The Ultimate Picnic

A google announcement came across my computer recently describing a one-of-a-kind dream trip where guests can fly to a private, uninhabited island or sand bar on Little Palm Island. Here, hidden away in the Florida Keys you will be served The Ultimate Picnic.

Key West Seaplanes, the region’s premier provider of luxury seaplane charter service will also fly you to the Island for brunch, lunch, dinner, or an overnight stay to Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, only accessible by seaplane or private ferry service.

A few days later, I received an email advertising Tropical Super Bowl Trips where visitors pull up lawn chairs and “lots of picnic tables” in front of a big screen on the beach.

I took these two messages as a sign for me to turn off my computer and get out to my own beach for my first picnic of the year. Although my beach wasn’t private and my picnic would be simple, it would nonetheless be fun and entertaining.

Venice Public Beach in Florida was scheduled to have a drumming circle on this night so I arrived just after 5:00. In previous years I had been to drumming circles on Siesta Key and Nakomis Beach and had enjoyed not only the drumming, but the impromptu dancing, hula hoop-ing and general feeling of merriment while waiting for the sunset.

There were quite a few people already there when I arrived, but because they were all sitting on towels, stretching, I suspected they were waiting for a Yoga class. They were. I must have misread either the date or the place. Well, I could have just moved to a different part of the beach and still had my picnic without the drums. But the seagulls were lined up by the dozens and although they were facing the water, I've learned you cannot fool these birds. The first morsel that went into my mouth would signal a free-for-all.

One of my "7 Rules for a Perfect Picnic" is to Be Flexible. I have had years of practice in Connecticut through the years when it rained on our picnic and we had to move it indoors.

Here, being flexible simply meant moving a few feet off the beach to an outdoor patio next to the concession stand where a performer was already singing and playing the guitar. It was still musical entertainment, just a different kind.

It may not have been one of the exotic picnics that had been trying to tempt me, but hey, I was outside in beautiful Florida in February having a picnic.

On this day, when I really needed a break, it was perfect!