THE HIKE: City slickers seeking a more urban picnic escape should head straight for a short walk up Strawberry Hill. The catch: there are no strawberries. The save: Strawberry Hill is a little island in the middle of Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. Getting there is easy: take an arched bridge to the island, pass by impressive Huntington Falls, then walk up a tree-lined trail for a few minutes. At the top, take a seat on one of the large logs or climb on the thick tree stump that overlooks the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. It's a good place to impress out-of-towners. Photo-op!

THE EDIBLES: Just outside of Golden Gate Park, the Cheese Boutique on the corner of 12th and Irving in the Inner Sunset has a nice selection of artisan cheeses from around the world, along with crackers, a slim-but-solid selection of wines, gourmet olives, and fancy dark chocolates. The Fromager d'Affinois is a light, spreadable, recommended cheese.

Directions to Strawberry Hill: Stow Lake is in Golden Gate Park off of John F. Kennedy Dr., just west of the De Young Museum. Park along the shore of Stow Lake. Cross the arched bridge and follow any of the trails up Strawberry Hill (map). Dog friendly!

Cheese Boutique, 1298 12th Ave. at Irving St, San Francisco; 415-566-3155. Open Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Closed Sundays.