North Bay Woman

14 NORTH BAY WOMAN | S P R I N G 2 0 1 9 By Leslie Harlib P icnics — they've been a hu- man pastime pretty much since people evolved. In fact, we'd guess that all the meals eaten in the first million years of human evolution were picnics: food eaten outdoors, or under some kind of rustic shelter. Today? Picnics haven't lost their allure. They're liberating, because they get us into a new environment, slow us down and make us concentrate on the delights of eating out- doors in unfamiliar settings. They can even be sexy. Ever looked at Manet's globally famous painting of "Le Dejeuner Sur L'Her- be?" If there ever was an artwork to inspire a picnic, that's the one. Most meals outdoors are the epitome of casual. They celebrate nature. After all, food tastes better in fresh air. Then there's the excitement of opening up your basket, tote bag or cooler to take out and savor only what's inside. One of the best things about picnics is that you're committed to what you're doing. With a picnic, you can't run to the refrigerator and change your mind about what to eat, or keep going back into the house disrupting the mood "because I just forgot x, y or z." What you bring is what you eat and where you bring 12 Delightful Places to Picnic in Marin How to pair up best local eats with spectacular parks Marin may be one of the best places on the globe to picnic and pick up fixing to spread on a blanket. (Clockwise from top left): Andy's Market in Loch Lomond; Stafford Lake in Novato; picnic fixings; Gerstle Park in San Rafael; China Camp State Park; get festive with your picnic spreads; Marin French Cheese Co. in West Marin; nothing tastes as good as dining al fresco. - Photos by Stuart Lirette, Marin County Parks, City of San Rafael and Friends of China Camp Mill Valley Market is walking distance to towering redwoods. - Photo by Stuart Lirette

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