Tall Ships Festival Welcomes the Largest Rubber Duck! | @TallShipsLA #RubberDuckLA #TallShipsLA

The Tall Ships Sailed into the Port of Los Angeles last week and we had an up close and personal look at these fabulous ships and their new friend the largest Rubber Duck in the World!  My family was invited to take pictures with the worlds largest Rubber Duck and we just couldn't resist!

The Rubber Duck was larger than we could have imagined with the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the background.  

The ships fascinated us as we pretended to be pirates on the high seas shooting cannons at the our rivals.

My children took turns pretending to man the ship's wheel and sail into stormy seas.

The American Pride and the Bill of Rights were two of the old-fashioned ships we got an up-close look at.

While the festival focused on the Tall Ships and the Rubber Duck, the USS Iowa and USS Lane Victory were available to explore as well.  These military ships gave us a look into the small nautical world that our Navy and Coast Guard experience every day.

  

  

Another surprise that we got was the awesome fire-boats!  My kids love fire engines and to see the fire-boats up close was great!

The Festival held a large array of Food Trucks, activities, crafts, souvenir booths and live music!  While it was a bit warm that day, the ocean breeze cooled us off along with some sweet treats.

Before we left, we heard cannons firing which came from a re-enactment of a pirate battle.  What I saw next to the pirates made me stand a little straighter.  The US Coast Guard Silent Drill Team put on a wonderful show.  As the daughter and sister of retired Coast Guard, I loved seeing them in action.

It was a great family day on the Los Angeles Waterfront!  My kids got to see much of their nautical ancestry and it is my belief that children learn more from hands-on than they ever could learn in books.  Next year, I recommend bringing your own families and experience the re-awakening of the Port of LA with many of their great events!

Keep an eye out for the Lobster Festival in a couple of weeks!  Yumm!

Disclaimer:  I received tickets to this event in exchange for sharing my experience.  All thoughts and ideas are my own.  Do not use any photos without permission.