History Lesson #4: Tall Ship Windy Pirates and 6 Pirate Events

"Arrgh!"  Kids seem fascinated with pirates.  Perhaps sparked by a movie like Treasure Island, Hook, Peter Pan or Pirates of the Caribbean.  With our Hollywood costumer sister-in-law knowing Johnny Depp of Pirates of the Caribbean, there is even more intrigue.  Seems odds to talk more about people who commit crimes, but it is a part of global and American history.

Our kids learned more about pirates in a fun manner by taking the Tall Ship Windy "Skyline Sail with Tales of Real Pirates" cruise on the lake.  Tall Ship Windy conveniently docks at Navy Pier which has lots of restaurants and attractions.  You might connect pirates to ocean-lined states, but the Midwest had pirates too.  Pirate Dan Seavey used fake port lights along the lake shore so ships would crash on the rocks and he could steal their goods.  Dan Seavey was charged with piracy, crime by ship, on the Great Lakes.  River piracy concentrated along the Ohio River and Mississippi Valley.

The Tall Ship ride included pirate costumed employees leading a treasure hunt while the parents relaxed.  We admired the Tall Ship and enjoyed the Chicago skyline view.  The Tall Ship measures 148 feet and categorized as a traditional four-masted gaff topsail schooner.  This schooner takes claim as the first certified four-masted traditional sailing vessel built in the U.S.A. since 1921.  The book 100 Places That Can Change Your Child's Life lists Chicago as a must see site "With 50 acres of parks, promenades, and gardens jutting into Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is always thronged with Chicagoans.  Its websites details the area's many attractions, from amusement park rides to shoreline cruises.  Kids can help raise and trim the 11 sails of the tall ship Windy, and take a turn at the ship's wheel."

The 75 minute ride costs $30 for adults and $10 for children.  Plus consider Chicago parking fees.

If you want to spark kids imagination about pirates, but not visiting Chicago, consider the following six events:

1.  Pirate Fest Las Vegas; Las Vegas, Nevada (April), Craig Ranch Park
Treasure map for kids, jugglers, musicians, and a puppet show, $15 adult, $10 children age 5 to 11 years old

2.  Central Missouri Pirate Fest; Kansas City, MO
Foam sword battles and fire dancers, $7 admission, free for children age 5 and under

3. Blackbeard Pirate Festival; Hampton, VA (June)
Arts and crafts, music, fireworks, Little Scallywags Lagoon for young children including carousel ride and digging for treasure

4.  Pirate Party on the Beach; Virginia Beach, VA (May)
Pirate re-enactors, bandana-making, face-painting, and weapons demonstrations

5.  Vero Beach Pirate Fest; Vero Beach, FL (Sept.)
living history pirate encampment, authors, historians, kid's treasure hunt, cannon demo

6.  Michigan Pirate Festival; Grand Haven, MI; Loutit District Library
bellydance class for age 4-12, storytelling, mini golf, puppet show, and costume contest

If you want to ride a schooner, but not the Tall Ship Windy, consider Tall Ship Witch.  Read about our trip on Tall Ship Red Witch within article "Sports: Yacht Competition and Six Schooner Rides".  

Agriculture Lesson #4: North Carolina Zoo Bee Exhibit & 7 National Pollinator Events

  Bees serve us in so many ways, most importantly as a pollinators of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.  The world has other pollinators, but bees perform about eighty percent of all pollination worldwide.  Bees also produce honey from the sugary secretions of the plants, aka floral nectar.

When I toured the Google headquarters and ate lunch on a picnic bench, I noticed they had their own beehives for fresh honey - impressive!  In exploring the Fairmont Edmonton, Canada patio grounds, I delighted in the inclusion of beehives.  You don't need a special invite to a corporate headquarters or luxury hotel in Canada to show your kids beehives.

The United States is a major honey producer, ranked third after China and Turkey.  If you search events, you can likely connect your child to a local beekeeper who manages hives of domesticated bees.  Also, I like to look for bee products at farmers markets such as honeycombs or flavored wax honey sticks.  The kids love to taste sweet honey.

My family took time to explore bee hives and educational materials at the North Carolina Zoo located 75 miles west of Raleigh, NC in Asheboro, North Carolina.  Entry costs approximately $15 for adults and $11 for children.  We also watched a live hive at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum.  Admission is a suggested $7 for adults and $4 for children.  If you can't visit an exhibit or museum, go the to the KU Natural History Museum website for a link to the live bee cam.  Kansas designated the honeybee as the official state insect.

