In-the-sand eating poses some special challenges. For one, keeping sand out of the food can be tricky. We worked around this by relying on lap-friendly foods that can be eaten with a fork only. The sandwich is in a pita, minimizing the risk of the filling hitting a sandy picnic blanket.

A second consideration is weather: that sun is hot! Take along a cooler of iced beverages, plus a thermos of Cranberry Iced Tea.

The Deluxe Beach Bag available on Picnic-Basket.com is an all-in-one wonder: an upper mesh compartment holds your sunglasses, towel, and other beach accessories, while the insulated lower compartment keeps food cold for hours and is lined with a waterproof material.