By Edith Churchill,Special to the Sun Journal
Whether in gazebo or even in the car in a parking lot, sharing a meal with family and friends can be lots of fun.

You say “gazeebo.” We say “gazaabo.” No matter how you say the word, a gazebo is a great spot for a picnic. I have been writing travel pieces for the Sun Journal for about 10 years now and most trips have included a picnic. The Churchill family has gone on more picnics than I can count. We have picnicked in every season, every month, every weather condition, outdoors, indoors – even in the car.

In fact, one of the things my daughters who are at out-of-state colleges miss the most is a picnic – after family and Maine, in general, with its wonderful smell of pines. Coming back to Maine, the girls roll down the windows, breathe in deeply and say, ‘Now I know I’m home.”

But, back to gazebos. We packed a terrific picnic one day, headed out on a long drive to explore Maine and just about lunchtime, it started to rain. We looked for a covered area where we could spread out a little and eat. We spotted the gazebo on the Casco Common.

Gazebo picnics remain a family favorite even on sunny days. They offer instant shade and, generally, a nice breeze blows through on even the hottest of summer days.

Today, we share with you some of our special spots, along with cherished memories.

Check out these tried-and-true picnic spots

Acadia National Park: The Seawall rest area has a wonderful, very popular picnic area. We enjoyed a foggy lunch while being watched by a pair of baby seagulls. Our table was balanced on the pebble beach, surf crashing just beyond.

Auburn: The banks of Lake Auburn, the Outlet Beach and Pettengill Park: When the girls were young, we took mystery rides, packing a picnic and heading to an undisclosed location known only by yours truly. We jaunted off to a place nearby, usually to include a playground to enjoy after eating. Note: Schoolyards make great places to picnic.

Belfast Harbor: We especially loved going during the Bearfest held for several years when decorated art sculptures of bears were showcased. The waterfront is a lovely and popular spot for a picnic, where tables fill quickly. A quaint downtown is fun to explore and to work off that lunch – or to find an ice-cream cone.

Belgrade Lake: In the town of Belgrade Lake, we had a picnic on a little spit of land jutting into the lake. It was a pretty park among tall pines and sweetly landscaped with colorful flowers. The park is located near a general store, where we let the girls pick out some of their favorite fresh fudge. We walked around the downtown before driving on.

Biddeford: The Biddeford Bird Sanctuary was a great find for us. We did not actually eat in the sanctuary itself but along the adjacent ocean drive. Beautiful by the water. Though I must mention that parking is limited and the area tends to give a cold reception. I remember celebrating a birthday here with a perfect Maine summer day of blue sky and sunshine.

Boothbay Harbor: The Coastal Maine Botanical Garden has the most beautiful gazebo. It is large with benches all around. A bit off the trail, but worth the lugging of gear. Surrounded by woods with the sparkle of water through the trees. We had a wonderful day here.

Casco: This was our first gazebo picnic. We had been driving around looking for the sign with the names of presidents, similar to the more famous signpost of Maine places. We became hungry and spotted the common, just about the time it began to sprinkle. Looking for cover, we headed to the gazebo, and a new family tradition began.

Fort Knox: There are ample picnic tables here and a view of the water, breezy even on steamy days. My family has a soft spot for this fort, having fallen in love with the place. The history, the openness and the long dark hallways – bring a flashlight. We have had several birthday parties for one of my daughters here. One summer while there, we were lucky enough to see a fencing demonstration. The girls had the chance to don the gear and parry and thrust, making the romance of history come alive and take root in their hearts.

Gray: The Maine Wildlife Park in Dry Mills probably holds our record for most picnics. While the girls were growing up, we spent many a half-day Wednesday visiting with Lucy the Mountain Lion and watching the albino porcupine dance. We picnicked along the now enclosed roadway, parking under the tall pines. The girls climbed on the smooth old pine stump that is still there today. Now, there are trails to walk and still plenty of picnic tables, too.

Paris: Streaked Mountain has provided the backdrop for picnics both at the base when the girls were younger, and later, at the summit – always topped off with off-the-bush blueberries.

Cape Elizabeth: Fort William Park and Portland Headlight offer many wonderful spots to picnic. There is even a large covered area on top of the hill. Going here was a recent request from one of my college girls, who wanted to soak in a bit of Maine. We had a terrific off-season visit, a bit chilly, so we opted for one of our famous “in-the-car-picnics.” We were parked in view of the lighthouse, a pretourist season treat. We enjoyed a nice walk after eating, with the girls actually turning somersaults on the beach

Rangeley: The town dock area has a pretty little park, though we miss the large tree that was cut down a few years back. A large picnic area gives you a great chance to watch the boats come and go and play on the water. Gorgeous at sunset as the reflections shimmer off the sails. We had the chance to see a glide plane land on the water and coast to the dock.

