"Crossing Hideaways Revealed!"
by Nymme

The sun is shining, and you, your spouse, and friends have been hunting and training until you don't want to see another beast or cast another spell. What do you do now? These fair lands of ours offer many distractions for tired adventurers. One of the most fun things to do that many people seem to forget is picnicking!

Ahh, "The Picnic!" Food, fun, and frolicking in.. in.. in.. Well, where does a person go in the Crossing for a picnic? That question is one that has infinite answers. Each and every adventurer out there has his or her own favorite place. With that said, I decided to take my wandering feet out and about the Crossing to find some of the nicest picnic spots in that fair city.

Let's start our hunt for the perfect picnic spot down by the river. The Strand is a wonderful spot to have a picnic if you like watching the water. One of the things that make the Strand an ideal spot for a picnic is that it is easily accessible. If you only have time for a quick bite you can get there in the blink of an eye. You can sit under the Wyndwood trees and watch the children build sand castles, or lay on the soft carpet of short grasses and flowering dirdel and watch the Nadira birds playing by the water. For those of you who want to get a bit closer to the beautiful rivers, the old pier juts out into the water and offers a wonderful view of all the pleasure boats floating peacefully on the water.

A few blocks a bit to the north of the Strand stands the new Temple. The gardens offer a plethora of areas for the picnic hunter to revel in. Follow the cobblestone path, and picnic spots nearly leap into your lap. Tall trees and beds of wildflowers cover the grounds and offer quiet, peaceful spots for weary adventurers to rest their bones. The Temple gardens are large enough that exploring them for the perfect picnic site makes for a fun start to any picnic. The Temple also has one other advantage: if you forgot to bring food to your picnic, you can purchase food and beverages from a small assortment sold there by a sweet old monk. You might want to watch out for any surprises.

At almost the northernmost reaches of the city is the new empath housing area. In the center of this nest of quiet homes is a beautiful fountain. Copperwood benches surrounding the pool make perfect spots to sit and talk while you eat your meal. The quiet but comforting sound of the water flowing down the body of the fountain and into the pool makes a pleasant backdrop to any conversation you may want to hold. Not only is the fountain itself pleasant to look at, but flowers and herbs surrounding it change each season, ensuring beauty anytime someone pauses to look.

My wandering feet decide to take us out Crossing's west gate and down to the Goblin brook. Before we go further, let me warn you to make sure your food is well wrapped, and also let me remind you to carry it as high above the water as you can. Getting to this picnic spot will take some wading. Head north into the brook, and follow it around to the small waterfall until you can see the small clearing near it. Climb up into the clearing and be prepared to have your breath taken away. The clearing is enchanting; flowers of many types abound in this magical place. You can decide to stop here for your picnic or slip into the pavilion. The view from the small pavilion is breathtaking. The remote location and the quiet nature of this picnic spot lead me to suggest that this might be a perfect spot for a romantic picnic for two.

To get to the last spot on my list we need to head back toward Town, but instead of heading through the bustling city, let's take the North trail by the gate. Continue around until you come to the Northern Trade Route, then head in a southerly direction until you see a pathway. Head down the path and into the DiSilveron Manor gardens. This garden offers so many picnic spots that a person could choose a different one each time and never get tired of the gardens. The wonders offered by the DiSilveron gardens include a zoo, a topiary, and in the event of nasty weather a large covered promenade to sit upon. There are so many different types of flowers that it would take pages to describe them all to you, and mere words can not do justice to such beauty. Thus I leave them to you to discover.

These five places are certainly not the only beautiful spots in Crossing to stop for a picnic. These are just a few of my favorites. One last thing! There are many places in the land to get food for your picnic. But if you MUST have a real picnic basket, you will have to travel to Aesry and buy one from their general store.

I hope that these encourage you to take a break from your studies and head out to discover all the beauty around you. Remember, there is more to life than just hunting and training. Take time to eat the tarts and smell the wildflowers.