“Enough of the white fluffy stuff on the ground already!”  We hear this line, or similar to that, often this time of the year; especially when many of us are so looking forward to storing the heavy jacket, talking about planting the garden, and planning the family summer vacation or reunion, outdoors!  In our mind, we’re ready for the outdoors, the sun, camping, fishing and all that jazz.  As I’m writing this note, the weatherman on TV is updating us about the 35 mph wind gust that will touch base and bring along four to eight inches of accumulating wet snow tomorrow.  Welcome to the Northland.

Don’t let the snow get you down.  Let’s see what July brings and let’s plan our summer. 

Here are some updates about one of the biggest attractions in Duluth this summer – the Tall Ship Celebration; the fourth one Visit Duluth brings to our neck of the harbor.  Duluth is expecting many ships this year; eight of them already confirmed and three are in the process of being confirmed, according to Gene Shaw of Visit Duluth.  Five vessels are new to the Great Lakes previously, among them are the SS Sorlander from Norway; the buzz word in the Scandinavian community, Schooner Hindu from Key West, Florida, and  the Peacemaker that was built in Brazil.  This is another reason why this attraction is worth coming back to, new vessels to experience.

The ships will start trickling into the harbor around 2:00pm on Thursday, July 25, 2013 in a Parade of Sail; Visit Duluth cannot guarantee the exact time because it depends on the ships individual travel speeds.  Dockside tours, day sails and on-board tours will be happening from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, backed up by dockside viewing, food, beverage and entertainment until 11:00pm.  Cruising along among all this excitement will be Captain Jack Sparrow, not in spirit but in person.  Get your camera ready so you can bring home some mementos from this year’s celebration. On Monday, July 29, at noon, the Tall Ships Challenge race will depart Duluth Harbor and head out toward Lake Michigan.  

“That's what a ship is, you know - it's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs.  But what a ship is, ... really is, … is freedom.”  Captain Jack Sparrow.