Rockport Harbor: Very pretty. We were there among blooming roses. We had the chance to watch osprey dive for their lunch, too.

Wells: The Rachel Carson Nature Preserve has a small table area available and an extremely well-maintained trail. This is my husband’s favorite picnic site, because it is here that he remembers proclaiming my sandwiches as official “deli” sandwiches (a tall kaiser roll filled with turkey, cheese, lettuce and tomato, and for him, mustard). The mention of a “deli” sandwich has him packed and ready to go.

Edith Churchill is a freelance writer living in Auburn who frequently takes day trips with her family.

Don’t strive for perfection. In fact, challenges make for some fond memories.

Like campers, picnickers sometimes need to be a hardy bunch. You have to earn your (chicken) wings. Here are some of our more eventful picnics.

* While interviewing the family, this one was brought up again and again – “The Caterpillar Picnic.” This is the story. We were traveling home from one of our adventures, looking for a spot to stop to eat. We saw the rest area, now closed, near the Chickadee Restaurant. Hmm, I wonder if this is the reason. There were many picnic tables and most were in use. The trees kept dropping little specks on us. It took us a little while to figure out that the dark flecks were not tree buds. We ate very quickly, and the naming of some picnics began.

* Next came “The Goose Poop Picnic.” We were walking the trails at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth. There is a flat area behind the gardens that is marshy due to the tidal flooding. On our long ago visit, this field was absolutely covered with goose droppings. After a while of treading carefully, we began to laugh and could not stop. I still smile at the thought. The picnic that day was close to the nature center, well away from the field.

* We had mosquito visitors at Popham Beach. We had not brought any repellent, thinking a beach trip didn’t require it. Ha! I do not believe I have seen such swarms neither before nor since.

* Our vote for the most unique picnic is our “Laundromat Picnic.” We were camping at Bar Harbor Campground. OK, we were novice campers. Fair weather all the way. When we got to the campground, we wondered about all the tarps everywhere. Why all the blue? Not long after the last of the campfire embers burned down and all of us were asleep, the rain began. And it poured. The tent leaked. Not just a little bit. We tried to dam the water using every towel, but to no avail. It kept coming in. By morning, the sleeping bags were floating. We were hungry and cold, and one of us was very grumpy. Finally, after pancakes in town, we came back and decided we could survive. We packed a picnic lunch, looked up a laundromat and loaded up all the wet things. The drying took so long that we decided to eat lunch in the parking lot. We became camping survivors that day.

* The most surprising answer to me, when I asked family members for their favorite spot, came from one of my girls who said, “Our Front Yard.” We have had everything from teddy bear picnics to take-out pizza picnics after working all day painting or wallpapering in the house. When the girls were little and we were looking at a long summer day at home, we often had a picnic outside and then read a stack of stories. Sweet memories, indeed.

It only goes to show that you don’t need to find the perfect spot. It is right outside your door. Pack up something your family or friends will love to eat, go somewhere and enjoy each other. Happy picnicking!

Some essentials to keep in your car

Bring what your family likes to eat. For us, the packing became a family affair. While I cut the fresh veggies, my husband took charge of packing the cooler. The cooler was often very heavy before the wheeled kind thankfully appeared (a well-received Father’s Day gift). The girls packed the paper goods and dry goods such as bread, peanut butter and cookies.

Here are some supplies worth keeping in the car:

A tarp: the grass is often wet, and there is not always a picnic table available.

A sheet or blanket is softer to sit on and can double as a tablecloth or groundcloth.

Plate-holders: These plastic or wicker holders prevent paper plates, and sometimes your lunch, from blowing away.

Trash bags: ALWAYS leave the area cleaner than you found it. This is the only Maine we have.

Wipes: After wiping off gifts from seagulls from the picnic table, you will be glad you remembered these.

Insect repellent: A must.

What to eat – from easy to gourmet to takeout

Here are some ideas that work for us, and some traditional picnic choices.

Easiest:

Submarines or grinders to go, potato chips, bag of cookies, soda

Easy:

Sandwiches, can of potato chips, potato salad, veggie sticks, brownies, orange-powdered drink like Tang, or lemonade

The Churchill version (easy style-plus):

Asiago cheese torpedo rolls from Shaw’s, Munster cheese slices, fruit or fruit salad, sliced peppers, cream cheese as a veggie dip, striped shortbread cookie sandwiches, with peanut butter between and fudge when available

The Churchill version (traditional):

Cold chicken, rolls, tossed salad, watermelon, chocolate cake, lemonade

The Churchill version (gourmet):

Loaf of crusty French Bread, brie cheese, fruit, bottled water or iced herbal tea, chocolates