Summer is one of the best time to pack up and enjoy a picnic outdoors. Enjoy some lunch and the view of Vernon at some of our favorite picnic spots. Our ultimate guide will help make your next weekend adventure more!

1. Make Your Picnic Simple
2. Ensure all picnic food are simple to transport and not too heavy to carry. Some picnic spots are isolated with a long walk to reach them. Opt for paper or plastic plates ad cutlery; also easier to carry.
3. Make Your Picnic Interesting
4. Make picnic food interesting and easy to eat- think finger food. Salad in boxes takes up much room, instead of stuff pitta bread with goat’s cheese and handfuls of salad- two in one.
5. Things To Avoid On a Picnic
6. Avoid ice cream, sticky puddings, and cakes- they are fragile to transport and wasps, and other insects love them.
7. Make It Few Make It Well
8. Prepare just a few things and do them well. To ease up on the cooking, visit your local deli or farm shop and top up a few homemade goodies like mini sausage rolls.
9. Forget About Courses
10. The fun of a picnic is to spread all the food on the blanket and let everyone laze around, helping themselves.
11. Plan Carefully
12. Plan carefully how much food you may eat. Take too much, and you have to carry it all back.
13. Keep It Cool
14. Use cool bags or an icebox- picnic hampers look lovely but often are heavy to carry, whereas a coolbox/ bags will keep food at the correct temperature to help avoid any risk of food poisoning.
15. What You Must and Must Not Take
16. Must: The sun may shine, so take sunglasses and sunblock, napkins or hand wipes, a good reliable bug spray, bags to take all your rubbish home.
17. Must Not: A radio or music system, unless allowed, candles, or any other fire risk.

1. A Picnic Can be Quick And Easy
2. A family picnic creates lasting summer memories. For working parents with busy families, however, planning a picnic can feel like one more thing on the to-do list. But it doesn’t have o be daunting. A picnic is no more complicated than a typical dinner inside- it can be easier- and should be seen as a fun family outing!
3. The Pack Your Own Picnic
4. Many hands make light work. So having everyone prepare their own food makes picnic prep much easier for the parents. It’s amazing how satisfied kids feel with a simple meal they prepared by themselves.
5. The Supermarket Quick Stop Picnic
6. Picnic prep couldn’t be easier than a quick stop by your local grocer. If you have time and your lunch break, pick up food early in the day. You can also involve the kids in this targeted shop by allowing them to pick out their personal favorites for your special meal.
7. The Appetizer- Dipping Picnic
8. Kids love to dip food, making this picnic not only easy but also loads of fun. First, purchase the items to be dipped: French bread, healthy chips, vegetable stick, and olives, or adults.
9. The Backyard Grilling Picnic
10. Picnics don’t have to be fussy. In fact, you can have as much fun in your backyard as you can in a wooded park or playground. The backyard picnic also lends itself to a weeknight family “outing” or a jump day festivity that gets you through the workweek.

A family-friendly park and beach right on Okanagan Lake.

This small beach is great for a day out with the family. There’s a sandy beach, a grassy play area, and the park is wheelchair accessible. Paddlewheel Park has loads of trees to provide shade for those super sunny Okanagan days. Kids will love the playground, basketball court, beach volleyball courts, and tennis courts. There’s a boat launch here and a public washroom.

The park’s natural attractions, combined with the dry, sunny Okanagan climate, provide many recreational opportunities from spring through fall. Hiking trails along the scenic headlands are steep and require care and attention.

Polson Park is located near the heart of Vernon, adjacent to Highway 97 and Highway 6. The park was established in 1908 when Samuel Polson donated a large parcel of land to the city. Located in the park is the Lawn Bowling Club, the Interior Space and Science Centre, the Arts Council and Vernon Heritage Hall.