What an excellent picnic/BBQ!

Super food and drinks, even better company, wonderful weather! I'm not sure we could have asked for more.

Thank you!

Yes, we're having fun!

Thanks a bazillion everyone for coming out today, sharing an amazing time and food. I'm not exaggerating at all when I say every single one of the 40+ dishes and drinks that were served today were spectacular. Days like today make me really proud to have such great friends with such talents, and fortunate to have LTH to bring us all together. Thanks everyone!

What a great event and a perfect day for us to attend our first-ever Montrose Beach Potluck! The weather could not have been better, the food and drink were sensational across the board and the company easily trumped all that. There was a point at which I meant to go grab my camera out of the car and snap a few pics but the drinks started flowing and I completely spaced it until much later in the afternoon. I'm sorry about that and also the fact that I ran out of real estate so early because everything I ate was delicious, and I truly wish I could have eaten more of it.

The only negative for me was the rather lengthy walk from the picnic site to the bathrooms (man, that's a looong way) but for most of the day I managed to find alternatives. I think that in the future, renting one of those surreys near the Foster Beach House would be a great way for (us old) people to convey ourselves to and from the bathrooms over the course of the afternoon. Hey, they just don't make Depends in my size.

Thanks, Matt & Teresa, for putting this together. And thanks, to everyone who made it such a lovely afternoon!

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ronnie_suburban wrote:they just don't make Depends in my size.

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Thanks for placing that image into my head.

Jazzfood wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:they just don't make Depends in my size.

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Thanks for placing that image into my head.

Would it have been better if I said they did?

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Glad to have you and glad you enjoyed it! Very true, the bathroom is definitely a good 15 minute or longer walk each way. We considered it long and hard when decided to move to this location. The trade off is the ease of parking in the area we picked and its proximity to the water. It really is a beautiful spot too. When we used to do it nearer to the bathrooms parking was hell. Renting a surrey is a great idea though!

laikom wrote:Glad to have you and glad you enjoyed it! Very true, the bathroom is definitely a good 15 minute or longer walk each way. We considered it long and hard when decided to move to this location. The trade off is the ease of parking in the area we picked and its proximity to the water. It really is a beautiful spot too. When we used to do it nearer to the bathrooms parking was hell. Renting a surrey is a great idea though!

Makes perfect sense. If you go farther north, the beach basically ends (nothing but rocks) until just south of Foster. Farther south, that beach is crowded. And yes, the parking seems to fill in earliest closest to the bathrooms. This is a great spot because it's grassy and shady, just a few steps from the water, and near the parking, too. Being smack dab between 2 bathrooms, I imagine this is one of the spots where parking fills up last.

As for the surrey, at least a few people could cruise over at the same time. I thought about bringing my bike next time but it's only a 1-seater!

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Yeah, I think the parking/bathroom trade-off is fully in effect. We can park as easily as we can because it is equidistant between two bathrooms, but not really close to either one.

Ultimately, I really like the new spot and prefer it to the old one. As someone who had to lug an enameled cast-iron pot full of food from a far-flung parking location, I much prefer being able to park right next to the picnic spot. Now, I don't even think about what I'm bringing and how easy it is to carry: I just cook. And for Matt and Teresa (or anyone who is there to set-up), they would have to get there very early to anchor the spot and minimize their walk or would have a bit of a logistical nightmare on their hand moving tables, chairs, smoker, and a gril from the car to the site.

A number of folks have opted to drive to and from the bathrooms or seek refuge in the nature rather than the 15-20 minute walk each way. If you do decide to walk, at least it's a lovely walk along the lake!

gastro gnome wrote:A number of folks have opted to drive to and from the bathrooms or seek refuge in the nature rather than the 15-20 minute walk each way. If you do decide to walk, at least it's a lovely walk along the lake!

I think if you're early enough (or late enough), your parking place will probably be waiting for you when you return. During the peak of the day, that may not be true.

Btw, your Cuban-style black beans were delicious, and the small bowl I brought home did make a wonderful omelet filling on Sunday morning. Thanks again!

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Thanks for the beans report. Glad they worked out!

A huge thanks to laikom and Teresa for not only organizing, but setting up and taking down all that goes into this glorious event. I uploaded the other photo from my phone, it turned it sideways and I'm not sure why. Maybe someone could tell how to change this in another thread. Here are some cell phone photos I took.

The food was, as always, creative and amazing. It was great to catch up with people I hadn't seen in a while and meet some new faces. There's at least one more left, it's not too late to be part of the fun. Thanks to all who participated.

It was the first picnic that I could attend, and it was a great time. Excellent food and drinks, and above all, wonderful bonhomie.

What a great idea, Matt and Theresa! Echoing everyone's applause above, thank you!