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Summer time in any city means being outdoors, enjoying the sunshine and coming up with new picnic ideas to get you out of the house! Last weekend Mike and I had a picture perfect Chicago weekend. We ran a couple of times along the lakefront, had delicious breakfast one of our favorites spots, shopped at a great farmer’s markets and enjoyed a beautiful outdoor concert in Millennium Park.
Concerts in the park are my favorite summer night activity. There is nothing better than packing a picnic and sitting outside listening to music. It wasn’t always this way for me. I used to hate being outdoors. But something got into me later in life and I can’t get enough of it. Maybe it’s because I live downtown and there is a definite lack of bugs and grass to affect my allergies. Or maybe it’s the endless opportunities to picnic in Chicago and bring along my Goverre glass. Whatever it is I love being outside now and I’ve developed a list of picnic ideas to help you love it too.
Everyone always says that Chicagoans tolerate the winter just to live here in the summer. As a true Chicagoan, born and raised, I can vouch for this. Summer in Chicago is amazing and worth putting up with the cold weather. The second it turns summer, you instantly forget the below zero days, even if they happened only a short week ago. One of the reasons I love Chicago is the endless opportunities to picnic in some of the most amazing parts of the city. I’ve scoped out a lot of them over the years and I’m sharing my Top Four Chicago Picnic Spots with you today!
Millennium Park
My favorite picnic spot in Chicago! You can find me here on Friday and Saturday nights listening to the free concerts at Pritzker Pavilion. We pack up the cooler with food and wine and spend a couple of hours here listening to world class music and enjoying the backdrop of the city.
Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park is not only a neighborhood, but an actual park in the city. This spot is packed with rolling grassy lawns and some awesome views of downtown Chicago. You are minutes from the beach here, but have miles of park to roam and relax in. Elevate your picnic game and visit on a Wednesday or Saturday morning and grab something from the Green City Market.
The New East Side
A tiny slice of heaven located downtown. The New East side is what I consider a gem for the locals. It’s almost impossible to locate, but once you find it, you will be treated with a giant lawn, beautiful trees, water features, and a park for kids and dogs. The park is surrounding by townhouses and large high rise condos which shelter it from the rest of the city.
North Ave Beach
Spending the day at the beach is a must do in Chicago. It’s actually amazing how many public beaches are in Chicago. Once of my favorites is North Ave Beach, it’s HUGE! And it also has a lot going on. With the lakefront trail running through the back half of it, the beach has volleyball courts, areas for towels and chairs and recreational water sports. It also has Castaways, which is a huge outdoor bar and restaurant offering music or a DJ most weekends, and the Shore Club, a large patio with a bar and cabanas.
Now that you have the spot picked out you need to try out the picnic ideas you’ve been waiting to roll out. As far as I’m concerned there are only two things you need to worry about packing; drinks and food. I’m so smart, right? 🙂 I’m sharing the ultimate picnic ideas to pack for a true Chicago style picnic.
Drinks
Packing a variety of drinks is ultra important on a summer day. I personally have to have at least two choices of liquids. From water to pop (or do you guys call it soda?) to wine, you have to be stocked! To keep my water ice cold I package it up in my Swell water bottle and it stays cool for up to 24 hours!
Wine is usually tricky to pack. One bottle isn’t enough for me and Mike, but two is to much and we usually end up throwing half of the second bottle out. To solve this we bring a bottle of wine and pour ourselves a glass to go in our Goverre portable wine stemless cup. It’s a glass, portable, stemless wine glass with a silicone sleeve and drink-through lid. With Goverre, you can now bring your favorite glass of wine with you anywhere. I love the silicone sleeve, it makes it easy to grip and adds a little cushion in cash you drop it. It’s a genius invention and I’m surprised I’ve gotten through life without it so far.
My favorite wines are from some of my favorite trips we’ve taken over the years. From France I love Pouily Fume – En Travertin and Vouvray – Vigneau Chevreau
Food
I’ve got picnic food down to a science! Having options to choose from is important…. I love to eats lots of little things, buffets and tapas restaurants are my jam! Why limit yourself when you can have options? To satisfy this craving in a compact I create a charcuterie board. First, I use my slate board and load it up with lots of different cheeses (my favorites are blue cheese, soft sheeps milk and a hard gouda), meats (I love spicy pepperoni, genoa salami and prosciutto) pickles and olives. In addition, I pack small containers of spreadable condiments like fig spread, coarse mustard and honey. And finally, I grab some crackers or slice a baguette. You can grab fancy cheese at your grocery store and you can also have the deli slice just enough pieces of prosciutto for your need.
How hungry and thirsty are you guys now? I’m ready to head out and enjoy the city and try out some of my new picnic ideas. Need inspiration on what to wear to a picnic? Check out my summer capsule wardrobe post, you’re going to love it!
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