Picnics- are they worth the fuss?

Yes!!! 
     The weather is starting to get more and more beautiful and that means it is time to spend more and more time OUTSIDE!! 
      A picnic is the perfect activity to get your family outside and enjoying the day! 


I was talking with a young child today about his weekend and I asked what he did on Saturday, because it was gorgeous outside. He told me that because it was such a nice day, his family went over to McDonalds and played in the indoor playground. That sounds great, but NOT when it is so nice outside!! Please, make an effort to let your family run and enjoy the fresh air, outside!!!!


Your picnic does not have to be a big stressful production with beautiful sandwiches and cute napkins. Make the experience fun for the whole family, even you! 


Finding a good picnic spot can be hard to find sometimes, which is one of the main reasons for this blog! So, look around my blog and try out a local park for your picnic. There are hundreds of parks in the Columbia area, so I am sure that there is one near you! 


I am not sure why everyone fusses about the food for your picnic. Don't make this hard on yourself. Picnics are special. Your children will think they are very special, especially if you make it fun. Since picnics are such an out of the ordinary activity, anything you pack to eat is going to seem out of the ordinary. I like to pack regular peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or egg salad sandwiches. If you don't have time to make the sandwiches and put them in plastic baggies, then just bring all the ingredients and have a "sandwich buffet" at your picnic. Let everyone make their own sandwich. 
       This is also a great time to sneak some healthier foods into your child's day (and yours). Like I said before, eating outside at a park, seems to make everything taste better. So, instead of loading your picnic bag or basket with junk food, only pack the good stuff. Instead of potato chips pack some crunch celery sticks and carrots. Instead of gummy fruit snacks pack fresh grapes, blueberries, or strawberries. Instead of sodas or juice boxes, pack water in their own reusable water bottle. (And let them know if they drink all their water, they can refill it over at the water fountain at the park!- they might enjoy that) Not only is this food better for you-but it will give you extra fuel to keep playing together at the park!

          Along with the food, make sure you pack a few napkins, some hand sanitizer, a few band aids and an old sheet or blanket to sit on. Most parks have trash cans, so you probably don't need a trash bag, just always remember to clean up after your picnic! :) It is also a great idea to bring a frisbee or some sort of ball to play together. Make sure that you play too!!! The whole point of your family picnic is to spend time together and enjoy time outside together, right? So - you need to play too!!
      Some great things to do on your picnic- play tag, frisbee, soccer, football, fly a kite, go on a nature walk and play on a playground. 
      Enjoy your picnics!! 
Please share tips and success stories from your picnic adventures to help the rest of us out :)

Congaree National Park

Yesterday (Saturday) I visited Congaree National Park with my family. It was a beautiful day for a hike! I would highly recommend visiting this park with your family.
   The park is free and beautiful. We arrived around noon with a picnic lunch. They have picnic tables next to the visitor center's parking lot. There were a lot of families at the park yesterday. After our picnic lunch we walked around the visitor's center. There were park rangers showing children different animal hides and other neat things. The visitor's center is air conditioned and full of neat little exhibits about the forest. There is also a free movie to watch about the park. The bathrooms are located right in front of the visitor center doors and they are clean and nice.

   The whole reason to go to this park is to enjoy the forest! You have a bunch of options for a hike. I would suggest starting out on the boardwalk. It is a beautiful walk that wraps around the park. You are above the ground on a wooden boardwalk with railings. This would be the best options for strollers and little children. The boardwalk is 2.4 miles long and it will take you an estimated 1,2 hours to complete the whole walk. The only bad part is that you can not bring your pet with you.
  No worries though, because the park provides plenty of other hikes for you and your canine buddy to enjoy. Yesterday my family brought our dog along and we enjoyed a hike down to Wise Lake. It took us about 2 hours to complete the hike. This hike is also beautiful, but you are in the forest, on a trail instead of on a boardwalk.

    The visitors center contains maps and very friendly park rangers that will help you map out a route. The park also has sites for free camping!! I have never camped at this park, but I love to camp! Another WONDERFUL family activity and did I mention that this would be free?? (except you would need to bring all your camping supplies) Most of the campsites are primitive, meaning no showers or bathrooms. However, there are 8 sites with "porta-johns". This would be a true family adventure- but great memories would come from it.

   The park also has free canoe tours. I have never done this, but it is on my list! You need to call the park ahead of time to make a reservation. The park will provide you with all the necessary equipment, free of charge. You must be at least 5 years old and wear the proper clothing. (example- no flip flops). This would be a great activity. Check out their website for times and phone numbers.
   The park also has places to go fishing and to take your own kayak and canoe.
I can't say enough about this great park! Please go and see it for yourself! Also, share your experience with the rest of us! We would love some extra opinions!

Have fun!
Congaree National Park
Guided Canoe tours

Introduction

What is this blog all about?

This blog will feature Columbia area parks and other places of interest around town. This blog will also keep track of upcoming events in the area such as football games, car shows, fairs, and other fun family events that you want to know about.

I will post pictures and descriptions about the place or event and ask for comments from readers. I also need help from my readers learning about the great stuff that Columbia has to offer.

So, if you find out about a neat event happening in Columbia (or near-by),  or you are hosting an event, please e-mail me at whatsupincolumbiasc@gmail.com  and let me know all the details and I will post them on my blog.

Also, if you visit a park, museum, hiking trail (etc.) and think we should know about it- please don’t keep it a secret- e-mail me pictures, along with some details and the location and I will put that up too!

This blog is a great way to share information and learn about fun things to do in Columbia.