Leeann Simton found the perfect spot on the grass near a playground in Tydings Park, opened her picnic basket and took out a sandwich.
Simton lives in Richmond, Va., but when it comes to finding an idyllic location for a picnic, nothing beats coming home to Harford County and getting away from it all in the popular Havre de Grace park.
"Every year I come home to visit with friends and family for the Fourth of July, and I always spend my days in Tydings Park," she said. "I bring my kids some days and come alone on others. I love to sit on the boardwalk or lie on a blanket in the grass and eat my lunch and relax and take it all in.
"It's like something out of a storybook."
While perhaps not quite measuring up to Eiffel Tower Park in Paris or Central Park in New York, Harford County boasts an abundance of spots ideal for that timeless delight, the summer picnic.
Harford residents can choose from more than 100 parks, many of which offer amenities and attractions for a broad range of picnickers, from children to couples to nature lovers to anglers to recreational sports enthusiasts.
Liz Larsen is another transplanted Harford County resident who still has a soft spot for coming back to picnic in the county. She and her family have been meeting at Rockfield Park in Bel Air for the past three years and plan to continue the tradition this year.
"I grew up in Bel Air and moved to Pennsylvania recently," said Larsen. "Even with all the parks around me, I still love this one. It's so beautiful and more importantly, it's safe for the kids. We eat and then spread out our blankets near the playground while the kids play. It's just a perfect place for a picnic."
Rockfield Park is one of the county's more popular parks, said Bob Cooper, public works director for Bel Air.
"This park is probably the only park in Bel Air where people can actually sit and watch the fireworks on the Fourth," said Cooper. "It has the highest elevation of all the parks here, and it's the most accessible because it isn't in city limits. So people can go there on the Fourth and miss a lot of the heavy traffic we get up by the high school."
Terry Carmody, recreation specialist for the county parks and recreation's central district, said the 51-acre park is particularly appealing to nature lovers.
"Rockfield Park is a scenic, pretty area with walking trails and gardens winding through it," said Carmody. "People can go and enjoy the scenic beauty in the park and at the same time picnic outside of Bel Air."
