Fall has it all!

When you hear a houseboater say that "it's all about fall" they are definitely trying to tell you something. The days are pleasant, the water is still warm, the crowds are down, the fish are biting, the food on the grill seems to taste better than ever, and well, it's just a plain wonderful time of year to be out on America's favorite Waterways. Fall has it all!

There is still time for you to get a tan, still time to sit in the hot tub under the evening sky and gaze up at the stars, and still lots of fall time to make that perfect getaway.

Join us this month as we visit the less traveled but equally dramatic Arizona side of Lake Mead at Temple Bar Marina, surrounded by some pretty amazing towering rock formations on the edge of some pretty sweet water.

Share the stories and fun with Nick and his family in "Wishes on the Water" and believe again that sometimes, just sometimes, wishes do come true. (That's Nick's picture above.)

Hop onboard the 50' XT houseboat and get ready to cruise. Grill some mouth watering shrimp with our easy grill recipe and consider our Top-5 breakfast items on the water. We're also asking you to share some of YOUR photos with us too!

It's time to start "Thinkin' Thanksgiving" with a great special offer and if that word (Thanksgiving) doesn't hint to you that fall is on its way, well...

Happy Houseboating!

Check out the Arizona side of Lake Mead at Temple Bar Marina

Visit the Arizona side of Lake Mead, the largest man-made reservoir in America, and enjoy the full service Temple Bar Resort and Marina. This "relaxed" side of the lake is only a one and a half hours drive from Las Vegas NV, (stop and see Hoover Dam on your way), four hours from Flagstaff, and six from Phoenix, AZ. Ask around however and long term guests will ask you to keep it down, they call this area the "hidden jewel" and they don't seem to want you to "let the secret out" about this "intimate side" of the lake.

You will find that with soaring red rock cliffs, abundant wildlife, plentiful world class bass fishing, sandy beaches, long southwestern summers, activities galore, friendly hosts and a sun drenched location, Temple Bar Marina on Lake Mead is hard to beat almost any time of year. Right now, in September with the stirrings of fall on the horizon, "it is just perfect" weather as the locals like to say and the fish (bass and catfish) are "definitely biting!"

Temple Bar Marina (1) and Callville Bay Marina (2) provide full on-water services, houseboat and watercraft rentals, restaurant and lounge.

A full service location.
Located in the Temple Basin on the Arizona side of eastern Lake Mead (see map above), Temple Bar Resort and Marina offers you houseboat, powerboat and PWC rentals, an RV park, lakeside lodging, a gift shop/convenience store, and a restaurant & lounge overlooking the marina.

Discover the wonders.
Discover some of the not so "hidden jewels" that line the lake even before you board your vessel. This area around the marina is well known for the massive rock formations with dramatic names like Napoleons Tomb, the Haystacks, and of course, The Temple. As your days go by, you will notice how these monuments seem to take on different colors as the sun moves across the sky.

Play and Enjoy!
This end of the lake is also popular for some ultra sweet 20 mile long ski runs that can wear out the most ardent water skiers! This glassy playground has something for everyone and it is always easy to "get away from it all" with many changing coves, beaches and landings to enjoy. Check with the staff for some of the current favorite beaching spots to try.

Water levels.
You will find that there is certainly enough sparkling clear water to go around! The water level at Lake Mead is currently 1093.81. Full pool is 1193. Even with a lower water level than in recent years, this huge lake still has over 500 miles of shoreline, is still 85 miles long, still has huge basins to move around in, is still over 300 feet deep in the Colorado Channel and still has over 250 square miles of surface area to play on, still... It's just one huge magnificent lake!

A great destination.
Lake Mead is the 11th most visited tourist destination in the USA with plenty of water, beaches and fish to go around.

Lake Mead was also America's first National Recreation Area and locals will tell you it is still the best. The contrast of desert and water, mountains and canyons makes this a unique playground with some pristine scenic views. Try paddling a canoe along a steep red rock cliff. Peek into the many caves that line the waters edge. Jet skis, wake boards, knee boards, and water toys of all kinds are super popular here. With over 250 square miles of lake surface, there is definitely room for everyone.

The Lake Mead Recreation Area is home to an amazing variety of wildlife. Keep your eyes open on the shore for big horn sheep , Mule Deer , Coyotes , kit foxes , Bobcats , ringtail cats , desert tortoise , and numerous lizards and snakes. The Temple Bar area is especially popular for wild burro herd sightings.

