Featured
Tested: Formula 290 BR
In a lot of cases, a bowrider is a compromise boat, trying to be many things at once. The new Formula 290 BR, however, is a great exception. It manages to deliver classic Formula “big boat” looks in a nimble and fast package that makes it an ideal family boat and a great second boat […] Read More
The Complete Listing of Marinas and Locks on the Inland and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways
Discovering Baton Rouge’s Downtown Waterfront
Baton Rouge’s Old Capitol building reminded me of a European castle with crowns atop each column and tower. Inside, though, instead of drafty corridors, you’ll find a stained-glass dome and windows, a cast-iron circular staircase rotating 270 degrees and marble floors. There’s even a ghost that haunts this Gothic architectural treasure, a Civil War-era woman […] Read More
Fontana Lake: A Blue Ridge Oasis
“Fontana” in Italian means fountain. What an appropriate name for a living monument of water, mountains, forest and a village resort. The Fontana Lake area in the western corner of North Carolina is a fountain of beauty, whose mists trap the water and whose mountains hold back the sun. The region has attracted visitors since […] Read More
Great Expectations: Six Great Loop Boats
It’s possible to complete The Great Loop in most any kind of vessel, be it kayak, pontoon boat or 70-foot luxury yacht. But why make it harder than it has to be? Fact is, some craft are just better suited to the task. Here are six new models to consider when preparing for your 6,000-mile […] Read More
Tested: Ranger RP 190
Heartland boaters seeking an aluminum built, multi-species fishing boat with a major league pedigree will find plenty to like aboard Ranger’s RP 190. I tested the new-for-2016 model fitted with a Yamaha VMAX SHO 115 outboard in and around Baltimore’s Inner Harbor this past summer and found it to offer a super combination of space […] Read More
Top Boating Towns 2016
America’s Heartland is home to dozens of towns with truly authentic character as well as access to inviting lakes and rivers. Last year we asked you to help crown the top boating destinations in the region (see the sidebar), and this year we started with a blank slate and took your nominations again — setting […] Read More
Colorado’s Lake Dillon: In a League of Its Own
Experienced cross-country road-trippers nod knowingly when someone brings up Interstate 70 in Colorado. Oh yes, they’ve all traveled this celebrated stretch of the U.S. Interstate Highway System, with engineering marvels such as the Eisenhower Tunnel at 11,158 feet, Vail Pass and, well, all of Glenwood Canyon. They might not know that I-70 also takes them […] Read More
The Complete Listing of Marinas and Locks on the Inland and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways
Door County Charm
A place with towns called Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, Sister Bay and Gills Rock has to have character. Such a place is Door County, Wisconsin, a finger of land that sticks 75 miles out into Lake Michigan from the city of Green Bay, forming a huge natural harbor in the only Great Lake entirely within […] Read More