath away... when you get there, you are so "oh my god. The baggage guys, the 'dock crew' were right there. They made getting loaded on the boat easy, it was a breeze with their help." (thanks guys) "The boat design was clean and easy, and the fridge was as big as the one we had at home!"
Confession: "The pictures didn't do the place or the houseboat justice... it was so much better... but some people might not be set up for a houseboat...luxury yes, but it is still a 'houseboat experience,' it was like a safari... that's a good analogy, actually...you're on a houseboat for 5 days... it's not a beauty pageant either... bring hats, don't bring makeup, and bring comfortable shoes"

Early boarding, the first night: Marilyn's crew "early boarded," a great option that allows a group to board the night before and sleep on the houseboat at the dock. By early boarding, they were able to take their time driving out and did not have to worry about everyone's arrival timing. "One of the boys did not arrive until midnight..." This was perfect for Marilyn's group. "Everyone came in at different times... and the guys had a real fun time at the marina on the top deck of our boat, singing, all night..."

Sleeping in or on: Marilyn was a little worried about where everyone would sleep. She had anticipated they would need to do "bedroom dibs" or something like that but it "just happened... everyone just spread out." She had brought along earplugs for her husband and they did stake out their room first... "The first night the guys all hung out upstairs, with the stars overhead, playing the guitar and singing" I was glad they brought some sleeping bags because they all ended up sleeping there too."
Confession: "I worried about things that just worked themselves out, the thing that mattered the most that first night was the moon shining on the water,...can't explain it."

The shower enforcer: The 70' Millennium is a large houseboat, but there is still a limited supply of fresh water on board. The last thing they did before leaving the dock was to top off the fresh water tank. But... with all of those guys, out on the lake, Marilyn had to become "the shower enforcer." "The number of people made it necessary... if they just wanted to rinse off I told them to "take your shower in the lake to cool off." She was officially named "the shower enforcer" after a few of the boys came out of the shower to have Marilyn inform them how long they had been.
Confession: "I enjoyed the title... and the mission"

Draining the battery The "big adventure" came during the first night out on the lake. They drained the batteries on board. Drained em dead.... An emergency call on the radio brought help and "the Dave guy came out for the rescue, he was there lickity split." Dave reviewed the procedures for using the on-board electrical systems and everyone learned an important lesson, "don't touch the inverter switch."
Confession: We should have paid better attention during the pre-departure briefing...

Nervous on the water? Not a bit.... "We were glad we had a few in our crew experienced with water craft." For instance, "we knew the water level was coming up and knew what to do when tying the boat to the shore at night. The marina gave us good maps and directions too. People were clear about what to do if it got windy, we had been briefed so we were not alarmed... I never felt afraid or uncomfortable...we learned how to ride a wake and how to use the buoys. I was nervous about no phone contact at night, but there was the short wave radio for emergencies which we had used the first night...."

Logistical headache: Several of the guests came in or left at different times. "We made several trips in the ski boat,running back and forth picking up and dropping off people at the marina."
Confession: "I should have made a tighter schedule and just required everyone be there from to start and end...

Favorite Moments: Her favorite moments included "Evenings around the campfire after dinner, playing the guitar, singing, telling stories, reconnecting with all of the guys... We really had some quality one-on-one time with our son and his friends... it was a lot about re-connecting, kind of like going back to your childhood." She talked fondly about "seeing them going back to being young boys."
No confession here: "The times alone with my son or in small groups were the best... re-connecting with these kids was priceless."

Comparison to cruising: How would Marilyn compare houseboating to cruising? Her answer was swift and certain, "You have to do, there is no bed turn down, no instant room service... on a houseboat you DO have to lift a finger... you have to be willing to be part of the experience. I don't think you can compare houseboating to a cruise where you would be waited on hand and foot, it is a totally different experience."

Private moments: Marilyn talked glowingly about a few of her private moments on the voyage: "One day I got up early, took a book up the hill, and watched sunrise. I just snuck out under that rich blue sky... everyone was asleep... the water was like glass... fish were jumping... no generators were running... just peace and time for me. On another morning she had brought the coffee maker to the back bathroom so she did not have to make any noise in the kitchen and enjoyed a private cup of coffee on the back deck, "facing out to that beautiful bay."
Confession: "I should have done this every day"

Video entertainment: The TV... "The only time we had the TV on was to watch our own slide show of pictures from a recent trip. The equipment was great and we were able to plug the camera right into the set." They did "watch a movie on the way back the last day... We had brought a stack of videos and just never used them, never needed them." Marilyn did take a video camera and had each one of them record a happy birthday message for her son.

Music on board Music was another story on board. When they weren't singing with the guitar, the crew took advantage of the "super on board entertainment system." While everyone brought CD's they didn't use them half as much as they did their I-pods. "The I-pods were better, they just plugged em in and enjoyed their music mixes, that was the best."

Next time Well... Marilyn said she wouldn't trade the trip for anything, getting to reconnect with her sons and their friends was priceless. On another voyage, "couples, more our own age with similar interests might be fun too... Couples to share the work load and quiet with....."

What are your confessions? Share a few with us at Waterways@foreverhouseboats.com

Trinity Lake, breathe in the pines!

Breathe deep... breathe in the clean mountain air and fresh pine smell. Go ahead, get out of your car and take a walk down through the trees to the marina below. Walk out on the dock and turn around, look up behind you at the green of the trees, the white of the snow capped mountains and the clear blue sky above. Trinity Lake welcomes you home.