With over 240 kinds of birds recorded on or around the water, dedicated bird watchers might call this a paradise. Keep an eye out for majestic bald eagles soaring overhead and hummingbirds darting and diving a little closer in. Try wading up to a blue heron fishing on the shoreline (well, it's the thought that counts) with a wingspan of over 5 feet. The north/south migration routes, along with all of the fresh water here in the middle of the desert, make this an ideal bird stopover. Don't forget your binoculars.

You can fish for bass on Lake Mead all season long. Get an Arizona fishing license on the spot (even for just one day) and find out which other fish are biting while you are there! The people on this side of the lake are definitely "fisherman friendly" and with the smaller crowds, the fish may give you more attention. Check in with the marina for the latest on upcoming pro tournaments too!

Natures art on display.
Enjoy the ever changing symphony of colors here, whether they be the reds in the rocks, the golds in the sunsets, the silver in the stars or the blue in the sky. These intense, ever changing colors are quite often what visitors talk about the most. The nighttime skies are so dark and black that the stars twinkling in the night "look like you can almost reach up and grab em." "It's hard to describe, you just have to see it yourself" said one twelve year veteran, "It touches your soul here."

Hope to see you soon at Temple Bar, Happy Houseboating!

Click here to learn more about the
Temple Bar Resort and Marina.

Special Offers and Fall Houseboat Get-Away Packages

Click on in and take a look at some of the special offers and houseboat vacation packages available in time for Fall and the holidays. You'll find some additional savings on a wide range of dates, houseboat types and marina locations.

Click here for
Special Offers and Houseboat Vacation Packages

Wishes on the water

Meet Nick, or "Skippy" as his friends like to call him. Just one super, all American 11 year old boy with a wish. A simple wish really, one he had grown into over time. He had heard his dad's glowing stories over the years... from when his dad was a boy and had been houseboating. It sounded like they had such a great time. The stories about his dad's swimming and fishing on these trips had also intrigued Nick. The thought of staying on a house on the water sounded like too much fun. Nick had also visited a desert lake once before and had enjoyed watching the boats from the shore "sailing around" on the blue water "next to the desert." Nick also loved camping.

So it was an easy interview and swift answer that the volunteers ("Wish Granters") from the Make-A-Wish foundation received when they visited Nick at his home in Arizona. "A House Boat Home for a week" that he could share with his entire family, "so they can enjoy it too" was his answer. And so it began, Nick's wish was going to come true. Here is the story about Nick and his family, on one of America's favorite waterways, together.

The great people at Make-A-Wish came though in a big way. Working with Forever Resorts, they put together a complete trip on a 70' Silver Millennium Houseboat at Antelope Point Marina, Lake Powell for 7 nights with kayaks, supplies, and all the food Nick and his crew could eat. "The boat had four bedrooms, two big couches, a recliner chair, a jacuzzi on the top deck and best of all, a water slide!" There was a pre-departure briefing at their home, an itinerary was reviewed, and transportation to the lake was provided. They were ready to go.

The group
The crew for this great adventure totaled twelve: The Stonger family with Nick (11), his sister Lindsey (9), and his parents Lyle and Katrina; the Debillis family with Jake (5), Haley (11), and their parents Mike and Stacie; and the Hitts family with Brandon, Rachel and their parents Ray and Lori. The Hitts family were only staying for the first couple days, but they brought a real bonus with them, their own speed boat and a three man raft chair to tow behind it! (see picture below) Fun was definitely on the horizon.

"We cried when we got on the boat.
It was his wish and it was coming true."

The Arrival
They arrived at Antelope Point Marina on Monday afternoon and the idea was to "camp out at the Marina," on the houseboat. After they finished getting their gear on board they had a brief introduction to the boat and learned how to use the jacuzzi, AC and toilets. Katrina, Nick's mother said it best, "We were treated like superstars and the boat they gave us was perfect for a family, it was so big and had all the conveniences of home!" "We cried when we got on the boat, it was his wish and it was coming true. We opened the side-by-side fridge and there was a ton of food there, everything we had asked for and more!" (see their full day by day menu below)

That first night everyone went to bed relatively early. The kids were thrilled that they could put movies on in their own bedrooms and promptly went to sleep well before the first movie ended.

