Some picnics are invigorating, combined with hikes or swims; others are relaxing and meditative. The meal is important, of course, but the setting is a close second. Here you’ll find inspiration and idea for finding favorite places to start picnic traditions of your own.
A delicious meal eaten outdoors—deliberately planned, at any time of year—is a perfect springboard for creating tradition. “A picnic is rather like a dream, if you pick your spot, your companions, and your food. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you want.” (Laurie Colwin, More Home Cooking)
Finding your favorite picnic place
Buddhist monasteries: One of our favorite places is a Buddhist monastery with pagoda-like structures set among simple gardens and ponds. The monastery welcomes picnickers, but cautions that “vegetarian rules apply.”
Buddhist monasteries and other contemplative retreats can be found in the most surprising of areas; see if there’s one near you, and inquire in advance if they welcome day visitors.
State and national landmarks are also fun, combining a good outdoor meal with a gentle lesson in history. For example, the Hudson River is lined with the mansions and gardens of nineteenth-century industrialists and political figures like the Vanderbilts and Roosevelts.
Now open to the public, these venues welcome visitors and their picnic supplies. Do a little research on historic sites in your area. Many welcome visitors bearing food by offering designated picnic areas; often, these sites also have lovely gardens or trails to explore as well.
Community parks are great for families with young children, an ideal spot for a casual picnic with little ones, combined with a visit to a great playground.
Lake shores: Similarly, combining a lake shore picnic with swimming, boating, or kite flying makes the experience more appealing to younger kids.
Nature preserves with hiking trails are sure to whet the appetite. For some, nothing appeals more than a picnic at a beach. For more sophisticated tastes or when picnicking with a special sweetheart, have your outdoor meal with an open air concert. River banks, waterfalls, arboretums, and even beautifully landscaped college campuses offer sensory pleasures lasting long after the last morsel is consumed.
Springtime is great, but so is fall
While spring may be the perfect time for a picnic ritual, heralding as it does the arrival of warm season pleasures, autumn is also a splendid time for combining picnics with hikes, and not just for the obvious enjoyment of the splendid colors.
The slight chill in the air is perfectly suited to a hiker’s gear and garb. And the shifting quality of autumn’s light—suddenly more shadowy than summer’s warm glow—is an urgent reminder to savor what’s left before those shorter days set in.
Vegan Picnic Lunch Ideas: Food & Fun Outdoors
As for the food . . .
For some, a picnic is mainly about the food, but not for me. I can recall every exquisite place where I’ve enjoyed an outdoor meal, but I’d be hard pressed to tell you what I ate.
A picnic can be just as blissful with sandwiches and juice as with fancier fare and wine. I like to think of the food as parallel to the experience itself: Simple, healthy, and unpretentious.
- The meal should be easy to serve and taste good at room temperature. Light dishes that provide quick energy to sustain a walk, hike, or swim are the cornerstones of a wholesome picnic menu. A too-heavy meal might put you more in the mood for a nap than for activity!
- Over the years, I’ve developed a formula of sorts for the meal, so it’s easy for me to pack a picnic, even on the spur of a moment: Start with a good bread and a tasty spread (packed separately in a container); add two hearty salads (potato salad is always welcome, as are grain salads). Finish with fresh fruit (washed ahead of time and packed into containers), an optional dessert (nothing gooey that will be likely to melt!), and plenty of beverages.
- If your picnic plans are too last-minute to make even a simple meal, consider buying an assortment of good-quality prepared salads, spreads, and relishes at a deli counter or specialty grocery. Treat yourself to a meal with a theme, such as Middle Eastern: store-bought hummus, fresh pita bread, cured olives, stuffed grape leaves, and tabouleh salad are perfect for a fuss-free outdoor meal.
A picnic as fine a form of relaxation and renewal with a family in tow as it is when it’s a romantic date with your significant other — whether at beaches, waterfalls, national historic landmarks, or botanic gardens.
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A lovely vista, some not-too-rigorous physical activity, and simple, tasty fare are the prime ingredients for a perfect picnic. Making them a regular part of seasonal forays, and returning to favorite places helps elevate picnics to ritual status. The experience is transformed from merely eating lunch outdoors to a refreshing lift for the spirit and senses.
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