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Floating Fun
Houseboat Vacations Offer Fun, Solitude and a Means to Reconnect with Family
By Suzy Feine
Nancy Rognholt of Hastings, Minn., never missed the TV or phone after her vacation home floated away from the dock for a weeklong excursion. Instead, the Rognholt family viewed this particular vacation as a time to reconnect, and not having a TV around helped them do just that. "We brought along family games to play," says Rognholt. "It was a very relaxing, no-stress vacation that allowed our family to really enjoy each other's company. It was a 'stop and smell the roses' vacation."
Rognholt and her family decided to rent a houseboat and float along Birch Lake in Northern Minnesota after numerous resort-style vacations proved to be too crowded. What they discovered on their houseboat vacation was peaceful serenity that allowed them to spend quality time together as a family – traits rarely found at most popular vacation spots.
A houseboat vacation is unlike any vacation you've taken in the past, and the key to a successful trip is selecting the right size houseboat. Katy Ebel, co-owner of Ebel's Voyageur Houseboats in Voyageurs National Park, Minn., has been providing houseboat vacations to her guests for more than 31 years.
"Always pick a large enough houseboat to accommodate your group, babies especially, as they do travel with a lot of items," she says. Ebel's fleet ranges in size from the standard 36-foot style to the deluxe 65-foot series, complete with hot tub.