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Adventures on Lake Powell in Arizona/Utah!

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Ever since Sean and I met, nearly 4 years ago, he has been dying to do a houseboat trip on Lake Powell with me and friends. He took this trip many times when he was in college in Flagstaff, Arizona and loved it every.single.time.

Lake Powell is a man-made reservoir on the Colorado River in Arizona and Utah and supplies water to California, Nevada and Arizona. (Because it’s in 2 different time zones, we never really knew what time it was!!) It was created in 1963 when the Glen Canyon Dam held back the waters of the Colorado River. The dam formed a gigantic, gorgeous, blue lake surrounded by dramatic sandstone walls. You can see how vast the lake truly is in the map below.

Given the situation with the pandemic, all of our international trips were cancelled. Soooo, in October 2020, we managed to turn this sad state of affairs into a wonderful opportunity for Sean to get his wish.

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what this experience would be like, hanging out on a houseboat for 5 days? Would I be bored? All I can say is, it was a total blast and ranks in the top 3 vacations Sean and I have taken together. 4 awesome friends were able to experience the magic of Lake Powell with us.

“Travel brings power and love back into your life.” – Rumi

We found a GORGEOUS, quiet spot in a serene, remote location. That “fun” looking slide turned out to be the devil! Those who dared to test it, walked away with skinned knees, ankles and a foot long thigh bruise.

Nothing better than SUPing on glassy water in a nearby slot canyon – right around the corner from our boat. It was one of the most peaceful places..it was nice to be silent for a bit.

Dinner was served every night on the top deck of the boat with some AMAZING views. This was one of my most favorite parts of the day. It was fun to cook some tasty meals with our friends and just chill with a nice bottle of vino. The weather could not have been more perfect. No wind, no sweater required.

We took a day trip out to Rainbow Bridge National Monument – one of the largest natural bridges in the world. Our friends were the most fun travel companions – we loved spending time with these peeps. It’s purely coincidental we are all nearly the same height (it wasn’t a trip requirement!). lol.

We spent a lazy day on our speedboat in a beautiful slot canyon we just happened to find – it was an unbelievable afternoon. The whole experience was surreal – gratitude overfloweth!

We had our toys to fill the downtime and lit bonfires every night on the beach. Sean was sweet enough to build a lighted path so we didn’t break our middle-aged necks!

We explored by speed boat and on foot – there is so much to do here, we barely scratched the surface!

There is not one thing I would change about this trip – not even the fact we had to make coffee in the one and only bathroom on the boat.

Thanks to this handsome guy, we had an incredible experience. Thanks babo – you are the best and are loved by many 🙂

…i choose this…

Pam

86 comments

  2. You seem to have the lake to yourself. Everything I’ve read about it (mostly by Edward Abbey) makes it sound like a marina. Was it easy to get away from people? Seems that way. That boat looks really nice. Kind of envious. I’m really missing the southwest.

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    1. So, we tried to get a bigger boat, because we were worried about the bathroom situation. ALL of them were booked, so we expected a busy lake….That wasn’t the case at all. And truthfully, it is soooo big, you can find seclusion if you are willing to be adventurous. The only ‘issue’ we had were the pesky jet skis roaring by to get to that slot canyon behind us. Thankfully, they stopped by at least 5 so we could have a quiet, intimate dinner with friends and didn’t start up again until the late morning. At night we did not hear a PEEP from any other boats, etc. It was dreamy.

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    2. What mesmerizing photos of Lake Powell and of the slot canyon! They made me want to head there immediately and experience life on a houseboat. Steven and I will have to add that part of Arizona and Utah to our ever expanding bucket list.

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  5. Your vacation looks and sounds delightful. I’ve been to Lake Powell for a day trip and it was stunningly beautiful. I’m glad you weren’t bored with this adventure. Had you said you were, I’d have wondered about your mental health!

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    1. The water levels were decent…I think this time of year, levels are not nearly as high, but they were perfect for what we experienced. You all definitely need to put this on your list! Have a great week you two!

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  11. I like your remark about being outside of the time due to the duality of the time zones, but it is also outside of the space as the landscapes seem so unreal. These arid slopes, reflected in flat water, make for great photos.

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  13. Jealous!!! I love Lake Powell. Years ago, out of Bullfrog, we spent a week exploring with our boat. Then in 2018, we spent five weeks camped along the shores just outside of Page at Lone Rock. We have yet to rent a houseboat … that remains at the top of my list. Great photos!

