Cruising the beautiful lakes of California, Arizona and Nevada aboard your own personal houseboat is a unique vacation choice.  Modern houseboat rentals are luxurious, offering comforts only dreamed about a few year ago.  Todays houseboats offer private accomodations, fully equipt kitchens and living areas, and sun-decks with BBQ,  wet bar and water slide.  

Below are a few of our favorite locations for you to enjoy the fun and adventure of a houseboat vacation.  With a wide variety of modern houseboats to choose from at each location, your biggest decision will be  where to start first.

Lake Oroville is Northern California’s largest state reservoir. Lake Oroville is the cornerstone of Lake Oroville State Recreation Area and is conveniently located on the Feather River, about 75 miles north of Sacramento, in the chaparral oak-pine belt of northern mother lode country.  Lake Oroville Marina has endless opportunities to enjoy the uncrowded atmosphere. Soak up the sun while reading a book on your California houseboat rental and cool off by sliding down the waterslide into the lake. The calm waters are ideal for swimming, waterskiing or snorkeling. Cruise the waters or park along shore to enjoy some great lakeside hiking or camping.

Don Pedro Lake – a recreational gem in the Sierra Nevada foothills of the Stanislaus National Forest, near the communities of Moccasin and La Grange, and bordering the northwestern corner of Yosemite National Park. Here you’ll find nearly 160 miles of shoreline, excellent fishing and seemingly endless opportunity for water sports and fun.  Don Pedro Lake is actually the 5th largest man-made lake in California with over 2.3 million acre feet of water. Surrounded by rolling hills and oak trees, this beautiful reservoir is situated in a canyon carved out by the Tuolumne river. Several tributaries drain directly into Don Pedro Lake allowing the water levels to remain high and the comfortably warm summer water temperatures.

Trinity Lake is  one of Northern California’s favorite houseboating playgrounds. Here you’ve got miles of tree-lined shores to explore and countless secluded coves perfect for claiming as your own houseboat base camp. Trinity boasts unparalleled water sports opportunity – from world-class trout and bass fishing, to miles of smooth blue water perfect for boating, skiing and boarding. Accommodations range from lakeside cabin rentals, nearby RV parks and campgrounds, and nearly 147 miles of shoreline for camping and anchoring private and rental boats.

Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina on Lake Mohave is one of the best kept secrets in Nevada. We’re conveniently located on the Colorado river, just a short drive from Laughlin, NV and Bullhead City, AZ. We’re also part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service.  This pristine desert lake is approximately 67 miles long and is backed up by Davis Dam on the Colorado River. Lake Mohave is always full and the sparkling calm waters are legendary. Enjoy spectacular scenery, endless beach opportunities, sheer walls, and fascinating canyons along the way hosting names like Black Canyon, Pyramid Canyon, Painted Canyon and Eldorado Canyon.

Antelope Point is the  newest marina on beautiful Lake Powell, located just 12 miles from Page, Arizona.  Antelope Point  offers both convenience and brand-new upscale services catering to long-time Powell boaters and newcomers alike.  The marina  is anchored in the Lake’s main channel at mile marker 5, just a few minutes boat ride from the Glen  Canyon Dam and nearby Wahweap Marina. Antelope is the closest land-based marina to world-famous Rainbow Bridge National Monument – commemorating 100 years in 2009, and adjacent to popular Antelope and Navajo canyons. Like the other marinas on Lake Powell, Antelope Point is administered by the National Park Service. The Point however is located within the Federal Reservation of the Navajo Nation. You can see the native influence in the unique design and engineering of the marina facility – one of the largest of its type in the world.

Lake Mead offers 550 miles of pristine shoreline, soaring red rock cliffs, countless bays and beaches, and a convenient location within an hour of the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas.  Few places can beat the recreation opportunities that await you on Lake Mead.  Few places on earth match the raw, natural beauty of Lake Mead. Whether your idea of the perfect vacation is getting up at dawn to greet the sunrise with a cup of coffee or a waterski run on glass-like water. Or maybe it’s just relaxing on the top deck of a houseboat with friends and enjoying the glow of the sunset.

TMI Tours of Coeur d”Alene, Idaho  will customize a unique and exciting houseboat vacation for you from anywhere in the world.  For information and arrangements, contact Linda Bruno or Rhonda Sand at 1-800-975-7775 or email us at info@tmitours.com and let us handle all the details.

If you have attempted to make reservations to stay within Glacier National Park this summer, you know that almost every lodge is sold out for the summer 2010.   Glacier National Park is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary and with a limited number of hotel rooms located within the Park, availability is  a scattered few dates here and there.   It is still possible to enjoy a vacation to Glacier this summer and experience the history and ambiance of the great lodges of Glacier National Park with all inclusive, escorted tours operating throughout the summer 2010. 

These 5 night/6 day tours include overnight stays at the Glacier Park Lodge, The Prince of Wales Hotel, the Many Glacier Hotel  and Lake Mc Donald Lodge.  This tour is fully escorted and all transportation within the park will be aboard the vintage Red Buses.  Highlights include boat cruises of Two Medicine Lake & Swiftcurrent Lake, a Blackfeet Cultural History Tour,  escorted sightseeing hikes, afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel, a musical evening with singer/songwriter David Walburn,  an authentic western cowboy cookout and well as two other dinners and breakfast each morning.

