Yes Cars and No Pets Yeah, the idea of cars on the beach is kind of tacky. It's also kind of fun when you're in one of the cars and you can stop and pull out chairs, table, food and a dog and cat. I wish I had a better picture to capture the fun we had with our January pet picnic. Gypsy (the Kitty) was on a leash, which was tangled with Sweet Bailey's leash. Neither seemed to notice as they both dug holes gleefully. Note for the future: Pets are not allowed on the beach... as we learned from Beach Patrol!
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Blue Sky, Red Rock and Lots of Green! Our road-trip picnic food was pretty dull, but the fruit dessert was fabulous. Between our table and the red rock wall was an orchard of apple trees. The park maintains a couple thousand or more, fruit trees that were once part of a family farm. We didn't wander far enough to find the pear, plum, apricot, peach or cherry trees. But the apples were ripe and a big red "U-PICK" sign gave us instructions!
1- Wooden box contains bags, 2- Pick fruit, 3- Weigh fruit, 4- Put money in metal box. There was a scale and a handy picking tool resting nearby. We were invited to take fruit home for a dollar a pound... or eat in the park, for free! A Little Grand Canyon Feast Last September, Don and I picked up some hotdogs and chips at Bright Angel Lodge at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We tucked the tiny picnic into the day pack, next to a bottle of water and headed up the rim path. The hot dog was wasn't even warm by the time we found the tree that became our picnic spot, but I never had a better tasting dog. Perfect picnic?Hardly. Picnic View? The best!
Where's the Canyon? Last September, Don I and I spent a couple hours driving through the park, enjoying numerous stops with breathtaking views. But when we were suddenly hungry and ready to sit down and enjoy a picturesque picnic, where were those spots? Suddenly we spotted a table... not that we needed one. We sat down and ate sandwiches with a bunch of big ole trees, blocking our view. This photo could be from anywhere. This was the lamest Grand Canyon Picnic one could ever have!
Going to the Sun If you're driving the "Going to the Sun" road in Glacier and it happens to be sunny and pleasant in September and you have any food whatsoever in your car... then you'd be stupid not to stop for a picnic. There was no table beside Avalanche Creek and our mini quilt was not thick enough to soften the rocks underneath us, but that's okay. We nibbled on peanut butter and crackers and some bison jerky and nuts and stared at the scenery. Perfect.
A Funny Shelter in 2012 My previous post reminded me that Don and I had a roadside picnic a few years ago in New Mexico. We found this wonderful table in its own little shelter, just after entering New Mexico. There was a visitor center and nice bathrooms and a number of cozy, covered areas. The tile floors and the sound of the courtyard fountain were soothing on a warm summer day. But we had just stepped out of an air-conditioned car, so we barely deserved the sheltered table. We had noticed a man asleep on the table in the next shelter. He had pulled his bike and travel packs into the shade and was having a well deserved rest. I hope he had a good picnic, too.
State Park in New Mexico We found this perfect little spot while driving through New Mexico in early September. We had stopped a little earlier to pick up burritos from a little joint in nearby Los Alamos. The small lot in the park was empty, so we decided we were safe gobbling a quick lunch... since we had no small bills for the "Pay for Park Usage" box. I felt guilty for our "free picnic" until our next stop 2 hours later. "Where are my flip flops!" I demanded. I've never figured out the mystery of my missing sandals! But I figured I ended up paying for that picnic after all!
September 2015 This may be one of my favorite picnic spots ever. The view was spectacular from our little quilt covered rock. But there was a little sad, tainting our lunch that day. Just a day earlier flash floods had swept away hikers in this very park. After we finished our picnic, we headed back on the park road. It sent a chill to spot a news van parked beside the road. A camera man was talking to a Search and Rescue worker. Sobering.
Calistoga, CA I just ran across this picture and was reminded of a wonderful gathering 7 years ago when attended a family wedding. I don't recall what we ate, but I believe the table was on the grounds of Indian Springs Hotel & Spa. I more easily recall that we were enjoying the delightful temps and low humidity of a summer picnic... after an afternoon of shuffleboard, tetherball, badmitten, croquet, bocce ball and soaking in the hot springs pool! Doesn't get much better than that!
May 2013 My sister and dad, with Annie the dog, fit Texas into their road trip in 2013. During their visit we planned a day trip to Galveston which meant packing a lunch, since Annie was with us. We were the only "human" picnickers in the nice grassy area just a dune away from the beach. Mostly I remember some crows (not gulls) fighting for our crumbs and a constant bombardment of LOVE BUGS! This would have been a lot more annoying had the 3 of us not reminisced about the days we lived in Florida during the crazy love bug season... the invasion always intrigued children with their playful mating... and aggravated adult drivers who dealt with plastered bumpers and windshields!
Summer of 2008 I have had a few beach picnics in my time, but none have included so many bonus features. Not only did we have a table to enjoy our picnic, (eating on sand is never easy) but we had the sound of the waves nearby. And we had grass for my sister's dog, Bailey. And we had large rocks jutting up from the water and a picturesque lighthouse keepers house sitting just above us. I don't remember what we ate, but Jennifer and Kate were hosting us, so I know it was yummy!
