Where to picnic in the Twin Cities, and what to bring
👋 Geoff here! As Axios Twin Cities' resident single, I'm always on the lookout for original first date ideas.
Why it matters: The return of fine weather reminded me of an easy, affordable and rejuvenating date idea: the humble picnic.
Why I love it: Seamless simplicity.
Get a bottle of wine (or your beverage of choice), some snacks and a spacious blanket — and then pick a picturesque spot. You are now primed to be present with your partner, catch some vitamin D and put that phone down.
Plus: You both get to touch grass, which is a bona fide vibe enhancer.
What we're hearing: Our readers (love y'all) sounded off to us recently regarding their best picnic hacks and locales.
Zoom in: Our Instagram followers pointed us to a bevy of prime picnic spots, including the Lyndale Park Rose Garden (well-kept, ample green space), anywhere around Lake of the Isles, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, St. Paul's Mounds Park and, according to one follower, "my backyard."
🧺 Subscriber Layna D. loves Boom Island Park for the "unmatched people watching" and how the scene feels like a perfect cross-section of Minneapolis.
She opts for a bottle of wine or nonalcoholic equivalent, something shareable to heighten the communal vibes. Meanwhile, she brings "crunchy, snacky things" but anchors the meal with sandwiches, tacos or a chicken/tuna salad.
"I bring a smaller blanket that acts as the 'food table,' set up in the middle of all the sitting blankets," she wrote. "This allows all picnickers to be in equal proximity to what we're all there for."
🇮🇹 Rocky G. swears by Italian pasta salad for his picnics, with plenty of rotini, olives, peppers, pepperoni and olive oil and vinegar.
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