Help with Lake Powell tours and more
 

We are going for 3 days, 2 nights next week. We don't want to pay close to $400 to rent a 19' boat for the 2 of us, so we are thinking of doing boat tours. {DH has been to LP, I've not}

We are going to try and get reservations for Rainbow Bridge tours as our first choice.

Our second and third choices would be Navajo Tapestry [2nd] and ANteloupe Canyon -water side] [3rd].

Would it be overkill to do all 3?

We are staying at Wahweap Lodge. Is that the only place to have dinnner in the immediate area? We will be celebrating our wedding anniversary, so we'd like something on the nicer side.

We are also taking the ferry from the UT side, any suggestions for that part of trip.

I would like to swim in lake, are there beaches near Wahweap that are not filled with boat gunk?

Thanks all. {I did look up some older threads, but hopping for some more up to date insights}
Debi

Hi Debi,

I hope you can get on the Rainbow Bridge Boat Tour...it's awesome! I do think that it would be overkill to do all three boat tours on Lake Powell. If you can't do the Rainbow Bridge, then do the 3 hour tour...the longer on the lake the better! :)

Have you considered the 1/2 day Float trip on the Colorado River out of Page, AZ? This was a really great experience and I highly recommend it!

Here are my pictures on the float trip: http://www.utahtea.lithium.com/pages...2003/float.htm

I don't recommend renting a boat because while the lake is so low because you only have one way to get from Wahweap to the main part of the lake...and that is though 12 miles of some of the choppiest water...and it's a rough ride.

There are a couple of beaches that you can go swimming in. You might consider renting a jet ski to go play in the water.

Lake Powell is one of my favorite places and my ALL TIME favorite lake...enjoy!

Utahtea

Hi Debi,

We are going to Lake Powell for the first time next week too (renting a houseboat), so I have no actual experience to share. During my (exhaustive) research, however, I found that the new Antelope Point Marina charges a little less for rental boats than Wahweap. They also have a new, floating restaurant that looks pretty intriguing. www.antelopepointlakepowell.com

Enjoy!

We spent four days at Wahweap last week (son is working at the marina there for the summer). Not a lot of "special occasion" restaurants in the area.

You might consider doing the dinner cruise. You can book it in the lobby at the lodge. My son reccomended it, and we had a nice time. Dinner was salad, bread, prime rib, potatoes, and vegetables, with cheesecake for dessert. Not a very inventive menu, but all was prepared well and tasted good. They also have a full bar, so wine or champagne should be available to toast the occasion. Someone had a birthday cake delivered to their table on our cruise, so they may do something special for an anniversary.

They took us down to the dam, then into one of the side canyons as far as they could go. Everyone onboard seemed to enjoy it.

We went swimming at Lone Rock Beach, which was very nice, but had to use my son's 4-wheel drive to get there. It's just over the Utah state line, north of Wahweap. He said there is a decent beach at the end of Stateline Road, just north of Wahweap. You will see the signs if you come into Wahweap from the north.

Have fun, and congratulations on the anniversary!

utahtea - we were able to book the all day Rainbow Bridge tour! About the float trip -- this might sound like a wierd question: do you have to look up alot to see the scenery or can you look eye level? I have been having problems for 6 weeks or so with vertigo and looking up makes me dizzy [for example; if I am looking at a book on a shelf above my head and have to tip my head back to see the book -I get dizzy].

I love the water and want to spend as much time on it, near it, in it. One of the things I miss living here in the SW is water!

lvk - do you have the name of the restaurant? I can't find anything specific on it online and it sounds fun for anniversary dinner. I was thinking I'd make reservations if I know the name. {Reservations -- it's what I make best for dinner :o) }

rascat - thanks for the info on the beaches. I thought about the dinner cruise, but being on the tour all day on the boat, figured dinnner would be on land.

Any one else have suggestions?
Thanks - Debi

Ready for this? The name is:

Ja' di' To'oh. Try calling 411 and asking for that! You might need a Navajo code talker to help you. :)

On the link I posted above for the Antelope Point Marina, click on Services, and you will see it mentioned. The phone # is at the bottom. They used to have pictures of the interiors of the restaurant, but I don't see those now. There are a couple of Trip Advisor reviews about it, but who knows if they are for real.

Good Luck and have a great anniversary!

I did see that, lvk, but wasn't sure it was the place you meant. Looks like the food is pretty casual. Might try it our first night and then go to Raibow Room for our anniversary. I'll wave at you as we pass each other on the lake!
Debi

Debi,

You are going to want to look up on the float trip. You can look just forward and see the canyon but I think it will be hard to resist looking up. The thing is...you're going to have the same thing on the boat tours on Lake Powell when they go down the canyon. It might not be as bad if you sit on top of level of the boat tour boat. Make sure you get on the tour boat early to get a seat on top.

