Sunday, July 13, 2014

Tall Ship Windy Cruise of Lake Michigan


While on a recent trip to Chicago, my husband and I visited its historic Navy Pier. Click here to read that post. While there we saw that we could buy a ticket at the pier to take a cruise of Lake Michigan on the Tall Ship Windy--a 148-foot schooner /Tall Ship. It is designed in the tradition of 19th Century schooners but built of modern materials  It was a beautiful "blue sky and fluffy white clouds" type of day, so we knew a sail would be a special treat!


As we boarded the ship we were greeted by a crew member named "Red Beard," who gave us all the necessary information and instructions about Tall Ship Windy and our role as passengers for the next seventy-five minutes.


I found a comfortable (and safe) seat on board and was ready for the adventure to begin!


The views of both the Navy Pier and the Chicago skyline were spectacular as we sailed away from the pier.



In the distance, you can see Chicago's largest building--the Willis Tower! It is Chicago's tallest building and was the tallest building in the Northern hemisphere until the recent completion of One World Trade Center in Manhattan replaced it. If you missed my post about our visit "above the clouds" to this building, click here. It has an amazing view!


Didn't the clouds look magnificent this day?



Just look at how beautiful they appeared hanging over the city as we sailed further away!



As the Chicago skyline shrunk in the distance, the further away we sailed from the shore, the cloud's shadows kept changing the color of Lake Michigan from an aquamarine blue to deep sea green.



On the other side of the ship, we could see further out towards the very large expanse of Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is one of the five great lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. You can see the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse in the distance.


The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is an automated, active lighthouse, and stands at the end of the northern breakwater protecting the Chicago Harbor, to the east of Navy Pier and the mouth of the Chicago River.


The lighthouse was built in 1893 for the World Colombian Exposition and was moved to its present location in 1919.  The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and later was designated as a Chicago Landmark in 2003.


As we enjoyed the 75-minute cruise, we learned about Chicago's historical maritime roots and legends through some unique stories told by Red Beard, and from the captain and his mates.


It was interesting to watch the crew raise and lower the Tall Ship's sails in order to navigate windy Lake Michigan.


We shared this part of Lake Michigan with many other vessels, and it was fun to watch them come and go.



Slowly we sailed back towards the Navy Pier.


We wanted to see more of the pier after we departed the ship, and in my next post, I'll show you some amazingly beautiful varieties of stained glass--some Tiffany glass--on exhibit at a museum on the pier.



As we slipped back into port we were greeted by a cacophony of seagulls that were resting on an abandoned pier.....



..they were a remarkable sight!


We wished a hearty "goodbye and return soon" by Red Beard before we disembarked.  Since we enjoyed this cruise very much I think we will definitely do a repeat sail on a future visit to Chicago--it was a wonderful time!

Come back next post to see the magnificent stained glass exhibits on display at two museums on Navy Pier!

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38 comments:

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

I enjoyed the sights from your cruise aboard the Tall Ship Windy - looked like fun!

podso said...

What a great experience! Sounds like you were at the right place at the right time! The clouds are gorgeous!

podso said...
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~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I was going to say...you're a long way from home! You always have the best adventures no matter where you travel! Glad you found a safe place on the ship. Scrunch over and let me sit close by! heehee! Hugs, Diane

Vee said...

What a perfect day for it! The clouds were fabulous and the lake looks like an ocean. Interesting tidbits tossed in, too. There must be many buildings about that went to World Fairs and came back to enjoy a new life. Glad that they haven't all been destroyed.

Anonymous said...

Wow -- gorgeous view of the skyline with those mighty clouds!

diane b said...

Ahoy my matey! This looks like a super tour. Loved Red Beard he sure looked for real. The photos are lovely with the colours of the water and the big puffy clouds. It sis a beautiful city. My daughter was there for work a few weeks ago and she is returning with husband for a holiday there among other places on an around the world ticket. I'll send her a link to this post.

eileeninmd said...

Pat, the tall ship cruise looks like fun! I love the sky and the view of the skyline and pier.. You picked a great day to take the cruise. Lovely photos, thanks for sharing. Have a happy week!

Magnus said...

That must have been fun, great shot!

Tracy said...

WOW... so many good things to see... and do! Fun with the tall ship... And LOVE the clouds...*swoon* Happy Days, Pat ((HUGS))

Lina Gustina said...

