I grew up in Indiana. When I think of home, I don’t think of corn or amber waves of grain or even my parents house. I think of the beach. Surprised? Many people are since Indiana is not generally associated with the beach. A tiny little section, about 60 miles long in Northwest Indiana is on the shore of Lake Michigan. Beginning in Michigan City, if you follow the curve of the lake to the west, you’ll end up in Chicago. When I found myself there a few weeks ago, I was hoping to satiate some of those home cravings for beach and cold lake water and the ever present wind.
We were in town for a conference and received a Chicago Passport – giving us free or reduced price admission to many of Chicago’s well known attractions. Faced with not a lot of time, we decided not to stress about it too much, wander around and see what we saw instead of trying to pack in too much too quickly. Robert wanted to see Navy Pier, so we headed off, walking from Millennium Park over to the pier. It seemed like a long walk but in reality, it wasn’t all that bad – maybe a mile or two.
As we approached Navy Pier, I pulled out the passport to see if there were any opportunities. Free coupon book. Well, of course we got one as we walked in. There was also a entry for a free ride on the Tall Ship Windy. I was really excited, until I read the fine print and saw it was only good on weekdays. Flipping through the coupon book we found a 2 for 1 coupon for the tall ship though, so we headed that way to see what the cost would be.
All the time I was just feeling the pull of the prospect of being on the lake. I grew up on boats on Lake Michigan. Being on a boat makes me feel like things are right and good and it brings back that childhood sense of excitement I used to feel on the lake. Adult admission for the Tall Ship Windy is $24 each. Because we had that 2 for 1 coupon, we decided it was definitely worthwhile for the 1 hour ride.
At first I scoffed a bit at the “tall ship.” It wasn’t wooden, the sails weren’t canvas. It was just a really big sailboat. I’ve been to Mystic Seaport and many other places that have much more authentic looking tall ships. But, I wasn’t going to let that stand in the way of a 1 hour lake cruise.
I am very glad I let go of my skepticism. We found spots near the stern and settled down onto the deck. We were on a pirate-themed cruise, but that only meant Great Lakes pirate stories on the main deck during the cruise – we could participate or not. We chose not and just enjoyed the view. Robert took lots of photos. I just sat. Stared at the lake water flowing by. Listened to the wind snap the sails and flags now and then. And felt the wind in my face in the way you only can when on a sailboat.
Out on the water the temperature was a little cooler. A good gust of wind would tilt the boat as the wind filled the sails. It was wonderful. Fulfilling. Calming. And a stunning stress relief for me. I can’t say it would affect everyone that way. Some people seemed a little uncomfortable with the boat tilting. Not everyone grew up around boats, on the water, or sailing. But if you have those things tucked away in your memories, a cruise on Windy might bring you home in a very nice way.
And if you don’t have those memories tucked away, get on board – try a weekday cruise so it’s less crowded, sit, listen to the water and the wind. Close your eyes. Ignore the shouting about raising the sails and just be. Soak it all in and create a new memory for yourself.
A few tips:
- Yes, it’s a bit touristy but, you can ignore that for the most part and just enjoy an affordable sailboat ride.
- Renting a sailboat might be another option, but it’s going to cost a lot more, require a hefty deposit, and you’re going to need sailing skills.
- If you can find a coupon, the Windy becomes a great deal. Ask at the Navy Pier information desk or do a Google search for “tall ship Windy coupon”
- Go during the week in the early to mid-afternoon for the best chance of a less crowded experience.
- If you want to sit on the benches, get in line early. If you don’t mind grabbing whatever is available on the deck (this means sitting on the floor), skip waiting in line and just get on last.
- If the pirate cruise is the only thing available, don’t be put off. It doesn’t distract from the cruise. There are no pirates sword-fighting or anything like that.
