Now through January 27, board the Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington ships to poke around real sailing vessels from days past. Lady Washington was even seen in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie!

Just take the 101 North to Victoria, turn left, and stop when you see the masts of these wonderful working ships. Parking is free in lots and along the street. Dockside tours are free and run from 4-5pm today through Friday (donations are suggested) and special battle or adventure sails have admissions fees on the weekend.  See details here.

Captain James, affectionately known among the crewmembers as “Shiny.”  He started sailing big ships like this when he was 19.  He’s 19.5 now.  (No, actually he said he’s 27.)

Agoura Hills Dad is an engineer, so I liked this little detail that is affixed to the underside of a hatch cover on the Chieftain. 

Belowdecks, this faux-pirate lass explained some of the wares displayed for visitors.

These bricks are made of Chinese tea.  Once America rejected the rule of the United Kingdom, American merchants looked to China for tea instead of India, where it was more commonly shipped in leaf form.

 Our little adventure took about an hour including drive time.  We stopped at The Habit on Vineyard in Oxnard, just south of the freeway entrance, on our way home.  It was a great way to get outside and spend some time together on this holiday!