National Picnic Week!? Yesterday I heard it was International Picnic Day, so I posted a photo. But now I hear we are nearing the end of National Picnic Week... which I'm guessing is mostly a British thing. So today, my sweet picnic partner, Don suggested we stop for a picnic on our way driving towards Austin. We've passed this roadside stop about a billion times in the past 15 years, but we've never stopped. This time we packed lunch and enjoyed a short break while the cars rushed by on Highway 71. I had an extra treat when I got to meet a cow named "Gringo" who had stopped at another picnic shelter. Gringo was lounging in the back of a truck while his owners walked the dogs. Gringo was headed to another farm to "Do his business." I was told. I hope that meant to become a father and not become a steak. ?? I pondered that thought over my tuna sandwich!
North of Dallas, June 2015 It was 90 degrees, but the air felt fine under our roadside shelter. I was dressed in lavender in honor of the lavender farm we were headed for. Even though the thought of a picnic at a lavender farm sounded pretty heavenly, the air was thick with bugs and humidity by the time we arrived. Our tunafish sandwiches and chips wouldn't have tasted nearly as good, had we waited!
National Picnic Day! I just found out that today is National Picnic Day! What? We were getting flood alerts a moment ago and half of Texas is swamped, so it's hardly picnic season around here! But here's a pic from a week ago when Don and I stopped along the road near the German town of Muenster, TX! We had just picked up Smoked German Wraps and caramel bars from Bayer's Kolonialvaren Bakery! We enjoyed a quiet picnic at our shady table... until the lawn crew arrived!
Fort Davis Mountains in SW Texas We hadn't planned on picnicking when we took a scenic mountain drive on a cold January day. But when we found this funny little roadside table tucked into a cozy cluster of bulging rocks, we just couldn't resist! We grabbed a few pieces of bread and the jar of peanut butter (from our travel cooler) and sat in the warm car to prepare our 5 minute feast. We had a few spiced almonds and a Diet Coke. The sun barely reached the table and the rock did not block the wind. Our picnic was very fast!
Louisiana, MO Last September while on a road trip, Don and I couldn't find an open cafe in the town of Louisiana, MO. How lucky that we had bread and peanut butter and fruit in the car when we came across this park, high on a bluff overlooking the river. We had a nice bit of shade, a gentle breeze and a view of 2 bridges and at least one passing train. Our perfect, unplanned picnic had an amusing connections to 4 states. We were in Missouri, in the town of Louisiana, looking down at the Mississippi River and across to the state of Illinois!
In St. Louis... Not China In the beautiful old Lafayette Square Park in St. Louis, Don and I had a park bench picnic last September. The picnic was memorable in many ways. I'll remember the gorgeous weather and the sad fact that we couldn't find a table that was not being occupied by the homeless. I'll remember the swans who "paced" in the nearby water and worried us with their interest. I'll remember the odd fact we were having a picnic of Chinese carryouts, which is the world's worst food for bench dining. But mostly it was the food choice that will always make me laugh. Besides some fried rice and a duck leg, Don and I finally got to sample a treat invented by the owner of Park Chop Suey called the St. Paul Sandwich. Pork, beef & shrimp egg foo young, served on 2 pieces of white bread with bean sprout, pickle, lettuce, tomato and salad dressing! Crazy!
Cahokia Mounds, Illinois There was only one table near the 100-foot mound and we took it. We feasted on whatever we could find in our car, spicy peanuts and oranges from Soulard Market in St. Louis, peanut butter with jam from a B&B stay... mineral water from the community fountain in Hot Springs, AR. We ate and absorbed the peace and history around us. If we'd been picnicking here 1,000 years ago, we might have been part of the Mississippian Indian culture that grew corn and squash and hunted and fished and built these complicated mounds, sprawling over 6 square miles! Sigh.
Poolside Picnic in Aruba It seemed like a good idea to bring lunch to the poolside palapa at our hotel in Aruba. I trotted past the 210 year old Dutch windmill, next to our hotel and picked up sandwiches at a little Dutch Cafe beside the Mill. As we settled onto our lounge chairs, about 10 iguanas basking on the nearby rocks seemed to lift their heads as they whiffed the Gouda cheese in the air. I've dealt with ants on picnics and lots of bees, but never have I had to wave iguanas away from food. It was a bit creepy watching these miniature dinosaur bodies sneaking onto our deck, hoping for crumbs. It was a very fast picnic!
Utica Square in Tulsa A concert in the park with balloons, blankets and baskets! It couldn't have been more perfect. My kids were in heaven. We were back visiting the city we pried our children from, when we moved to Texas the year before. We were back, sharing a feast with The Harts! The Harts were our "across the street" neighbors. For 7 years our 2 families wore out a path in the asphalt between the 2 homes. Well sort of. We even wore out the freeway between Tulsa and Houston over a number of years. The kids are grown and living in 4 states. So wish we could gather the kids and parents for another picnic!
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Mom's Picnic List
In honor of my mother on the first Mother's Day since she has passed, I dedicate a new list... Mom's Picnic List!
Mom loved picnics and she raised her kids to appreciate the simple pleasures of food, family and friends in the great out of doors. My Plan I will spend a year reflecting on as many past picnics as I can remember. But, I'll also appreciate the here and now by creating new picnic experiences. My goal is to share at least 60 picnic memories, since that's how many years Mom was a mom! Let the picnics begin! Archives
May 2023
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