Places to Go - Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake (Annapolis, MD)

So when one of my friends mentioned taking the kids on a pirate cruise, I was somewhat hesitant, as F is not exactly a pirate fan. Further, F's reasons for disliking pirates are actual quite astute -"Mom, don't pirates kill and hurt people and take their stuff? Why am I SUPPOSED to like them?" The adult part of me wanted to say "wow, F, that's an incredibly mature way to react, I completely understand what you're saying and I'm so proud of you for trying to find better role models." BUT, the kid part of me remembered that my dream in life is to take the whole family on Pirates of the Caribbean at Disney World (yes, I used to have bigger dreams, but I've tried to forget them). So instead of acting as a mature adult, I opted for the BIG LIE, "well, F, sure some pirates are mean, just like some people are mean, but several pirates are REALLY NICE and try to help people, these are the nice pirates." And then I tried to erase every NPR story on Somalia from my head. Along with words like "rape", "pillage", and "historical inaccuracy".

Luckily, my efforts were not in vain, as Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake was CRAZY CRAZY FUN. Seriously, look at F's face in the pictures. She was literally jumping (yes, jumping) for joy within five minutes of leaving the dock. Regarding the boat itself, it's not really that great (there aren't even bathrooms on board), dinky might be a better word. But the actors really do ALL they can to make the cruise fantastic and they succeed in every way. Every child on the boat was enthralled by them. In the course of 75 minutes, we managed to knock Pirate Pete (the "bad" pirate) off his boat using "water cannons" (so cool), find a "buried treasure" (there is literally an "X" floating in the water), learn plenty of pirate stories and lore; plus - raise a flag, run in circles and learn "the pirate cheer." If any of this sound cheesy, well it is, but for four - eight year olds it was pure MAGIC. Though, I should note that some of the kids under three were a little scared (though the pirates did everything they could to try and make them feel as comfortable as possible).

The cruise sells out, so you need to make reservations weeks in advance (they have a generous cancellation policy). Tickets are $18 per person and worth every dime. It's also a big hit for birthday parties. If you show up half an hour early (I was late, of course) they'll apply makeup and tattoos and dress the kids up like pirates. So cool. Plus, family friendly restaurants are a short walking distance from the dock, so you can make a day (or evening) of it.