Posts Tagged ‘picnic fun’

Taking a Day Trip: Picnic in the Mountains

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Even though it can be a little slower to hike with kids, we love to go for day trips to the mountains and bring a picnic along to enjoy. As a kid I always looked forward to these outings, and today picnics in the mountains are one of our kids favorite activities. We hike in a mile or two, settle down on some picnic blankets, and enjoy the view.

Picnic backpacks are a much easier choice for these kinds of trips than picnic baskets. With picnic backpacks, you just pack them, sling them over your shoulders, and off you go! And now that both my girls are old enough to hike on their own, we can carry more food instead of carrying the kiddos.

We load up our picnic backpacks with trail mix, crackers, sandwiches, cookies, and water, and hit the trail. The Cambria Deluxe Insulated Picnic Backpack for 4 is the perfect size for a family picnic, and keeps our food nice and cool while we hike. And it’s wonderfully simple to bring along a picnic blanket, because they’re compactable and light.

When we go camping, we always bring BBQ tools to grill up our dinner on the camp grill. We have several BBQ sets that are just the right size to bring on a camping trip, and fresh grilled burgers are one of our favorite camping meals. We also love to bring coffee, tea, and water totes to brew up some hot drinks in the morning.

When my husband and I head up for a romantic picnic for two in the mountains, we often bring our Caddy Insulated Wine Tote. This picnic backpack for two has plenty of room for some chilled wine and cheese, along with a picnic blanket for two. Nothing is more romantic that a romantic picnic in the mountains with white wine, grapes, and some crackers and brie!

How to Meet New People at the Beach

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

We’ve all had them, and they’re almost always fun. So what can we add to a great beach picnic that we’re not already doing? Well, maybe nothing, but here’s a few ideas that you may not have tried that you might find interesting:

  1. Bring extra drinks, whether it’s just water, soda, or beer. This usually works best if you’re not planning a romantic, secluded beach picnic, of course. If you’re at a beach in the middle of the day for a picnic, it’s always nice to be able to offer someone else a drink. What a great conversation starter and way to meet new people, especially if you’re new to the area.
  2. Bring extra food in the totes for the same reason. Chips – small bags – are a great choice, as are small, bite-sized candy bars.
  3. Bring a dog. Even if you don’t have one, borrow someone else’s. A ton of beaches allow dogs, and the dog will have a field day running and playing in the water. If the dog is cute (and friendly), everybody will want to pet him. It’s another fabulous conversation starter.
  4. Fly a kite. Kite People are just cool, and everyone will notice you. It’s a great opportunity to have a little fun and maybe strike up some conversation.
  5. Bring your mom. No, this probably won’t help you meet new people, but sometimes it can. Sometimes she’ll notice little things about other people that you didn’t. For instance, if you’re a guy looking for a special someone, she often notices the looks that last a little longer than most. You know, things like that.

Have fun!