Canyon Lake sits about 50 miles east of Phoenix, and the drive usually takes an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes via US-60 and the Apache Trail. It is the closest of the Salt River lakes with a full marina, a narrated steamboat cruise, and a developed shoreline, which makes it the default lake day for groups that want water without the long haul. The lake backs up against red rock canyon walls, so the setting feels remote even though the marina is barely past Apache Junction. Our vans run this hop for family outings, company picnics, and cruise-timed arrivals, on the same short-hop math as...