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      1. With an RV and ability to work location independent, we were able to camp at Lone Rock for five weeks. Page has an awesome library with an ‘adult’s only’ section where I was able to get some work done with free WiFi plus out of the wind that quite often plagues that part of the country. The only thing missing was our own boat (which we no longer own 😥) We too have thought about renting a boat and tenting it. We would probably rent a boat in the town of Big Water, UT. A little less $ and they launch it at Wahweap. I share lots of tidbits on our time there on the blog – April 2018.

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  17. WOW 🤩 what an amazing place to houseboat! We love houseboat holidays which we take on our largest river in South Australia, the Murray River. They are such relaxing holidays especially with the right group of people.

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  20. We might have been leery of sitting on a boat for 5 days also (especially one with one bathroom!), but you found so much to do – very impressive! The scenery is amazing, and it seems like you had the perfect group to chill out with. (I don’t think Sean got the sock memo, though. Haha 🙂 ) You guys are so good at ferreting out new adventures!

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    1. I have to roll with the sock situation. LOL. I think you all would have loved the trip, even with 1 bathroom. It was only an ‘issue’ once (at least for me). Since Sean hadn’t been in soo long, I was a little worried, his memory of the experience might be skewed, but it wasn’t – thank goodness! We want to go back and rent a speedboat for a few days and boat camp. Would love to really explore a chunk of the lake for future adventures.

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  21. Uh-MAZING. I’m so glad – but not at all surprised – that you two were able to make (spiked?) lemonade out of lemons this year. Thank you for sharing your light, beauty, and positivity with the world! When I see you next (yay!), I’m gonna need that bathroom coffee recipe. 2020 has taught me to prepare for anything.

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  22. Peggy and I have thought about doing the houseboat trip on Lake Powel, Pam. In fact, just today another blog friend went through the area hoping she could do the trip but couldn’t get a boat. Next time, she says. Your photos reinforce the idea. Sounds like an ideal trip to do with friends. Several years ago, I obtained a permit for a rafting trip down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. Drop dead beautiful country. Thanks for the tour. –Curt

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    1. There was a woman the day we checked in looking for a boat. I would laugh if it was your friend! Yes, great trip with friends FOR SURE – highly recommend. And yes, stunning area….had no idea 🙂

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      1. “stunning area,” Like so much of the Southwest, Pam. All rocks and color! Love it! For years we talked about taking our bookclub out on a houseboat on Lake Shasta. Just never got around to it. Sigh.
        Did you see any of the bighorn sheep around Lake Mead? Magnificent creatures. –Curt

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          1. If you are back around Boulder, Pam, there is a little county park off of Business 93 going down to the dam (I think it is Hemenway looking at a map) where the Big Horns come down to graze in the summer. It’s an upclose and personal experience! I did a post on it way back: desert-big-horn-sheep-on-the-road

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    1. Thanks Nick, we go really lucky with the weather. The only bad thing about it, is that it was so hot and dry this year, we lost hundreds of thousands of acres due to fires – it’s been Really sad. There is a huge one right now in Colorado…can’t get control of it. 😢

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  26. There are houseboats for rent on nearby Smith Mountain Lake. We’ve discussed renting one for years, but have never taken the plunge. It looks like you had an amazing time. And wow!!! That scenery is stunning and glassy water is always gorgeous!!

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  27. WOW!!! Every time you go exploring, you find a great place and it usually feels like you have it all to yourself. You definitely know how to surround yourself with fabulous people and be in the right place, at the right time!
    Those pictures sure are gorgeous and the lake absolutely stunning! Sounds and looks fantastic to spend time there.
    Glad to know you found a way to make this October 2020 a little bit more special than it was going to be otherwise 😉

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  29. Hi Pam! Lex Klein connected me to your blog! LOVE this post about Lake Powell. My husband and I were just there and camped for two nights. We had thought about renting a houseboat but with just the two of us (on a two-week road trip) we decided to wait until another time when we can bring friends. I’m SO looking forward to this adventure after reading your post and seeing your gorgeous photos! It looks spectacular! Thanks for sharing and moving this trip to the top of our list. 🙂

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    1. Lex is THE BEST! You will definitely love it. Sean and I want to go back, rent a speedboat and do some shore camping. I’d like to get to know the lake a little bit more and plan another epic trip with friends. If you need any further details don’t hesitate to reach out. Happy to share. I’ll have to read your posts about your road trip! LOVE this part of the US. Thanks for commenting!! 🙌

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    1. Thank you Mimi! I was soooo pleasantly surprised. I had dinner last night with on of the friends on the trip – she and I couldn’t say enough good things about it. If you go, make sure pick the right mix of peeps. That helps also. 🙂

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