The Dolly Steamboat tour makes for a nice family outing.  One of the other posters mentioned a concern over the winding roads to get here but I think the scenery and one lane bridges along the way is half the fun. Just keep your eyes on the road, take it easy and watch for other drivers. I always take family and friends from out of town out this way for the beautiful scenery but hadn't tried the Dolly Steamboat tour.  Glad we did it.  My girlfriend and I took my sister and her family on the 4:00pm tour, which I think was probably the best time to go.  The 12:00pm (noon) tour would've been hot and I think perhaps the sun might have been in our eyes and reflecting off of the lake the entire time, so I was happy with the late afternoon tour we chose. Everyone in our party really enjoyed the tour.  Our guide was very nice and very funny but didn't overdo it.  He explained the history of the canyon and its natural features as well as the wildlife as we made our way around the lake.  We saw a bunch of Bighorn sheep along the rim of the canyon and a Bald Eagle soaring back and forth across the lake.  I've been on other steamboat tours and in my opinion this one seemed very family oriented and less about beer / drinks, which is what we were hoping for as my two young nieces were the primary reason for our Canyon Lake excursion.  Party boats are always fun but this felt like a family boat and although I don't know what the Dolly nighttime tour is like, the afternoon tour was perfect for a family.