by Elizabeth Young

You can picnic anywhere - in a grassy city park, at the seaside, riding on a train, sitting along a hiking trail next to bubbling stream. And picnics aren't for lunches only - bring a picnic to the beach at sunset. Wherever you are, there are possibilities for picnicking, even in a big city. And, picnics are easy on the budget.

Buying your picnic is part of the fun and you can shop to please individual tastes in your family. Supermarkets are open day and night, and usually have a deli where you can have sandwiches made, or get roast chicken, sushi, salads, plus fresh fruit, cut-up carrots and celery, cold drinks, chips, cookies - everything you need for a first class picnic. Another easy option is to scout out a delicatessen for sandwiches. If you're staying in a neighborhood far from shopping, in the morning, ask at your hotel to arrange a picnic. Hotel restaurants are often equipped to do so.

Tip: In your luggage, tuck in a packable tote bag as your "food bag" - to hold picnic supplies. Bring a lightweight bag, preferably nylon or vinyl, so it can be wiped off if food gets spilled on it.

Snacks and treats

While traveling with children, it's important to take frequent breaks, so parents can relax and kids can re-energize. And late in the day, don't start in on some huge museum without a substantial snack first. One way to get to know a neighborhood is to sample the local treats. What about a local ice cream shop that makes its own ice cream, or a bakery with cookies shaped like surfers in a beach city, a diner with the best milkshakes, a fresh-baked bagel, hand-squeezed lemonade, old-fashioned candies or sodas in an Old West town? A snack break can be a quick stop to buy a soft pretzel from a street vendor, or a big event like afternoon tea at a fancy hotel.

Eating healthy

On your trip, you may feel your kids aren't really eating a balanced diet. Too many hot dogs and sodas or fast food because it's everywhere you turn? Be on the lookout for juice bars and smoothies, drinks with fresh fruit and yogurt. Popular ice cream shops often have smoothies. Jamba Juice is a juice bar you can find all over California. Vegetarian or health conscious sandwich shops often have fresh-squeezed juices.

Picky eaters

If your kids are picky eaters at home, what to do while traveling? Encourage openness to try new things, but don't take away choices. One summer when I was young, we stopped into a little seafood joint in Washington state. My mother ordered the local specialty, Dungeness crab, but let us kids order hamburgers. When her crab came, we tried a morsel or two - it was so delicious, our hamburgers went untouched. (My mother ordered more crabs.)

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