COASTAL WALK PICNICS

Food is a critical component of each of our coastal walks. We pack carefully to reduce excess weight without skimping on flavor and nutrients. Finding the perfect spot to stop for our picnics is almost as important as the contents of the meal. .We’ve had exquisite meals in graveyards and parks. One of my favorites was lunch in a Mendocino County forest in the rain. The food was soggy, but our smiles were broad.

Eating outdoors, in a pullout along a roadside, on a washed up log in the sand, or on a boulder overlooking a forest canopy, intensifies appetite and appreciation for food. The spray of citrus perfume that geysers from a mandarin or a tangerine after a rigorous hike, the heartiness of marinated butter beans, the richness of spreadable goat cheese on a simple cracker, all reach new heights in hiking boots.