Time for a Picnic
Do people go on picnics anymore? Not as often as they used to, it seems. At one time not so long ago, picnicking—that is, preparing a special meal and traveling to a remote, usually scenic spot to enjoy it—was a major form of family entertainment and a wonderful way to go out on a cheap date. Picnickers were a common sight in those days. Even the rather impromptu picnic tables the state DOT threw into little roadside glades were usually occupied on hot summer days.
In keeping with the fashion of the day, every family had at least one picnic basket in the house as well as picnic blankets, table covers and all the special containers and utensils needed for a pleasant and successful meal outdoors. They also likely had a favorite spot for picnicking—one where the kids could amuse themselves while the parents enjoyed a glass of wine and the sound of crickets in the grass. Back in the heyday of picnicking, L. Rust Hills addressed the "family picnic spot" question this way:
"Every family has at least two places they picnic more or less regularly, one near and one far—and the farthest one is allways better. . . . A happy family picnic will seldom if ever go anyplace new—the hazards are too great, the expectations too varied. Tried and true places are the best, even if people are a bit sick of them. Tradition and continuity are important aspects of the family picnic."
What pass for picnics these days are usually not really picnics at all. If you are dining out on your deck or terrace while keeping an eye on your e-mail, you are not picnicking. If you tailgate before a concert or game, that is not a real picnic, either—it's tailgating. Nor is it really picnicking if you comandeer a picnic table as a base of operations while spending a day at the beach, or if you merely carry bags of fast food to eat on a nice hillside.
So I guess what I'm saying is why not try going on a real picnic this summer? The food isn't as important as some would have you believe—wine, cheese, bread, grapes and a few hard-boiled eggs work remarkably well for adults; sandwiches and iced tea for kids. But the spot you choose is important. You probably already have a place in mind, one about which you once said to yourself, "That would be a great place for a picnic" without really intending to go.
If you are unsure, try a state park. There are very nice table at Topsmead in Litchfield, Harkness Memorial in Waterford, Devil's Hopyard in East Haddam, Campbell Falls in Norfolk, Sherwood Island in Westport, Bigelow Hollow in Union—well, you get the idea: State parks were basically designed with picnics in mind. If you've got a favorite to share, let us know.
Time for a Picnic
