5 Places to Have a Picnic (in Norfolk)

Did you know that July was National Picnic Month? Neither did I -- until July was almost over. (National Picnic People, make sure you publicize this a little better next year!) However, we did manage to have two picnics in the last week of July -- one with friends at Bacon's Castle in Surry (post on that forthcoming) and one in our very own backyard.

There are so many wonderful parks and beaches around the area that are ideal picnic destinations, but I thought I would share five of our favorite off-the-beaten-path places around town that are just perfect to visit with a blanket and a basket of goodies.

1. Pagoda and Oriental Garden: This spot is so secluded (usually) that it's easy to pretend you're all by yourself right in the middle of the downtown waterfront. There's also a lot to do -- from watching the ships on the river to making friends with the fish in the carp ponds and a million places nearby to walk to. A really convenient place to stop for lunch if you're out and about of an afternoon.

2. Norfolk International Airport Overlook: There are so many other wonderful things to see at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens that the airport overlook (where you can watch planes take off and land and listen to chatter from the control towers) is often overlooked (see what I did there?) You'll have to pay admission to the garden for the chance to climb the hill but for an airplane-obsessed kid, this is pretty much heaven.

3. St. Paul's Church: For this spot, you'll need to be able to disassociate yourself from the whole graveyard thing a little, but if you can, the churchyard is the perfect place for lunch, beauty and history wrapped up in one (free) package.

4. Moses Myers House: We reviewed the MM house last week. While there, I couldn't help noticing the wide sweeping lawn to the side of the house and imaging a blanket spread out there, under the trees.

5. The Hague: A lot of people in Norfolk don't know about the Hague as anything other than the body of water they pass as they drive over the Brambleton Avenue bridge west of downtown, but around the Hague are extensive areas for running, biking, or just plain lounging and taking in some of the best architecture in the city (we love looking at the Queen Anne homes that line the seawall). Our favorite picnic spot is the crescent-shaped memorial pavilion near the Chrysler Museum (which might be closed off due to construction right now) but there are luckily plenty of other spots to choose from.

What's your favorite thing to pack in your picnic basket? Our family isn't really into sandwiches but we can whip up a mean pasta salad quick as a wink. ;) This also gives us the chance to use the dishes and silverware that came with our picnic basket -- somehow things always taste better when you're eating it off of miniature plates.

Happy weekend!