Fun on the water
Tuesday morning started with the full houseboat briefing and then they were off. The excitement of moving that big houseboat was just the start of what would end up being one wet and wild day! They beached the houseboat and tied it in at a great spot and quickly moved to the goal of the day, playing on the water. The speed boat pulling the three-man raft chair was a real hit along with the houseboat slide. Parents took turns being the floating lifeguards near the houseboat in the swim area. After all that boating and wading, the afternoon quiet time was a welcome rest up before the late afternoon session began. (see below for a listing of their "quiet time" activities)

Just being there together
"That was awesome being up there together and just hanging out" Nick said. When asked what his favorite part about the trip was he concluded with, "Being on the boat." Some of the things the "grown ups" enjoyed the most were also the simplest, like sitting around and drinking coffee on the top deck in the mornings for hours on end. The three families all got along well and they were "on the same agenda." as Katrina liked to say. "Doing something different each day and the environment of the experience was so much fun, but it was the togetherness that we will remember most."

The fishing contest
Nicholas had a great idea that everyone could participate in, a fishing contest. This fishing contest on the boat was an ongoing event, right up to the last day. The guys pulled it out at the last minute, however and won. (Three catfish in two hours, good going Mike!) Nick had devised a point system with 15 points for every bass, 10 points for every catfish, 5 points for every carp, and 1 point for every blue gill or "teeney" one. The main rule was that the fish had to be seen, and had to be on the line. All of the fish were eventually thrown back but a few catfish did spend a little time swimming in the bar sink on the top deck, in the shade, under the canopy. (what a life!)

Moving on
Wednesday started with another "great move of the houseboat" as they headed back to the marina to drop off the Hitt family and their speed boat. The planned departure was cheery and they were off again in search of a new site to discover. (oops, forgot to tell you about how they left Mike at the dock for a few minutes...) They found a great location later that day after a great slow cruise, beached the houseboat, and set up for dinner and a great campfire.

Thursday was spent hiking, fishing and kayaking and wading in the waters around the houseboat. They spent a second night there as they liked the location so much.

Friday they moved the houseboat once again. It was windy but they had fun handling it. (well, they did describe it as reminding them of an episode of The Deadliest Catch) The kids had so much fun that they kept their vests on all day. Lunch was enjoyed on the top deck after beaching the boat. Watermelon was the theme of the afternoon and the day ended with an "incredible moon rise" complimented by a campfire and time in the jacuzzi.

Saturday they kept the houseboat right where it was. They were treated to a special speed boat tour of the lake and "enjoyed the sights at high speed." It was a full day again.

The evenings they shared
Evening activities after sunset ranged from the simplest activities like playing with small cars on the beds, or quiet to not so quiet card games on the coffee table, to putting together an on-board band and making live music. (they really did take along a lot of great stuff) Campfires with s'mores on the beach after dinner and time in the hot tub were also part of the daily routine. The girls even put on a magic show the last night as a reward for the guys winning the fishing contest. The recliner was popular in the evenings as were the bar stools during dinner time. "Everyone seemed to want to eat at the counter" said Katrina. The large table was "really great" for crafts during the day, dinners in the evening, and games at night.

Cell phones?
Well, with six adults and two older teens, the subject had to come up... Cell coverage for voice was spotty in some spots but texting seemed to work well. So that's what they did, text only. One text that was sent out seemed to sum it up, "OMG this is so awesome." Friends were able to check in during the week and that limited amount of contact seemed to be just right. Although... one of the cell phones was confiscated for a while because of overuse. And it was not one of the teenagers' phones...

The last day.
Sunday they all slept in. Then they fished, and played, and just sat back and relaxed. Near the end of the day they packed up the beach supplies and launched the houseboat one last time and headed into the marina. Once docked at the marina, they moved on to another fun night on the houseboat with a big dinner and then a final raid on the junk food right up until bed time. That last night in the jacuzzi under the stars was "spectacular."

The next morning, Monday, they packed up and prepared to for the long ride home...

Nick's mother said it best, "I'm sorry it's over- I wish it could have lasted FOREVER! Nicolas couldn't have wished for anything else better than his houseboat vacation with his family- it was the most perfect thing for him- the swimming, fishing, hiking, kayaking, jacuzzi, water sliding,- doing his favorite things with his favorite people!"

Nick and his family made a video photo collection of their voyage which you can view. (Make sure you click on the full screen button too.)

To learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Cystic Fybrosis foundation click on the links below:

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation