With the weather as nice as it's been, I've been daydreaming about ways to be outside as much as possible. Like a child, I want to pitch a tent in my backyard (i.e. the Chugach Mountains) and then spend the day running around or reading. However, as an adult, I crack the window in my bedroom when I go to sleep and then I get up and take a deep breath of fresh air on my way to the office in the morning. Sometimes I don't leave the office until the end of the day, and that gulp needs to last until 5 p.m.
I discovered recently that even when I have too many things to juggle that prevent me from enjoying spring fever, a quaint outdoorsy shot in the arm is ye olde-fashioned picnic. Even, or maybe especially, on a weeknight this is a fun and easy way to be outdoors.
Little required
Although I did some serious perusing of adorable picnic sets when I was setting up a wedding registry, in the end I chose not to ask for one (well or nobody chose the picnic basket anyway). Checkerboard tablecloths and REI screw top wine glasses are adorable but unnecessary.
The best picnics involve cheese, a baguette, olives and beer straight out of the growler. This kind of meal allows me to imagine for a moment that I am a character in "Heidi", walking with her bindle rested over a shoulder until she finds a good place to lay out her food on a green, sheep-filled hillside (or, you know, Kincaid).
All that is required to prepare for this kind of picnic are the ingredients, or if you are feeling inclined toward civility and sanitation, several utensils, napkins, and perhaps a small cutting board. You will probably consume more than you expect. That's OK because the energy you consume carefully selecting your picnic fare and then being outside in the refreshing 55-degree sun will take care of all that excess chèvre. Or something.
Where to go
This is as simple or as difficult as you want.
Got too many kids running around to think about a logistically complicated Monday night outing? How about a yard that gets some evening sun? Perhaps it's normal for people to eat out on a deck, but it isn't for me. For the most part, we are simple front stoop people, or we head to a park in our neighborhood.
There are great spots all along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, including Westchester Lagoon, Lyn Ary Park, and Point Woronzof. On the Chester Creek Trail, Valley of the Moon Park is a popular barbecue spot. There's also Goose Lake.
Heading a little farther afield, a picnic followed by a hike is pretty ideal these days. Glen Alps is full of the kind of manic buzz brought on by spring. I saw someone riding their bike back to their car with both a snowboard and a fishing pole strapped to their back. Several hang gliders drifted gently down near Flattop. There is still snow, but it's rapidly melting, and people are enjoying skipping down through short snowy stretches. If you've never tried that, you need to (another great use of chèvre).
Eagle River Nature Center is another family-friendly option, with lots to see and explore. And of course Turnagain Arm is filled with good spots from McHugh to Bird. A tailgate picnic timed with the bore tide or a quick intense uphill along Bird Ridge both provide a stellar view of the Inlet.
Braver souls with more time, especially as the snow melts, may lug sandwiches to the top of a peak to have dinner with friends. Not only does everything taste more delicious, but it feels amazing to cheat the work week by taking advantage of the longer days. Those poor working stiffs in the Lower 48 have to play hooky or bring headlamps to have half the fun we enjoy. Some of my favorite spots for this kind of quick, weeknight outing are Mount Baldy in Eagle River, Rendezvous Peak in Arctic Valley, and, when I'm looking to make tons of new friends and possibly offer someone water who didn't bring enough, Flattop.
I love camping and backpacking, and even though I am craving and ready for a long adventure as the leaves get greener and the days get even longer, I find I can get a mid-week fix by just having dinner outside. Combining eating with a sunny Alaska evening means that two of the best things ever are happening at once.
Alli Harvey lives, works and plays in Anchorage.