Destination Picnics

Every time I eat a sub sandwich, I know something is missing. It can be a top-rated ensemble, but if it is not eaten in the right context, it will not compare. Sure, it tastes great, yet there is a piece of me that knows it is not right. Somewhere along the way, there was a wrong turn. Let me explain by taking you back to my childhood days.

Summer Sundays in my family were spent taking day trips to state parks and museums throughout our midwest counties. This was the one time where we would put up with each other with minimal arguing between my siblings and I. Whether it was hiking through trails or simply stopping by a lake, they all had one thing in common: picnic lunches. We would all pile out of our family car after a drive that always felt to long. Everyone would take off in different directions to look around, off to find the things that they were most interested in. A couple of the younger kids on the playground, one was climbing a tree, a few of us were taking pictures, and someone was always finding flowers. My mom or dad would begin calling us over as one of us kids would say we were hungry. This is when the greatest meals would begin as we set up a slightly jumbled sub building station.

Pepperidge Farm hoagie rolls, a favorite, and simple hotdog buns were first. Condiments, meats, multiple cheese selections, and always pickles would come out of a cooler. Someone was on chip duty and would pull out bags to open to line up on one side of the table. Another would set our classic blue cooler jug and mix Hawaiian fruit punch with 7-Up followed by ice, next to the cups at the end. Plates would go around as we built the most beautiful picnic subs to grace this planet. Each one was different to fit the palette of the individual it was being consumed by. We would all line up to make our selection of rolls, followed by a preference of thin sliced ham, turkey, and beef. Sliced provolone, cheddar cheese, or slices of American were next. Finally, you found your way to the pickles, which were always close to gone by the end of the day. Pair these with your chip of choice and an ice cold cup of punch before you eat on wooden park tables or in the grass to complete this experience. So simple, yet there were never complaints and they were always requested.

These lunches were rounded off by cookies or ice cream bars for dessert as we packed up everything. Once lunch was put away, we would explore our weekly site. Old buildings, historic sites, hiking, swimming, and everything in between were on the season’s agenda.

Maybe it was the heat and working up an appetite with our running through trees and along rivers. Maybe there is something in the summer air to make this spread an absolute masterpiece. Or perhaps it is simply the memories attached to this meal that I know will never be lived out again in the same way as we have grown up, moved away and lost family members. No matter what the reason is, it holds a record that has yet to be matched. It sounds dramatic, I know. However, I can make the exact sandwich down to the brand, and it does not taste as good when eaten at my kitchen table, 1300 miles away from my home state. The phrase, "most iconic summer food," will not be correct unless it is followed by my family's day trip subs.