That first breath may help you understand why this northern California gem in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest is a favorite destination for houseboaters from all over northern California. Located an hour's drive from Redding, four from Sacramento, five from the Bay area, and three from Eureka, the breathtaking beauty of Trinity Lake is perfectly situated in California's largest national forest (2.1 million acres) for your summertime getaway on the water.

Beautiful Trinity Lake is convenient to Sacramento, Redding and the Bay Area

There are over 147 miles of pristine shoreline for you to explore surrounding some of the smoothest clear water you will find anywhere. Nature will welcome you here with otters darting around you, eagles and osprey soaring above you, and deer gazing out at you from in between the tall green pines lining the shores. There are bears here too, but you will rarely see them... They usually only come out at night and like to camp out near the trash bins (just in case "food" is left out...).

Many Trinity regulars will tell you that Trinity is a great family lake, "without the chaos of Shasta lake." One recent new visitor said "we used to go to Shasta lake every year, but it's so much more peaceful here" and locals like to brag that, "Once you come here, you never go back to Shasta."

California locals will tell you tales about the world class springtime bass fishing, and rainbow trout will give you some good tugs as the summer warms up too. Large schools of rainbows have been reported in the the lake's major tributaries this year and Stuarts Fork on Swift Creek and at the Main Stem and East Fork on the Trinity River have been reported as great spots to cast your line. Check with Manny at the marina for the latest hooks on where the fish are biting when you get there. You may want to tag along a 16' Fishing Boat to get upstream and into the areas where "the big ones are waiting."

The temps in the summer (see air water chart) will keep you warm in the day and cool at night too (perfect for making smores) and the smooth clear water is perfect for boating, skiing, and boarding. Take advantage of a full range of Powerboat and PWC rentals and a fleet of Houseboats ranging in size from the 50' Forever 8 to the 65' Millennium.

A variety of accommodations are available around the lake and many houseboaters like to "mix it up" a bit and try out a cabin before or after their time on the water. Waterfront campgrounds can be a great option for your non houseboat friends who may want to join you during the day on the water but still want to sleep with the bears at night!

Find out more about Trinity lake

Find out more about the Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Checkin in with the marinas...

The season is on, the marinas are hoppin, and we thought it might be fun to check in with everyone and see what they have to say about summer 2009.

Lake Mead, AZ
(Callville Bay)
"Come on out and play, the water is great and the fish are biting!"

Lake Powell, AZ
"The Arizona sun is out in force and so are the houseboaters, lots of big smiles on the water this season."

Lake Mohave, NV
"It has been cooler than usual and we're starting to get busy, so far it has been perfect houseboating weather this season."

Lake Mead, AZ
(Temple Bar)
"We are getting everyone launched A-OK, one way or the other, and we're feeling pretty good about a great season too."

Lake of the Ozarks, MO
"Generations have been coming here for years and people do not seem afraid to have fun and take a vacation this year... with all of the recent rain, the lake is so full you have to walk UP to the ramp!"

Trinity Lake, CA
"Summer is finally here, the pines smell great and the water is still nice and cool... and the trout are real tasty this year too."

Lake Don Pedro, CA
(Lake Don Pedro Marina)
"The season is really picking up and we are glad to have everyone, the lake is full and the water is extra clear this year."

Lake Oroville, CA
"Its shaping up to be a wonderful water year, the lake elevations are holding steady and we're gonna have a full season... come out and see us."

Lake Berryessa, CA
"We're just jam packed with a lot of fun people this year, everyone seems to be in a really 'let loose mood' and the fish are biting BIG!"

Grand Opening at Oak Bottom Marina on Whiskeytown Lake

Discover a true diamond in the pines at the Oak Bottom Marina on Whiskeytown Lake. The lake is easy to find and is located just 12 miles west of Redding, California, close to Trinity Lake. The Whiskeytown National Recreation area is famous for its many creeks, hiking trails, and waterfalls. It is a true local favorite and Oak Bottom Marina is your gateway to all of the fun and beauty.

Dedicated by John F. Kennedy in 1963, Whiskeytown Lake is focused on recreation and because of this, it is always kept full. Enjoy some amazing water visibility which is regularly 30 feet plus. The 36 miles of pristine forested shoreline make a wonderful backdrop for all of your favorite day trip activities. Take a swim, hike along the shore, cast your line, or just sit back and watch some of the sailboats go by.

An additional dedication happened just this month on June 13, when Forever Resorts celebrated the grand opening of a new 20 year contract with the National Park Service at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. The opening showcased the brand new environmentally responsible docks and marinas made of concrete and recycled materials.

Go ahead, give Whiskeytown Lake a try. Take out a small boat for a day or bring your own! The new marina and facilities host a wide variety of watercraft (no houseboats), slip rentals, launch ramp, snack bar, convenience store, RV Park, Campground and more.

In case you are wondering about the name... The legend says that a miner named Billy had a mishap in the 1850's when a strap on his pack mule broke and the whiskey barrel (made from Oak) broke loose, rolled down the hill, and burst open as it hit the water of the creek. The whiskey is probably long gone from the water today, but locals say that it is still the reason the fish are so friendly!

See you on the water!

Learn more about Oak Bottom Marina and Whiskeytown Lake