Up until this year, however, I had only houseboated with friends who did all the planning, navigating, and logistics themselves. When it came to beaching, anchoring, and weathering the sometimes treacherous conditions, I had no idea what I was doing. That all changed after booking a 50 foot floating hotel through LakePowell.com with another friend who had never houseboated on his own either.

First things first, I was shocked that the marina would simply hand over the keys to a multi-million dollar ship to a pair of newbs, and let us take it, our families, and a towed powerboat rental to literally anywhere on the lake. But they totally did! What could go wrong!!??

A busted prop, feeling overwhelmed to anchor before sundown, more first-time stress than we bargained for, and a beached powerboat (due to high winds) that took two families over an hour to un-beach (is that a word?). But ultimately, I’ve never felt a greater sense of accomplishment, freedom, and joy on this unforgettable lake than I did on my most recent, self-propelled trip.

We cliff jumped from 25-30 feet (mind you, after checking the water depth with goggles beforehand), we explored the amazing Labyrinth, Face, and West Canyons. I lost count how many times each of us uttered “wow” after nearly every turn in these beautiful, water-filled slot canyons. We tubed but missed boat surfing after stupidly forgetting our board at home. We skipped Rainbow Bridge after learning that its gas station was closed for the season. But the boat tours were still fantastic.

We ventured into Gunsight Canyon and gawked at its wide-spanning buttes and red rock spires, only to bust the powerboat prop on an underwater and unseen-until-it-was-too-late shallow rock. Thanks to the included houseboat insurance package, however, a roaming maintenance man fixed the problem in less than an hour, at no extra charge, which was a wonderful perk for beginners like us.

We paddleboarded to random islands on reflective glass waters. We swam the very edge of a slot canyon until we couldn’t swim anymore, not because of a lack of fitness but because the slot was simply too darn narrow to swim. I said it then and I’ll say it now: wow.

We saw the most stunning full moonrise of our lives on our first night. Then the stars. Then the Milky Way. My sons and friend built and lit giant bonfires on the beach every night. Their glow and radiance was just as mesmerizing as the megamoon and star-filled skies. We ate for pleasure and never tired of seeing golden sunsets from the top deck of our houseboat or reading under its canopied shade as gentle breezes constantly reminded us that we were on vacation, far from the troubles of home.

We savored the air conditioning on hot afternoons, the giant shower and bathroom that was bigger than many land hotels, the high ceilings and granite kitchen, the reverse floor plan, and included top deck slide. With the learning curve plus posh amenities, it felt like we were roughing it while glamping, which was a good thing.

On our final day, the notorious Lake Powell winds prevented us from boating and exploring another “hidden” canyon. But Plan B was pretty incredible: watching the surrounding canyons, buttes, and clouds as the hours slowly passed, wishing we had just one more day before returning to reality.

My math doesn’t add up because I say this about so many places, but Lake Powell is a Top 5 vacation destination on all seven continents. My friend says it’s her No. 2 after Rio De Janeiro, which is high praise.

While I’m usually in no hurry to immediately return to my favorite destinations, I can’t wait to visit Lake Powell all over again next year. Especially with the newfound confidence that even a novice like me is capable of piloting a houseboat through such an extraordinary canyon. I’m confident the same would be true for you.

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and seasoned travel journalist to all seven continents. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife, five children, and one ferocious chihuahua.