That Time I Spent the Weekend as a Pirate

Featured in the Lakeshore Weekly News October 2017

There are a few milestone birthdays in our lives that call for something more than the traditional cake and balloons style celebrations. My stepson and I share birthdays that are a day apart.
 
Months before our birthdays I started searching for a fun, but different way we could celebrate our birthdays. He was turning 13, which is definitely a milestone and I was turning 27 for the 20th time.
 
I’m all for fun and adventure but I’m equally excited about relaxing and laying back. My challenge was how do I find something we can both enjoy and experience given our age differences?
 
Our schedule allowed for two nights to spend somewhere but it needed to be within driving distance. I looked at cabins, resorts and other rentals all over Minnesota. Nothing was really grabbing my eye.
 
This is when I came across the pirate ship Sirens Gate on Airbnb.com.  Sirens Gate is a 65 foot pirate ship on the Mississippi River near the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport, about 30 minutes from Excelsior. If you know me you know I think my passport doesn’t allow me to travel east of 494. Most of the time I stay put in the Lake Minnetonka area unless I’m traveling out of the state.
 
Interestingly it turns out the owner of Sirens Gate is none other than Lake Minnetonka resident Dan Kellogg. This made the idea of leaving Lake Minnetonka for an adventure on a pirate ship even more appealing to me.
 
Kellogg lives in the Lake Minnetonka area and also the Bahamas. I quickly learned that he lives by the adage, “Work like a Captain and play like a pirate.” He has been a longtime fan of pirate collectables.  A few years ago he came across an ad on Craigslist for a full-blown pirate ship in Missouri.
 
Kellogg purchased the ship and sailed it up the Mississippi here to Minnesota with Captain Ernie Olson, also a Lake Minnetonka resident. You may recall local press coverage of their journey.
 
My family and I arrived on a recent Saturday at Sirens Gate and were blown away. When you think pirate ship, you might think Jack Sparrow and what you’ve seen in The Pirates of the Caribbean.  Sirens Gate is just like that.
 
It’s located in a private marina. As we walked down to the ship our jaws dropped and remained dropped as we toured the ship. We brought our two kids and a friend of theirs and these kids were beyond thrilled!
 
There is a kitchen for cooking, two heads, two sleeping areas and a ton of outdoor space on the upper deck, all decorated like a real pirate ship, or at least what we imagine one looked like.
The guys spent the day exploring every nook and cranny of the pirate ship. I don’t think they stopped smiling. I spent most of my day relaxing on the upper deck in the sun with a book.  There was something for everyone in the family.
 
After dinner Kellogg and Captain Ernie came aboard and took us on a cruise on the Mississippi River. We were quite the spectacle. It’s not everyday you see a pirate ship sailing down the river. The kids felt like they were in a parade. They waved to people who passed, and posed for the many photos that were taken as we sailed by yelling “Arrr!”
 
Just when we thought it couldn’t get more exciting, Kellogg pulled out fireworks, which he shot out of the cannon! It was surreal. Going anywhere by boat is an enjoyable experience but doing it on a pirate ship on one of the most beautiful days in September was beyond amazing.
 
We spent the night on the pirate ship back at the marina. The boys loved their sleeping quarters, which were like a clubhouse for pirates in training.  Our sleeping accommodations were comfortable, making for a great night sleep.
 
There is something incredibly cool about waking up on your 13th birthday on a pirate ship. It was also a great way to celebrate turning 27, for the 20th time. Kellogg and Captain Ernie exceeded our expectations and reminded me that sometimes you need to channel your inner pirate and enjoy some spontaneity.