Tall Ships That Sail the Great Lakes

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The Pride of Baltimore II sailing into Kenosha Harbor

On Thursday, August 1, 2019, my family and I went to Kenosha, WI in order to watch the much anticipated Tall Ships parade into Kenosha Harbor.  The day was bright and the weather was perfect as we sat on the rocks of Lake Michigan and watched as each majestic ship sailed past.  Gazing out over endless water, we felt transported to the ocean seas of old.  History seemed to sail by us.  Visions of pirates were dancing through our heads.

The Flagship Niagara shooting its cannon.

One of the funnest parts of watching these ships sail in was this 12 year old boy whose great, great grandfather traveled on one of the original tall ships from Nova Scotia.  He had an incredible, cool, English accent and he was so full of excitement.  He kept running from rock to rock and telling people things like, "That ship right there has been taken over by pirates!  They are coming to capture you.  Run for your life!"   He brought his family history and imagination, and helped the rest of us feel like we were on set for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean.  I sat next to his grandfather who enjoyed filling me in on all of the history and the different jobs his grandfather used to do while sailing.  While he was educating me on the history of sailing, all of a sudden the Flagship Niagara, pictured above, shot its cannon off.  All the spectators erupted in applause.  It was a very unexpected surprise that made everything seem so exciting.

The Pride of Baltimore II with seagulls flying

When the cannon shot off, the seagulls were startled and I was able to grab the above photo of them taking off in a frightful flight.  It was a moment I hope I never forget.  Seagulls and tall ships just sort of go together, don't you think?

Sailors working the sails

I don't know about you, but you couldn't pay me enough to have a job like this.  Besides being terrified of heights, they have to stand on something that looks like a tight rope and roll up sails and actually do this while fighting wind and waves.  Seriously, what possesses someone to want to do this?  I am always amazed by the people willing to do life's riskiest jobs.  To put it into perspective, here is a picture of the full ship.  These same people are the little "ant-like" creatures at the top of the sails, nearly 75 feet up.

The Picton Castle Tall Ship

Unbelievable right???

The Tall Ships were only in Kenosha for a few days.  They were docked and people could pay to tour them and even be a passenger in a couple of them.  If you visit this site you can see their upcoming schedule and plan a trip of your own to watch these majestic ships sail into one of the Great Lakes.

The Picton Castle coming into Port

What You Should Know Before You Go

Waterproof, fog proof, binoculars are always a good idea for helping you see these ships and those aboard.

Bring good camera gear to capture these memories.  This is the camera I used for these pictures.  You also need a decent zoom lens to get good shots.  This was the lens I used to take all the photos on this blog post.

If you are not as lucky as I to have knowledgeable people around you to bring this activity to life, here are a few ideas to educate yourself or your children so that you get the most out of this experience.  Knowing the history of these ships ahead of time will make this activity one that will stay with you forever.

If you are planning to take your young children or grandchildren, I would highly recommend the book Theodore and the Tall Ships by Ivan Robertson.  This is a 5 star rated book that preschool aged children will love to have read to them.  The tugboats are super excited to welcome the Tall Ships into the harbor, and as a little bonus, your young children might pick up on some ways to say "hello" and "thank-you" in a few different foreign languages.  It is a super charming book and will get your little ones very excited to see the ships sail in.

For those in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, I recommend this very patriotic book called, On the Day the Tall Ships Sailed by Michael Paraskevas.  This book is full of rhyme and symbolism that will open up many discussions about tall ships, the military, and patriotism and will get your elementary aged children ready to see the tall ships come in.  You may find them getting caught up in the eagle who soars along with the tall ships.

For older children and adults, I recommend Tall Ships: History Comes to Life On the Great Lakes by Kaitlin Morrison.  It has beautiful photography and a very compelling history of the Great Lakes and the Tall Ships.  The stories will make you want to see everything the ships do when they sail into port.  This book will really spark your interest in the incredible history of these great vessels.

For those of you who enjoy tying in a Biblical lesson with your trips, I would recommend talking about Jonah and the Whale.

The Bluenose II from Nova Scotia

After You Go - Enrichment Ideas For When You Come Home

Whenever we come home from an exciting adventure, I like to encourage my children to do something a little hands-on that helps them understand more of what we just encountered.  Whether it's recreating what they just saw using Minecraft on XBox 360, a game, Legos or a model kit that helps them learn all about the construction of the ships.  Just something that keeps them interested in the topic for a while. For all of you teachers out there - activities like this count for STEAM (science, engineering, technology, art and math).

For a family fun night, try playing Ship: Captain and Crew Dice Game where each roll determines your fate out on the great seas.  It's a great opportunity to talk about working together and keeping order.

For the Lego lovers in your family, Lego: Minecraft The Pirate Ship Adventure Building Kit is a fun one for elementary aged children and Lego: Build a Ship in a Bottle would be great for High School and adult Lego lovers.

The Bluenose II

For real ship enthusiasts, you could try your hand at a model kit.  Try one of these two:
Bluenose II Model Ship Building Kit or Pride of Baltimore II Model Ship Building Kit

The Bluenose II was featured on the Canadian dime and postage stamps, so it would be super cool to have a model of it that you built yourself.

Did you ever see the Tall Ships sailing in?  I would love to hear all about your experience in the comments.  Thanks for visiting my page and please share with anyone you know who would be interested.

Until next time, always choose the scenic life!


Hannah Babiak is a stock photographer and travel blogger.  For writing assignments or ideas for future posts, please contact her at alwayschoosethesceniclife@gmail.com or leave a comment below.