I can still see my Gramma loading up the picnic basket for a special trip to one of our beautiful midwestern parks, back when I was a little girl in Iowa. Iced tea, potato salad, chocolate cake, apple pie, all homemade and yummy.

Do people still go on picnics?

When my kids were younger, they could rarely be cajoled into a full fledged picnic. Today when I think picnic, I think of a romantic date with my husband. Here are some of the places I suggest you shop for a nice bite, followed by some good picnic spots.

To make it special, load a basket with dishes, flatware and cloth napkins. Add a pretty tablecloth or blanket and then start thinking about what kind of food to add.

If you are going for a BREAKFAST picnic, get some Danish or sticky buns or muffins at Pangaea in downtown Prescott on Goodwin, about a half a block west of the courthouse plaza – right next to the big parking garage on Granite. If you’re going at lunch time their artisan breads will make an unforgettable sandwich (or just order one of their sandwiches). For a lovely evening picnic, just buy a loaf of their wonderfully crusty bread to go with a nice bottle of wine and some cheese. Don’t forget dessert – they have lots to choose from (generous portions, too!) Yummmmm.

If you think a French pastry would be the perfect addition to the basket, stop over at Sweet Tart (North Cortez, mixed in with all the antiques shops) and start drooling. Their croissants, tarts, brioches, napoleons, quiche, turnovers, etc. are works of art that taste divine, too. It’s entertaining just to go in there for a cup of coffee and watch the faces of the people that come in to check it out. Sweet Tart also serves breakfast and lunch and they are open for wonderful dinners – best to have a reservation for dinner, though.

A Sweet Tart Employee shared this with me:

“(Our customers represent) a very eclectic mix. We have regulars and new customers all the time. When people look at the cooler full of pastries they definitely have a boggled look on their faces, as if they’re seeing something they’ve never seen before. … The baker begins his morning at 2:30 a.m. and begins baking at 3:00. He has everything prepared and in the cooler by 6:30 a.m. It’s a great place to work.”

Now then, take your picnic basket (you don’t have one?!! Go get one!) and your favorite person to one of these spots:

• Acker Park (South Virginia Street)
• Sharlot Hall Museum (right downtown) grounds – there’s a gazebo, beautiful landscaping, and picnic tables scattered here and there. Lovely.
• Granite Basin Recreation Area (a few miles outside town off Iron Springs Road – charges a fee for day use)
• Goldwater Lake (out Senator Highway, just a few miles south of town)
• Granite Creek Park (you can see it from the North Montezuma bridge, to get to it go around the block to 6th street)
• Thumb Butte Park (take Gurley west until it curves and becomes Thumb Butte Road – continue until you see the picnic area)
• Heritage Park Zoo (out Willow Creek Road a few miles north)
• Best of all might be the Courthouse Plaza (right in the middle of downtown)