A Picnic in the Pines

Paté Picnic at Potato Lake

One day in late summer, my father, my two-year-old daugh-ter, Sedona, and I got ready to go on our picnic. Which is to say: We packed dishes. From a wrapped hamburger on a tailgate to a town-size summer celebration, eating outside seems more festive than under a roof. I don't hike, but I do picnic, and you can see an area in a won-derful way if you buy the best chow the locals offer to take along with you to one of Arizona's many al fresco-worthy spots.

We headed to Potato Lake, a popular but primitive spot north of Payson in the Coconino National Forest. There are no tables or facilities. Sedona bubbled with excitement to be riding in Papa's car, the Adventuremobile, because this red convertible has taken her on outings to Flagstaff, Oak Creek, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Williams, and Lees Ferry.

We met photographer Jeff Kida at 11 o'clock, leaving us time to plumb Payson's stores and restaurants for its bounty beforehand.

The drive up State Route 87, the Beeline Highway, from Phoenix meandered through some great canyon scenery. We pondered the pronunciation of Gisela (locals call it guy-SEE-la) and the possibility of naming a son Rye as we passed those two blink-and-you-miss-them burgs. Then we arrived in Payson, still on the Beeline Highway, which makes up the town's main thoroughfare.

In earlier times, Payson cuisine consisted pretty much of a family diner on the right and Mag's Ham-Bun on the left. The diner remains,

But Mag's, with it's overstuffed sandwiches and mournful jukebox, has long since gone. (I remember that no matter what button I pushed, I got a song with a rueful chorus about "work your fingers to the bone and what do you get? Bony fingers!") Now PaysonPayson fairly bristles with restaurants.

We stopped at one called Chemas because we heard that Merced and Lupe Tamez have been selling delectable tamales there since Potato Lake rests like a gem, a perfect oval surrounded by pine and aspen trees.

When the aspens go gold, it will look like a sapphire surrounded by filigree.

Their business outgrew door-to-door. Red plastic tumblers, wipe-clean tablecloths, and the spicy scent of fresh salsa garnished the room where Lupe bustled about, a young grandchild at her heels. We ordered to-go tamales.I also wanted something from the Beeline Cafe, a landmark that exemplifies any small town, with its real "eatin' counter," red revolving stools, and a pass-through window behind the head of a very efficient woman handling diner demands. Sedona, captivated by the round stools, knocked a sugar bowl off the counter with one of her revolutions.

"Don't mind it, honey," the waitress said as I apologized and grabbed for pieces. We stood by as she cut our cinnamon rolls from a pan and eased them into a foam container the size of a turkey platter. Even so, the sugary edges were crimped from crowding.We continued north on the Beeline to the Swiss Village Bakery & Cafe, where I had my heart set on a pie. The tawny-crusted, fruit-oozing berry concoction didn't disappoint, but the server thought I'd made a mistake to include a pie among Payson's finest fare.

"We have people come all the way from Laughlin and Lake Havasu for our eclairs," she said. I passed, believing it smarter to have a reason to plan another picnic here.

Across the street at the Swiss Village Lodge, where I had a romantic early-courtship dinner with my husband a few years

Picnicking in Arizona

Picnicking in Arizona can be enjoyed in all four seasons. There are countless picnic spots in the national forests, and all the Arizona State Parks have excellent picnicking facilities. Here are some of our favorites:

Jerome State Historical Park:

Picnic tables sheltered by chinaberry trees on the grounds of this fascinating museum of mining memorabilia afford a superb panorama of the lush Verde Valley. Perched on Mingus Mountain, the museum was the turn-of-the-century mansion home of copper king James S. "Rawhide Jimmy" Douglas, and taking a tour of its period rooms and exhibits offers the perfect way to work off that picnic lunch. (520) 634-5381.

Sabino Canyon, Coronado National Forest:

Half the fun of picnicking at this southern Arizona desert oasis is getting there. Nestled in the southern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, the canyon is a Tucson area favorite and must be entered on foot, horseback, or shuttle bus. Many hikers keep cool by running through the creek that crosses the road and are welcomed to their favorite picnic destination by the canyon's hummingbirds and butterflies. (520) 749-8700.

Lost Dutchman State Park:

Metropolitan Phoenix residents don't have to look far to find this picnic treasure. Relaxing in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, picnickers can enjoy their lunch before setting off on an interpretive trail or contemplating what they will do when they rediscover the Lost Dutchman Mine. (602) 982-4485.

Red Rock State Park:

This is one of the great picnic and bird-watching places in Arizona. Find a quiet glade along Oak Creek, unpack your lunch, and set your eyes to the sky as you try to spot and identify the area's 150 different bird species. (520) 282-6907.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum:

Meander along fragrant floral walkways and visually consume what Three miles west of Superior, the arboretum was the winter home of mining magnate Colonel Boyce Thompson, and you can still see his 26-room mansion on a nearby ridge. After touring the arboretum, you can relax and enjoy your lunch under a sycamore canopy while the squirrels and birds entertain you. (520) 689-2811.

Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area:

You won't find a picnic table waiting for you when your houseboat noses into one of the giant lake's isolated nooks seemingly a million miles from nowhere. So throw down a blanket, enjoy your packed lunch, then close your eyes and know that you are as far away from work as you'll ever be in your life. (520) 608-6404.

Ago, I remembered raving so about the paté he felt ignored. Maybe I had the actual paté all tied in with shiny memories of new love and repartee, but I wanted to see if it tasted as good as I remembered.

The waitress shrugged, saying, "I've never done this at 10:30 in the morning," and dished two generous scoops of paté into a large takeout coffee cup. After looking at it measuringly, she charged me $3.77. Terrific never came so cheap.

Now we headed to a Basha's grocery store for Swiss cheese, wine, crackers for the paté, and some extra vegetable dip because it looked so good. Just in time, we rendezvoused with photographer Kida.

Over Forest Service roads we followed his teal pickup, first gleaming and then bathed in the dust that's the baptism of offroading on the Mogollon Rim. We had come up the Beeline to the General Crook Trail; from there I could tell I'd have to write down directions for coming out, so swiftly did the neat wooden signs show we'd changed to another path. We drove through classic ponderosa forest with the vanilla smell of the trees enhanced by the warm day, and pine shadows making us think we were blinking as they lightened and darkened the car. We passed a few parked trucks, but didn't see anyone coming the other way.

Potato Lake rests like a gem, a perfect oval surrounded by pine and aspen trees. In a few weeks, when the aspens go gold, it will look like a sapphire surrounded by filigree. We walked a few hundred yards struggling with boxes, bags, and one very energetic child. The setting was sylvan, and we remarked one to another of how a seemingly still sky has enough wisps of wind to set the aspens rustling and pines murmuring.

Jeff and I unpacked so he could record the comestibles on film before they vanished in the good spirit of picnicking. My father took Sedona on a tour of the area, and only quick grandfatherly resolve kept her out of the mud and away from the water. Fortunately there was a lot to distract her. She sat still longer than I've ever seen, on a ponderosa log, watching as Grampa introduced her to pinecones: how they fell from the treetops; how you could shake out tiny mites eating lunch. And how ferns, upside down, looked like Christmas trees.

My favorite moment came as they strolled by the water, and I could tell by the pointing finger and squeal of laughter that Sedona was hearing Grampa explain that the skimming flicker across the water with gleaming blue wings was a skeeter bug. I remembered so clearly my own first glimpse of the same thing, with the same teacher, by Oak Creek.

We hadn't worked that hard, but we fell to the meal like hungry loggers. We'd chosen wellthe paté was textured but not lumpy, the cinnamon rolls were heaven. Any food would taste fine there. The lake remained still except when an occasional breeze stirred patterns on the surface. A few early leaves trickled down. Small things excited us, like a red spider, and a flower growing out of a crack in ponderosa deadfall.

The Swiss cheese got glossy from the heat; we cut into the berry pie and agreed no famous eclair could be any better than this. Sitting out there, I marveled at the benefit of public lands. The canopy of sky, the call of the occasional raven were better ambience than any place with a cover charge.

A thought if you decide to picnic at Potato Lake: Fall is probably the most breathtaking season to be there and a better way of avoiding the threat of the afternoon rain that brings us reluctantly to our feet. Dirt roads coming in can be sucking clay challenges going out if you get a good soaking rain.

Jeff Kida led the way back to the highway, while I scribbled numbers of Forest Service roads. It didn't help me that there were several ways to access Potato Lake. Or maybe it did. I guess it's a good spot where all roads lead to a picnic.

Additional Reading: For more about places ideally suited for family travel, we recommend Travel Arizona: The Scenic Byways. The guidebook's author, Paula Searcy, spent months traveling with her young family along some of Arizona's officially designated scenic routes, stopping at fun spots on the way. The entertaining and informative 112-page book contains more than 125 color photographs and sells for $14.95 plus shipping and handling. To obtain a copy, telephone Arizona Highways toll-free at (800) 543-5432. In the Phoenix area and outside the U.S., call (602) 258-1000.

Phoenix-based Lisa Schnebly Heidinger believes all of life's best experiences include travel in Arizona and food. She and her husband did name their son Rye.

WHEN YOU GO

To reach Potato Lake from Phoenix, take the Beeline Highway, State Route 87, north from the east end of Shea Boulevard straight into Payson (about a 90-minute trip). Continue north on State 87 about five miles past the General Crook Trail exit, approximately two miles past Milepost 285, and look for Forest Service Road 147 on the right. Follow 147 until the 147-B junction, then watch for the sign pointing to Potato Lake. You also can take FR 613 off State 87, which leads to FR 147. To obtain a Forest Service map, stop by or call the Long Valley Forest Service Ranger Station, north off State 87 following the Happy Jack turnoff, or call (520) 477-2172.

It can be warm in summer months, so carry water; summer monsoon rains and winter snows can make the dirt Forest Service roads mush. In winter many of the roads are closed. Spring and fall temperatures range from the low 40s at night to the mid-80s during the day. In the winter, the temperatures drop below zero.