There's nothing quite like a spring picnic, whether you pack a lunch from home and make it a family trip to a park, or steal away with your Subway during your lunch break and find the nearest picnic table. The joy of taking in some sunshine and the sights, sounds and smells of spring is a mood-lifting experience not to be underestimated.

This week, with the sun over our shoulder, we bring you Dearborn Patch's top picks for where to picnic.

Henry Ford Estate, 4901 Evergreen. Since the estate closed late last year for remodeling, many have assumed that the entire grounds are now off-limits as well. Not true. Enter the wooded area through the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Environmental Interpretive Center and the path will take you through to the estate, where plenty of picnic areas still abound.

City Hall Park, Maple Street and Michigan Avenue. Plenty of people watching, historic monuments and plenty of shaded picnicking areas–this lesser used park is perfect for an outdoor lunch. Pick up carryout from the M&M Cafe or Amani's and simply walk down the street.

Bryant Library, 22100 Michigan Ave. If you're partial to west downtown Dearborn, park yourself in front of the historic Bryant branch. You can bring your own bagged goodies, or pick up some eats from Panera Cares. Even a coffee break at this locale will recharge you for the rest of your day.

Ford Field, 22051 Cherry Hill. Sure, there are plenty of parks in Dearborn with picnic tables or open areas to sit at. But few have the views that Ford Field boasts, including the Rouge River, pictureque bridges and an open field that looks across to Ford World Headquarters.

The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village, 20900 Oakwood Blvd. Sometimes we forget the treasure we have sitting in our own backyards. A quick, easy and relatively cheap getaway is just down Oakwood Boulevard–for a picnic with any of THF's eating options, a day trip, or a weekend vacation (no expensive plane tickets required). Buy a season pass and you can picnic there all season long.