I know its not within your 500 mile range as its at least 3 times that distance but Lake Tahoe and Lake Powell needs to on the list.

I'll have to agree with BUP, if you ever get out west you have to take a trip to Lake Powell. The place is simply awe inspiring Everyone should make at least one trip there.


Darrell.

Great Lakes , we are on Erie.

Higgins lake in MI

We boat on Green Bay, the thumb of lake Michigan, the Door County side has a lot of places to stop at that the wife and kids will like. There are sandy beaches to raft and swim, shopping, dinning all the things you need to keep the family happy.

I would also second, or third lake Charlevoix we went there this year for the first time to hang around and spectate Boyne Thunder. We really enjoyed it, I plan to make that a annual summer trip. I also plan to get to Torch lake, and the Traverse City area. As others here have said if you like performance boats, and lets be honest you wouldn't be on this site if you didn't I would try to make the trip to the Charlevoix area for Boyne Thunder, you don't have to do the poker run to have a good time. We had a great time just seeing the sights and doing tourist things, and then sat in our boat and watched the boat parade for the poker run.
They also have the Venetian festival a couple weeks later that is very popular, my wife wants to go for that some time in the future.

Have fun planning your next trip!

Absolutely! Just got back from a week there and can't wait to go back!

x2. I grew up in Green Bay, but have never really done any serious boating on the Bay until this summer. Chambers Island is sweeeeeeet.

I am not really a lake person and fell in LOVE with LOTO and would love to be back with or without the shootout. Everything about that place and the area was top notch to me.

x3 on Green Bay. I am from Green Bay and have boated on the bay my whole life so I may be biased. The "Upper Bay" (Sturgeon Bay and north) is awesome. Crystal clear water which you can easily see bottom in 10-15 feet deep, lot's of room to run, not a lot of water patrol. Check out Door County Wisconsin (Fish Creek, Sister Bay, Egg Harbor, Sturgeon Bay). Lots of stuff for the family to do. Plenty of hotel's and marina's to keep the boat at. The lower bay (city of Green Bay area) is also decent and has a handful of bar's and restaurants on the water with dock access. The water is just not quite as clean. If interested I can PM you some of my pics.

X3

I went to Lake George the first time with the boat this summer and my family and I had a great time. Hoping to make it an annual trip.