Tall Ship Celebration: Bay City, MI (07.22.2006)

We saw the billboards advertising the Tall Ship Celebration on our way to and from the Family Reunion this year and also in the newspaper. It looked like it would be fun, and we left this morning on our adventure in Bay City. It was an easy two hour drive there.

The weather was sunny and warm, and the lines to tour each ship were very long. Several of the larger vessels had lines of two and a half hours. Phew ... We saw two of the eleven ships available for touring, the E.M. Cotter and the Madeline. The kids also learned about geodes and rocks and wood carving. A nice older man who was demonstrating wood carving made Anita a little wood top for her to take away. A very nice gesture indeed!


We are driving towards the dock to the celebration!


The kids are sitting in front of the Bay City fountain just inside of the admission gates.


Looking up at the ship's mast and riggings.


We are crossing the bridge over the Saginaw River. Here are a few of the ships.


The kids are on the E.M. Cotter(originally known as the William S. Grattan) from Buffalo, NY. This is the world's oldest working fireboat built the same year as our house in 1900! :O)


Taken from the E.M. Cotter, this is a picture of the Nina. This Nina was reconstructed using 15th century shipbuilding methods in Bras(z)il. (Yes, this is a replica of the original Nina that was in Christopher Colombus' fleet in 1492 as he sailed to the New World.)


On the E.M. Cotter, here are Captain Anita ...


and Captain Minnie!


This was the kids favourite activity of the day.


On the way back, we noticed some pretty cool-looking stores in downtown Bay City including this one...