Best Picnic Time

What's better than a July picnic on a hot, sandy beach next to the worlds largest freshwater lake?

A picnic and a Lake Superior celebration!

With Kite Flying and a whole lot of other activities this could be your best family picnic yet. You should make plans for Lake Superior Day this July

Watch this video to capture some of the magnificence of Lake Superior as well as learn about the day and some of the history and importance of the lake. (note the button to play is only small and a little hard to find. It's right under the largest picture.)

Billed as an Earth Healing Initiative for 2008 and an Interfaith environmental project for the Great Lakes Basin in cooperation with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

According to the Lake Superior Binational Forum Lake Superior Day is a special day (held annually on the third Sunday in July) that encourages you to think about your connection to the world's largest freshwater lake.

Although Lake Superior is the cleanest of the five Great Lakes, it too is being threatened by pollution, invasive species, loss of habitat, and over-development. The purpose of this special day is to remind people how important the lake and its natural resources are to our everyday living and to encourage each of us to take action to protect it.

Almost 45 groups and communities have participated to date, in some way, including special events such as dragon boat races, beach clean ups, musical concerts, library displays, church services, and signed proclamations that designate the third Sunday in July as Lake Superior Day.

There is a Forum's website that offers ideas about how the day was celebrated last year and what you can do to celebrate Lake Superior. You may click on Current Projects and new information is posted regularly.

Individuals and families, churches and kids, communities and clubs, and businesses and industries hold activities or events that celebrate Lake Superior Day, held annually on the third Sunday in July

Lake Superior's deepest point is 1,332 feet, which would almost cover the Sears Tower in Chicago, one of the worlds tallest buildings.

The lake stretches approximately 350 miles from west to east, and 160 miles north to south. If you could travel along the entire Lake Superior shoreline, you would travel 1,826 miles, or the distance from Duluth to San Francisco.

The Lake Superior Binational Forum is a multi-sector stakeholder group of U.S. and Canadian volunteers that work together to provide input to governments about lake issues and educate basin residents about ways to protect and restore the lake.

Lake Superior's surface covers 31,700 square miles, or about the size of South Carolina.

The lake is so big it could hold all the water from the other four Great Lakes, plus three more lakes the size of Lake Erie.

A great place to have a picnic!

For more information email organizers - or call (715) 682-1489

Elena Gallegos Picnic Area and Albert G. Simms Park

This was something very nice to see A Real Estate Agent -Albuquerque NM Real Estate - providing good information about the local area. I was so impressed that I had to share it.

I'd like to include a lot more of this sort of information on my Blog so if you come across any else like this or you want to write a review of picnic areas you have been to let me know via info@bestpicnictime.com

Anyway as the article says "this beautiful 640 acre park has an elevation of approx 6,500 feet with a plethora of flora and fauna. A network of paths is available for hikers, bikers, and equestrians. There are also two paths for hikers only."

Richard

How to build a Picnic Table and Benches are one of the things that I come across people wanting all the ting in my research on picnicking.

I'm not into building myself. I don't have the patience for it these days. But do know the satisfaction of a job completed and done well.

There is nothing like the sense of euphoria that you get when someone comments on how good something looks and the pleasure you get when they express admiration for the work.

Add to this the sense of pock your tongue out pride you get when someone has the audacity to say with surprise "did you do that?"

So hear is a sturdy and good-looking picnic table for about half the cost of ready-made. About 4 to 6 hours for the table; about 2 hours per bench to build and using 2 × 6 and 2 × 4 redwood stock; 3/8 × 5 1/2-inch (for table) or 1/4 × 5 1/2-inch (for benches).

Of course if you don't like building like me you can always just buy a portable folding picnic table

Richard

Steps

1. Check the suggested list of things needed for a picnic set out below.

2. Search for and copy into a Word document all your favorite recipes and alter them to fit with your needs. Now your ready to print out a selection at a moments notice.

3. If you can spare the items in the list (below) from your daily household routine, pack them in your picnic container ready to go at all times. This removes the biggest hurdle to not feeling like leaving the house!

