Favorite Vacation Spot - A Luxury House Boat on Lake Travis

Renting a houseboat for a week on a lake has got to be the most awesome vacation ever! Explore private coves and sometimes islands, swim, fish, snorkel, dive, ski and relax on your own private floating home. De-stress and be mellow in the comfort of your own floating home.

Let's pretend we have unlimited funds for a week and go live in a luxury cruise mobile. The cost for a big comfy houseboat on Lake Travis is around $4,000 a week during peak season (May through September). That's seven days and six nights of floating around in a little slice of heaven. The house boat sleeps 10 people, so you could share the cost with a few friends and have an even better time. It's about the same price as one of those cruise ship tiny rooms. There are 3 and 4 day rentals available if you are touring Texas and just want to spend a couple of days on the lake.

Starting out at Emerald Point Marina, you can explore the nearly 300 miles of shoreline around the drop dead gorgeous Lake Travis water way.The back of the boat has a big water slide that is much fun, and a fold up ladder for easy access back on to the boat. You have the option of renting or bringing along some water toys like wave runners or cool floaties. If you have scuba gear, bring it along because Lake Travis is one of the clearest scuba lakes in Texas. There are several scuba parks and dive shops nearby. My favorite is Windy Point Scuba Park.

Now, I don't know if Italian leather sofas are any better than good old Texas leather sofas, but you get a leather sofa in the living room. Satellite TV is provided, a DVD player and a good stereo. Queen size beds in all the bedrooms. The bath could be bigger and there could be more than one, but some of the houseboats have nice big baths. Kitchens are first rate and a barbque grill is right out on the back porch.

Our menu would include good steaks, baked potatoes, salads and desserts. Stop at any of the whole foods markets to pick up stuff to cook or ready made items like artisan breads, muffins, croissants, salmon, olives, chips and dips. Go wild. They have every gourmet thing you can think of. Grab some locally brewed beer and some wine and you're all set.

Hang out on the deck of your floating home at sunset to watch one of the best nature shows around. Sunsets in the hill country of Texas are legendary. Then watch the stars at night that really are big and bright, until time to be gently rocked to sleep by the soft sounds of the lake and the gentle motion of the water. No noisy neighbors or rowdy crowds to disturb you.

During the day, go for a morning swim, drink coffee and eat breakfast from your deck. Cruise around the lake to find another interesting cove to anchor in. Go for another swim and grill some steaks on the barbecue. Serve afternoon tea while watching the boats go by. Take an afternoon hike on the shore. Enjoy a quiet evening under the stars. Relax! It's a vacation!

1. Get Wet! - Swim, Scuba, Ski, Snorkel
2. Go Fishing - Bass fish, Catfish, see Chart of Fish in Lake Travis
3. Watch for Yachts - Lake Travis has a Yacht Club and lots of cool boats to see.
4. Relax - People watch from your own personal houseboat decks, especially the upper one
   
5. Star Gaze - Spend the night under the stars and enjoy the reflected light on the water
6. Drink - Houseboat kitchens come with blenders so bring along some fun mixes to enjoy
7. Cook - Gourmet food, of course, or have a fish fry with the fish you've caught
   
8. Find a cool restaurant at a marina - You'll need an alternate source of transportation like a kayak to get there, houseboats are only licensed to dock at specific marinas.
9. Dance - Turn the out board lights on and dance on the decks. You will see lots of others doing the same thing.
10. Explore - 300 miles of coastline to examine and enjoy. In Lake Travis, there are "sometimes islands" that appear when the level is low. Get out and explore the shore!