Unfortunately pesticides, air pollution, habitat destruction, and drought contribute to bees dying.  According to Greenpeace, worldwide bee colony collapse occurs as winter losses exceed the norm - especially in the United States.  Europe has placed more restrictions on pesticides.  You and your family can celebrate and support bees by joining events during National Pollinator Week in June.  Visit the website pollinator.org for updated events.  Here's 7 examples of past events across the country:  

1.  Bees & Brew at the Botanical Conservatory; Fort Wayne, IN

Suit up for a beekeeping experience with live beehives, sample raw honey, make DIY beeswax candles at the Foellinger-Freeman Botanical Conservatory

2.  Bee Bee Q; Detroit, MI

Fundraiser with silent and live auction, live music

3.  Wild! Heritage Pollinator Party: Huntington, WV

Make your own pollinator plant pot out of recycled materials at the Heritage Farm Museum and Village, see a colony of bees

Couldn't resist the costume.  He's so sweet, he's my Honey!

4.  BeeFest; Salt Lake City, UT

Enter your kids in the kids pollinator costume contest.  Event entrance free and you can support by buying plants or honey-baked items.

5.  Meadowbrook BeeBlitz; Urbana, IL

Train on how to photograph bees and upload photos to Bee Spotter, meet at the Garden Pavilion 

6.  Bugs & Brews; Denton, NE

Take an evening walk through the prairie and enjoy refreshments and presentation by biologist working with farmers and conservation groups

7.  Meet Our Beekeper; The Episcopal Church of the Advocate; Chapel Hill, NC

Watch Piedmont Patch beekeeper demonstrate the equipment at the hive besides pond where volunteers planted over 1,000 native grasses and wildflowers

She's my Honey too!

Gym Class #5: Kids Sailing Camps from High to Lower Cost

Hoofer Sailing Club

UW Madison, Photo by Krenda

Before classes at University of Wisconsin Madison even begun, I took the Hoofer sailing club up for a deal to sail for free as part of orientation.  Not only did I love the sport, I met lifelong friends.  Now when strolling outside Memorial Union, I always admire the sailboats and imagine having a little more time to sail on the water.

Sailing may seem unobtainable for kids to begin due to lesson prices.  I've done a bit of research for you to show that sailing can cost thousands of dollars to begin, but it does not have to be so expensive.  Look beyond the yacht club and search park programs or YMCA camps.  In descending order from most to least expensive, here's eleven options:

1.  Adriondack Camp (Putnam Station, NY) offers a diverse sailboat fleet including Mercury Sloop, Capri Sloop, Lasers, Sunfish, JV Sloop, Classic 420, and 6 Flying Juniors; 2 week session $4,600

2.  Coral Reef Yacht Club (Miami, FL) teaches 8 to 17 year olds $750

3.  Coconut Grove Sailing Club (Miami, FL), learn how to rig, launch a boat, basic knots, and develop wind awareness; age 6-17 9AM-4PM $600

4.  San Diego Yacht Club (San Diego, CA) host of the Junior Olympic festival, fleet of 24 new CFJ sailboats; $590 for Junior Summer sailing

5.  Northwestern University Sailing Center (Chicago, IL), 420s and lasers, 9AM-noon $575

6.  Premier Sailing (The Tides, Irvington, VA), founded in 1998 by Irish sailors, one week young sailors course for age 6-17 $445

7.  Sail Sand Point (Seattle, WA), non-profit community boating center, separated by age such as youth beginner (8-12 year olds), teen beginner (12-17 yr olds) $410; same pricing at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Seattle

8.  The Watersports Camp (San Diego, CA), sponsored by the YMCA, basic sailing morning camp and option to upgrade to afternoon activity for only $50 incremental; $370

9.  St. Petersburg sailing (Florida), Learn to Sail Camp for age 7 to 12 teaches rigging, steering, and maneuvering around docks 8:30-4:30PM; $321

10.  Sail Buffalo Sailing School (Buffalo, NY), Junior Sailing Camp Nautical Day Camp 9AM-4PM age 8 to 18; full week $294

11.  Hoofer Youth Program (UW Madison, Madison, WI); sailing day camp 10AM-4PM or beginner racing (3 hours) for $265; also offers windsurfing lessons

12.  Wilmette Park (Chicago suburbs, IL) group sailing lessons age 9-15, 8 lessons 12:30-2:30 or 3-5PM, learn on Lake Michigan; 12 students max. per class; $196 each

Before the kids begin lessons, give them a head start by teaching them the terms:  rudder, centerboard, tack, stern, boom, head mast, jib, jibstay, jibsheet, bow, etc.