4. Never feel inhibited about stopping at the supermarket on the way out to get already prepared items, dips, bread, salads, drinks, cookies, cake etc.We never did! Or you can just take the ingredients and make salads, sandwiches etc on the spot.

Tips

* Give preference to Non-disposable items are preferred over disposable ones. You don't have to use your best or favorite plates or that special cutlery, buy cheap used ones from thrift stores. You can take the opportunity to make your picnic more eclectic, old-world atmosphere to your picnic if you would like.

* Drinks such as Tea, coffee, juice and soft drinks are better in glass or metal containers - again try to avoid the throw-away bottles and cups.

* You can buy fold up cake covers to the keep food safe from insects.

* Always wash all your picnic items and dispose of food on returning from a picnic. For safety sake and your picnic pack will be fresh and ready for you at all times.

Check the Weather

* Check the weather forecasts.

* Check that the place you are going to has covered areas should you need them if rain starts on your picnic.

What You'll Need

* Picnic basket, bag (cloth supermarket bags are great), box or other container
* Frozen goods bag, container & ice bricks - for cold food storage
* Tablecloth, rug, or blanket; if your ground cover isn't waterproof, also take a waterproof groundsheet
* Napkins - cloth is nicest and environmentally-friendly
* Plastic/metal/china/glass/disposable plates, cutlery, bowls
* Mugs, cups, glasses (take re-usable ones)
* Cutting or bread board
* Bread knife and perhaps another sharp knife for meats/cheese/tomatoes/fruit
* Servers and/or tongs for salads, meats etc
* Corkscrew/bottle opener & wine glasses (optional but recommended for the pleasant experience)
* Food containers & serving plates
* Small pieces of foil, cheesecloth or plastic wrap for covering food; or get fold-away cake covers
* Thermos flask for keeping drinks warm, hot or cool
* Salt and pepper
* Sugar, milk and milk substitutes
* Favorite sauces, pickles, relishes etc
* Waste bags (use up old supermarket bags or paper bags etc)
* Hand wipes/tissues
* Containers for leftovers (ziplock bags are useful)
* Hats, sunscreen, insect repellents
* Shade umbrella (optional)
* Band-aids, bite lotion
* Food & drinks
* Hiking, cycling, driving maps & information
* Games, balls, frisbee, books, pillow etc.
* Your camera

As I have been doing my research for my website Best Picnic Time I have constantly come across the term "electric picnic" which has prompted me to ask "exactly what is an Electric picnic?"

Well I had a few moments so I looked it up it turns out that it is:
an annual music festival which has been staged since 2004 in Stradbally Hall, Stradbally, County Laois in the Republic of Ireland.

Electric Picnic differs from other festivals in Ireland in that the music choice is more eclectic (including "greats" from previous generations as well as lesser known up-and-coming acts), there is also more emphasis on high quality extras (food and living arrangements) and a generally more positive and chilled-out vibe.

The eclectic line-up has earned the festival a more alternative reputation than other Irish festivals and combined with the slightly higher ticket price has ensured a slightly older patronage than Oxegen, the main fesitval organized by MCD.

If you would like to know more, I got this information from:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Electric Picnic
Location Stradbally Hall, Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland

Date First weekend of September
Genre Indie/alternative, dance
Website www.electric picnic.ie

So it's not quite a family picnic but if sounds like it could be a great festival

Richard

If this doesn't drive you nuts nothing will!

On the other hand used in a timely fashion it can save your sanity.

When the kids have been in the car too long and you don't think you can take it any more, try this, if you haven't already.

You'll need to find something else to distract them before the song itself becomes your undoing but in the mean time you may get enough control to think of something and arrive safely.

Enjoy!



Richard

Another great Picnic Song!

In my "Games to Play for Picnics" pages I talk about things to do with the children on the way to picnics. One of the things I suggest is songs to sing.

Well this one will drive you nuts because the kids will sing it over and over again. But they will love it.

Enjoy!