Boating Holidays
By Frank Hague, Fri Dec 9th

Boating holidays are a wonderful way to spend the summer! Justpack your bags and float around on a houseboat or a yacht for afew weeks, enjoying the sunshine, fishing and swimming andvisiting towns along the shoreline. It's comparable in cost tostaying in a hotel, with so much less hassle. And it's great forthe whole family, especially the kids. Children always findentertainment on and around water. They swim and snorkle, whileadults relax in a fold-up chair with a cool drink and a book.

Boating holidays, as opposed to travel on large cruise ships,offer a more intimate and relaxed voyage without the bustle ofthousands of mega-ship passengers all around you. And the venuesare more intriguing than the tourist traps visited by the bigcruise ships. The smaller boats are surprisingly well-serviced,with features such as showers and sometimes bicycles for toursaround the countryside during stops.

Many online services throughout the world offer trips on localcanals and lakes surrounded by historic locations. What about acanal trip throughout Holland? This seafaring nation was builton marshland, and vestiges of the marsh still remain in the formof canals criss-crossing the whole country connecting quainttowns (with architecture carefully preserved, thanks to Dutchlaws against the remodeling of historic buildings) tocosmopolitan cities such as Amsterdam.

England and Wales also have canals, are a multitude of tours areavailable, such as Llangollen, Four Counties and Cheshire Rings,Oxford and Avon canals, and the river Thames. Unknown to mosttourists, there is a network of waterways that traverse Englandfrom Yorkshire to Avon and into Wales. See different historictowns without battling holiday drivers on Europe's crowded roads(and believe me, if you are used to driving only on NorthAmerica's wide freeways, European traffic will give you ashock).

In Scotland, how about a holiday on 23-mile long LochNess? There's no guarantee

Oxford edge thriller
Oxford win their second consecutive Boat Race by just one foot - the closest verdict ever.
Mixed emotions for brothers
Matt Smith and David Livingston celebrate Oxford's Boat Race win, but their brothers are inconsolable.
The Boat Race: as it happened
Stroke-by-stroke action from Oxford narrowest of wins over Cambridge in the 149th University Boat Race.
Oxford University
Profiles of the Dark Blue crew ahead of the 149th Boat Race.
Cambridge University
Profiles of the Light Blue crew ahead of the 149th Boat Race.
Boat Race archive pictures
Images from the Oxford and Cambridge clashes on the River Thames in recent years.
Flashback to 2002
Oxford upset pre-race favourites Cambridge to win the 148th University Boat Race in one of the tightest encounters ever.
History of the Boat Race
A look back at the glorious and colourful past of the battles between Oxford and Cambridge dating back to 1829.
University Boat Race 2002
The full story
Cambridge crash in training
Picturtes from the Thames as two Cambridge oarsmen are injured during a collision between two boats ahead of Sunday's race.
Crews weigh in for 149th race
Pictures from the weigh-in for the 149th University Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge.
What's it all about?
A look at why the Boat Race has so many detractors.
How the eight work
The lowdown on what makes the perfect rowing eight nedded to win the Boat Race.
The cox explained
BBC Sport's Mark Davies, a former Cambridge cox, provides an insight into the all-important role of the person in the box seat.
Life of a university rower
An insight into the daily schedule of the university oarsman as they build to their all-important race.

Nessie will show up, but you arebound to be impressed by the rugged grandeur of the Great Glenand the battle-scarred castles surrounding it. It is one ofEurope's most spellbinding locations, and a pleasant surprise tothose under the impression that there is no wilderness left inEurope. Eagles, ospreys and other rare birds and even otterslive in this pristine environment. Needless to say,opportunities for fishing abound. Visit the Loch Ness Center atDrumnadrochit to learn the in-depth history of the area.

Don't forget to consider a romantic holiday on thewaterways of France. The canals of Brittany, Burgundy, Alsace,River Charente, River Lot and the South of France offer beauty,culture, and inimitable French food and wine enroute.

In North America, the Great Lakes region is so large it isimpossible to see it all on one 2-week holiday. The St.Lawrence River is one of the most important rivers on the NorthAmerican continent. It begins in the Great Lakes, leading to asvast estuary before ending in the Atlantic Ocean. It isapproximately 500 miles long, and forms the border betweenCanada and the USA for approximately 100 miles. Sail up the St.Lawrence canal on a tour into French Canada for spectacularnorthern scenery and wildlife such as Beluga whales.

While on the topic of North American holidaydestinations, let's not forget Lake Tahoe. This is a pereniallypopular tourist destination, and every American who has thechance should visit this unique lake at least once. There areEmerald Bay sightseeing cruises on the Tahoe Queen, and rides onthe M.S. Dixie II paddlewheeler. There is also a 44-foottrimaran and 55-foot catamaran. Small family boats are availablefor private family rental. Lake Tahoe offers many upscaleresorts and restaurants as well as historic tours.

About the author:Frank Hague is interested in Cruises and boating.http://www.royalcaribbeanreview.comhttp://www.celebrity-cruise-now.infohttp://www.condo-cruise-ship.comhttp://www.boating-holidays.info http://www.lake-tahoe-now.infohttp://www.2qz.com/condo-cruise-ship