WOW..they have really made some changes to Antelope Marina. It had just opened when we were there in 2006. If I was going to rent anything, I'd rent it from there because it's closer to the main part of the lake.

Utahtea

OT...but Debi...do I know you from iVillage?

Utahtea

Several years ago I had dinner at that Wahweep restaurant, and the food there was great, I had fish with raspberry sauce. Several of us dined there, and we all agreed: while on the pricy side, it's worth it! I hope it had not gone down since!

I did only Antelope boat tour - it was unreal, like you are on a moon or some other planet.

Utahtea's response made me think of something my son told us...When the people seated with us at dinner mentioned doing the boat tour the next day, he advised them to get there early to get a seat up top, but once they reached the end, to be sure and head downstairs ahead of the crowd to get a shaded seat for the ride back.

He and a friend had done the tour in June. They really enjoyed it, and got some nice pictures, but they baked on the ride back on the upper level. He grew up in Florida, and she grew up in Texas, so if they felt sun baked, it must really get hot! Plus, he's been there since May, and his job keeps him outside most of the day, so he's pretty used to the heat and sun.

His birthday was in June, and he said his friend arranged for a nice dinner at the Rainbow Room. He seemed to enjoy it (and he's a foodie big-time).

If looking down is not a problem, be sure to go out to Horseshoe Bend on 89 beyond Page (watch for small white sign on the right side of the road). I suffer from bouts of vertigo (inner ear problem), so I didn't go right to the edge, but the view was still amazing! Hubby and son had to be sure to go right to the edge, and climb the rocks just to make me nervous. We could see the "boats" from the float trip below and wished we had made arrangements to do it.

This is making me want to go back...

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to all this "forum" stuff but this makes for great reading! We are thinking of a Lake Powell family trip 1st week of April. We have never been there before. Is the water swimmable? Are House boats fun - say for 2 nights? Any type or place recommended? Thanks!

Hi CarlaKen,

Welcome to the Fodor's Forums. This is a great bunch of travelers!

I've never done a houseboat trip, but it's my dream vacation!

I haven't been to Lake Powell in April, but from the Glen Canyon National Recreational website, it looks like the water would be to cold to go swimming. http://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/weather.htm

I think the shortest time you can rent a Houseboat is for 3 days: http://www.lakepowell.com/houseboats/rates.cfm

If you only have two days, I'd do the Rainbow Bridge Boat Tour on Lake Powell, do the Upper Antelope Slots Canyon (land) tour, hike to Horseshoe Bend and also do the 1/2 day Colorado Float trip.

Utahtea

Utahtea

utahtea - I think my name looks familiar from here, not really on ivillage.

rascat - "We went swimming at Lone Rock Beach, which was very nice, but had to use my son's 4-wheel drive to get there. It's just over the Utah state line, north of Wahweap. He said there is a decent beach at the end of Stateline Road, just north of Wahweap. You will see the signs if you come into Wahweap from the north."
Can you drive a regular car to the beach at end of Stateline road?
We have a 4x4 but weren't going to use it to go, but maybe we better.

Are all the other beaches/swimming areas accessible only by boat?

Thanks,
Debi

I don't think you need a 4x4 for the Stateline Road beach. We were driving a rented Volvo, and my son led me to believe we could get down there if needed, but we never did it. There may even be a way to get to Lone Rock beach without the 4x4, but he took us over some dunes and down quite a ways (in an area marked 4wheel only). I will try to remember to ask him if I talk to him Tues. or Wed.

FYI-it was 106 degrees when we were there. The water was warm on the surface (knee-deep), but much cooler, almost cold below that.

Two places to eat, other than your anniversary dinner, are the Dam Bar and Slackers. The Dam Bar has a full service menu, Slackers is sandwiches, salads, soups, etc. They are both in plazas in the middle of Page. There is a tourist bureau in the same plaza as Slackers, and they were very helpful.

We love regional food traditions, and the big one in Page is fry sauce, which is a combination of ketchup and mayo. Most of the burger/sandwich places keep a big pump bottle of it on the counter. Hubby loved the stuff!

Have a great time on your trip!

I think the lake levels will play a big part in how hard it is to get to Lone Rock Beach. In years past, when the lake was higher we drove our motorhome out and parked with other campers along the beach. I know that Lone Rock was land locked for a time when the lake was really, really low...so it might depend on the lake level.

Utahtea

Hi DebitNM!

My son called last night, so asked him about the beaches.

He said you can get to the Stateline Road beach with a car, but be aware there is boat launch there also. The nicer beach is at Lone Rock. He says you should be able to get to part of it by car, just always stay to the left once you enter to avoid soft sand. His advice was look for motorhomes (as Utahtea mentioned) and head that direction. He still prefers the beach in the 4wheel area (fewer people and boats), but I also think getting there is a big part of the fun for him :).

We decided to take our Land Rover, so 4x4 will be no problem; thanks rascat!
Debi