Chickagoan

• Tour Chicago’s lakeside on a 148-foot schooner
• Docks at Navy Pier
• Fun, informative, one-hour tours of Lake
  Michigan piracy and Chicago architecture
• Fireworks cruises Saturday evenings

Hundreds of years ago, brave, swashbuckling men battled dastardly pirate captains, seeking glory and treasure while sailing across the waves of–no kidding–our own Lake Michigan. And with today’s Swoop, you can relive their adventures on a (just slightly) more modern sailing vessel, with $18 buying you a $35 ticket on Tall Ship Windy’s “Real Pirates of the Inland Seas” tour, evening fireworks tour, or any other regularly scheduled adventure cruise.

You’ve probably spotted the Tall Ship Windy any time you’ve been in the vicinity of Navy Pier. The 148-foot schooner is hard to miss, with its white hull, four masts and angular sails. Although it appears near-ancient, the vessel was actually built in 1996 and boasts modern pressurized plumbing, a kitchen and diesel engines in case the wind is too light (but in Chicago, how likely is that?). It can hold up to 150 passengers and often hosts ritzy parties on the lake. Read More