Thanks for sharing your tall ship cruise. Awesome views.
www.1sthappyfamily.com/2014/07/blue-classroom.html

SmilingSally said...

Hi Pat,

Ooo, what a fun adventure that was! No wonder you want to go again. I love the blue of the skies and the lake. Thanks for playing today.

Happy Blue Monday!

Michelle said...

You had some great views on this cruise and you captured them well! This sounds like it was a lot of fun!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

What a wonderful and fun experience!

Judy said...

The Navy Pier was my favorite part of our Chicago experience last summer! This brings back great memories.

GranthamLynn said...

Very cool fun post. I enjoyed it.
The blue clouds were so pretty.
Very cool modern day pirate!
Thanks for sharing. My Blue is cool. We're trying to beat the heat here in Texas.
Have a wonderful week,
Sherry

Lorrie said...

Tall ships come to Victoria often and are such a beautiful sight on the water. What a great idea to offer a tour. Your photos are wonderful.

Ida said...

What a fun thing to do. I've always wanted to sail on a Tall Ship. You had such fabulous views and yes those clouds were awesome looking.

ellen b. said...

This is so cool, Pat! What fun to experience that great tall ship adventure in such beautiful weather. Love the familiar views from Lake Michigan!

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

AHOY MATEY MILLE! I enjoyed my visit very much / fun post :) Some of those sky shots...just breathtaking! :)

Linda said...

That looked like a wonderful experience...you do visit the BEST places!! Happy Monday!!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

What an excursion. I love your photos of the trip.

Rajesh said...

Great trip on the ship with wonderful views of the city.

orchid0324 said...

What a wonderful cruise you had with "Red Beard" and You look Fabulous, Pat♡♡♡ Great view and blue sky; I enjoyed the picture trip with your enlarging them.

PS>In Asia, there are countries which are using both writing system. But even in Chinese, horizontal way seems mainstream now. Haha, kind of surprise for me. Our language seems to be the only one using the both way alternatively.

Sending you Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*  

Joe Todd said...

thanks for the post. This is something my wife and I will have to do

Ciao Chow Linda said...

What a fun activity Pat. You're so right about those beautiful clouds.

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

I'm so glad you had good weather for your cruise! We've had such an awfully wet spring and early summer here on Lake Michigan. I've never seen the Chicago skyline from the water - only from an airplane heading toward Milwaukee. It is beautiful!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Oh how I always love your blog posts. This one is fabulous. IF I ever get to Chicago, I want to take that Tall Ship. LOVE them.. We took one at Yorktown, VA --and want to do more of that... It's fantastic.

Hugs,
Betsy

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

How cool is this. Fabulous views of the city and a ride with a pirate. I'm so glad the weather was good. Mother Nature has been strange this year. We've had much more than our share of rain and now the Jet Stream is dipping way south and Chicago will be unseasonably cold. Go figure.
Sam

Cathy said...

My daughter lives in Chicago and this would be a fun adventure the next time I go for a visit. As always, your photos are wonderful, Pat. Looks like you had a perfect weather day.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Wow the color of the water is simply gorgeous! And those clouds are really dramatic over the Chicago skyline. Looks like you had the perfect day for such a venture. I like that red-bearded pirate too - he cuts quite the figure in his fancy pirate garb.

Daniela said...

As usual you wonder and amaze my, my dearest Pat, I heartily thank you !

If it may please you, by me you can find a little surprise :)
Have a lovely day
With love
Dany x

Annesphamily said...

That was a very fun cruise! Lovely photos always Pat! You get to travel so much, that must be a lot of fun! Always nice to see you here. Take care and enjoy the rest of the week!

Gemma Wiseman said...

Spectacular views from the ship. love how the crew dress up to suit the atmosphere of a tall ship. Spectacular cloud formations and colours. What a grand adventure.

Photo Cache said...

This is a wonderful cruise and the views are spectacular. Thanks for sharing.

Spare Parts and Pics said...

Incredible clouds, and love that Chicago skyline!!

Kia said...

Hello Pat, I've found your URL at Daniela's blog and I thought to pop by for a visit. :) I have truly enjoyed your photos of the Tall Ships, I have seen them a few times and they are sure a beautiful sight. Happy day from Scotland.

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