Another chapter in my life! Something new indeed. I have been taking about renting a house boat and playing on the river for years, and finally Judy and I did just that. We had driven to Fremont and checked out the "Party Doll Marina" to see what it was like and found the prices to be fair all things considered. So, we took off on a three day trip up the Wolf River. We chose to rent a "six sleeper" pictured to the left. It is really a nicely kept well maintained boat with plenty of room inside and full kitchen facilities. We even had a microwave oven! If you choose the 10 sleeper you also get a TV and central air conditioning. Judy and I felt that we could only sleep in so many beds over the course of 2.5 days, so the six was plenty for us.
The owner of the marina took me out in the boat and gave me some lessons in operating it. The boat operation is pretty simple if you just keep in mind that it is not a speed boat and it turns from the rear. So, it takes a little planning, but is is very easy to steer and all of the equipment on the boat worked. I was a little concerned about sleeping on a boat, but actaully I found it pretty southing and very quiet.
Our first day we went up river, picked up bait and stopped at a little place called the "Gala Resort" for lunch. Their place is worth the stop. Very enjoyable and good food too. The wonderful thing about the river is that you can pull off into a series of lakes all along the river and fish or just take a swim. Our first stop was on Partridge Lake. We tried our hand at fishing but had no luck. I found that fishing on the boat was pretty much fun as you can just head to the back of the boat and wash you hand in the sink! That took getting used to! If the fishing gets boring, just pull up and chair at the kitchen table for some coffee.
There is plenty of room on a front deck and a rear deck on the boat. Both decks come with seating and the front deck also has a patio table with chairs. There is also a gas grill on the front of the boat for cooking your meals.
Once we started fishing on the river our luck changed and we were pulling in all kinds of catfish and bass. The fish were pretty cooperative and we usually found some action where ever we were fishing.
Just cruising slowly up the river was fun in itself. There is so much to see it is amazing. There is wildlife you just do not see every day including Pelicans. I did not know there are pelicans in Wisconsin, but there are. Much of our time was spent just chugging up the river enjoying the views. Driv
ing the boat is not labor intensive, so it is pretty relaxing to just cruise and look around. Judy found her spot on the front deck with her coffee and newspaper.We only had one rain storm while we were out on the river. We had pulled onto Partridge Lake to have supper when we got hit. It was a pretty heavy rain but we were dry and comfortable in the boat. We managed to cook some pork chops and have nice dinner while the rain beat down outside the boat.
The houseboat trip was a wonderful experience and I recommend it to anyone who wants to do something new. The sunsets are also awesome! Here is a sample
At any rate, if you have ever thought about renting a houseboat, do not wait. Do it. You will love it!
Enjoy!
