Northwest Floatplane Picnics

Save room for the chocolate-covered macaroons. Save room. I implore you. Save room! You’ll thank me.

Why? Because when you find yourself beyond the city – where driftwood tables rest beside makeshift benches, where the air is crisp and salty fresh, and where the cliffs rise straight up from the water – you won’t think twice about taking a second helping of fresh mozzarella salad or a few extra crab legs.

Though the picnic will be a leisurely one and continuous grazing is to be encouraged, I worry if I don’t warn you now, in a big bold – SAVE ROOM FOR THE CHOCOLATE-COVERED MACAROONS – message, you might forget.

So I did. It’s taken care of. You’ll remember, won’t you?

(If you also take a picture of one for me, that’d be great. I ate the last one before I even thought of it!)

Among the many amazing excursions and trips we’re a part of, Kenmore Air partners with Joy Stewart for her Northwest Floatplane Picnics. These foodie excursions whisk you far from the city’s congestion. In just a short flight, you’ll bypass the constraints of roadways and bridges to a beach only accessible by boat or plane, such as Dabob Bay. (Additional destinations are available. A complete list is available on her website.)

A dare devil at heart, Joy has never been one for ‘traditional’ activities. This Medina resident is a former professional parachute jumper. She was a member of the United States Para-Ski Team, competing in a two-event sport that combines “mountain accuracy-parachute jumping” (landing on a mountainside target) and giant slalom ski racing.

Growing up as a tugboat cook and yacht chef, Joy is no stranger to preparing good, hearty meals in exotic locations. It was on one such tour, while Joy was the chef on a 120-foot yacht in Desolation Sound, that she met her husband, Alex Stewart. He was a Kenmore Air floatplane (aka seaplane) pilot dropping off the Sunday paper.

Twenty years and two sons later, Joy and Alex still combine food and flight. In 2002, Joy and her floatplane picnics were featured in Bon Appetit. Following the article, her picnics gained such a large following she was fielding requests from friends and strangers alike. Northwest Floatplane Picnics was born.

Picnic Insider Tip: When Joy says, “Wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet,” be sure to wear shoes you don’t mind getting wet. A chocolate-covered macaroon is even better when eaten with a few toes in the water.