Space is very limited for June, August and September departure dates.  Call or email Linda Bruno or Rhonda Sand at TMI Tours  for detailed itineraries and current availability.  Bring your family and explore Glacier National Park during the 100th anniversary this summer, staying at the historic, beautiful lodges within the park. Contact TMI Tours of Coeur dAlene, Idaho at 1-800-975-7775 or info@tmitours.com.  We are your Glacier National Park specialists.

Getting outdooors in North Idaho is what vacationing and living here are all about.  Whether you are new to the area or enjoying a family vacation at one of our beautiful lakes, guided adventures let you enjoy the activity without any of the worry. 

Imagine the exhilaration of hiking high in the mountains, cresting the ridgetop and looking down on a sparkling mountain lake nestled into a alpine meadow.   The rugged Selkirk Mountains in the Idaho Panhandle offer a chance to hike in the native habitat of moose, elk, bear and eagles.   Hiking trails wind through old growth forest, over cascading streams, through huckleberry patches and along mountain tops where the views go on forever.  Local guides will enchant you with stories of early fur trappers and traders, mountain men and native americans that lived and walked these same trails. 

Mountain biking in the Selkirks is easy with the help of the Great Escape Quad lift, whisking  bicycles and their riders up the mountain with ease.   For a great family outing  join a 19 mile downhill bike run from the top of the mountain  to a private 6-acre ranch located on pristine Priest River.  Spend the day enjoying a leisurely ride through spectacular scenery complete with a support vechicle, lunch at the ranch, swimming and playing in the river and van transportation back to your point of departure. 

Of course with all this tumbling water around us, guided kayak adventures can be taylored for almost any level of enthusiast.   Specially designed trips for beginners and young teens are available on beautiful Priest River using stable, inflateable kayaks and include just the right amount of fast and slow water to keep it fun.

TMI Tours of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho has complete details on these and many other guided outdoor adventures available in North Idaho and the Pacific Northwest.  Contact Linda Bruno or Rhonda Sand for airfare, lodging and activities for your perfect vacation in the great state of Idaho. 1-800-975-7775 or info@tmitours.com

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is the perfect place to plan a corporate meeting  or family special event.  Set on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene and surrounded by thickly forested mountains and  sparkling rivers, Coeur d’Alene offers beautiful summer weather for enjoying our abundant outdoor activities. 

Luxury yacht on Lake Coeur dalene

Rent a luxury yacht and enjoy a totally care-free experience for your meeting or special event.  Considered one of the world’s most beautiful lakes, Lake Coeur d’Alene has over one hundred miles of scenic shoreline and three breathtaking, navigable rivers.  Each river is an adventure in itself offering unique yachting and sightseeing experiences.  Cruise the crystal blue waters while gazing at amazing wildlife; bald eagles, osprey, deer and moose-all in their natural habitat.  Meetings are always more enjoyable with the calming waters under you, the barbeque smoking and of course, your favorite beverages on board. 

How about a real western cook-out complete with trail and hayrides?  Local ranches offer true western hospitality for groups of any size, complete with sizzling steak bar-b-ques and all the fixin’s’.   They love to hitch up the haywagon and transport your guests  back to a simpler way of life while taking in  fresh mountain air and scenery.  For the more adventurous, saddle up a horse and take a guided trail ride across the meadows and streams that lace our backyard.

Already coming to Coeur d’Alene with a group or event?  Let TMI Tours arrange activities for after-hours adventures or corporate team building.   We offer a wide array of outdoor activities such as white water rafting,  guided mountain bike or hiking adventures, fishing excursions, golfing, river floats and day-trips to Glacier National Park. 

Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding communities offer accomodations to fit any budget whether a luxury resort hotel,  farm-stay or lakefront luxury homes and cabins.  For information on activities, accomodations, airfare, transportation and meeting planning contact Rhonda or Linda at TMI Tours of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.  Let us help you plan a unique event for your family or company this summer on stunning Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Spring brings the beginning of the cruise season for the Columbia and Snake River region in the Pacific Northwest.  Every week from April 17th through October 17th, small cruise ships navigate the locks and dams that tame the Mighty Columbia River as they usher guests deep into the Columbia River Gorge.   While most river cruises carry you past urban centers and crowded shorelines, much of the Columbia and Snake Rivers remain pristine and wild.  You can clearly see

Hells Canyon

 evidence of the great floods that carved this region thousands of years ago in the breathtakingly  beautiful Columbia River Gorge, the golden coulees and scablands, the great black pinnacles of basalt that guided explorers, Lewis & Clark.   You’ll find the past and present coexist here, from Oregon Trail wagon ruts to the modern engineering marvel of eight locks and dams.

Adventurous shore excursions entice all ages:  jet boat rides up the Snake River through Hells Canyon to view 7,000 year old Indian petroglyphs, wandering the hidden underground city built by Chinese emigrants below Pendelton as well as fascinating historical and maritime museums, lush wineries and quaint riverside towns.

Columbia River vineyard

Throughout these cruises, the Pacific Northwest’s pioneer history is brought to life with a special series of excursions, guest speakers, narrations and on-board presentations by historians and exloration leaders.  More than just sightseeing, these cruises incorporate American music, culture, cuisine and local history into a total travel experience.  The small ships that cruise the Columbia and Snake Rivers are intimate and family oriented, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Touch, breathe and experience first-hand the unique history of the Columbia River Gorge .  Contact Rhonda or Linda at TMI Tours & Cruises at 1-800-975-7775 or email info@tmitours.com for more information on these and other cruises in the Pacific Northwest.