I had only a few days in Vancouver before I was moving on and had to make the most of my time. My first full day in Canada I woke up early and walked to Stanley Park; my original intentions was to spend a half day there before moving onto Gas Town. Once there my plans changed. I didn’t realize that this was Vancouver’s equivalent to Central Park in New York. Stanley Park is 404 hectares park/forest, filled with more attractions than Disney World, and the biggest tourist destination that Vancouver has to offer.

There is a path called the Seawall Promenade that winds around the park offering views of the ocean as well as the cargo ships waiting to enter the port. They do offer shuttles that run the perimeter of the park as well. I decided to start off walking. I found that this was the best way to see the most possible, and quickly began stumbling across several attractions the park has. Just off of the main path is a small area dedicated to several totem poles of natives that lived in the area. At the base of each pole is an explanation of what each pole represents.

Once back on the Seawall I passed the 9’o clock gun, which fires each night at 9. The gun is surrounded by a fence, which I though detracted from its interest for me. I walked the trail for about 3 hours without turning off onto one of the side trails. Along the way there was a lighthouse, several large, purple starfish on the rocks below the Seawall, views Lions Gate Bridge, but my favorite was the Girl in a Wetsuit just after Brockton Point. The statute sits on a rock out in the water. Once of her legs is extended down the side of the rock and is said that her toe touches the top of the water at high tide.

Soon after I turned off a trail in search of Beaver Lake. It was exactly what it promised a lake, but I saw no beavers and was surprised to see how over grown this section of the park was in comparison to the other well-manicured areas.

After leaving the lake I became hopelessly lost. Luckily there was a wonderful woman from California who took me under her wing for a while, and not only helped me back to the main gate area, but also took me around the rose garden. Once back at the main gate I wasn’t ready to leave because I hadn’t even seen a ¼ of what the park had to offer, but it started to rain. Instead of trying to continue my tour of the park on foot I jumped on one of the free shuttles that go around the park. This way I got to see the actual forest that I didn’t see while walking along the Seawall and missed out on the rain.

Coming from Seattle, it’s difficult not to feel a little envious that George Grant Mackay (the same responsible for the Capilano Bridge) didn’t settle here too and set aside such a large swathe of land for public use. Don’t get me wrong, Seattle has some beautiful parks, they’re just not on the same scale, or with the proximity to the downtown area as Stanley Park is.

Leaving the Sylvia Hotel, we turned right and in about a minute we were in Stanley Park: 1,000 acres of trees, grass, and foot and bike paths. One path follows the perimeter of the park, allowing you to walk, bike, or rollerblade along the waterfront the whole way round. Alternatively, well marked trails weave in and out of the park. Most of it is forested but areas on the eastside are set aside for attractions such as cricket, an aquarium, and a rose garden.

As we walked north towards Third Beach we could see signs of the damage left by the windstorms that swept through the park in December 2006. The park was closed to the public for a while but repair work must have been very swift as paths were clear and any areas of damage were clearly marked or fenced off.

Along the water we spotted herons fishing in the shallows. Closer to Siwash Rock we saw a cautious raccoon scampering through the ivy although he gathered up enough courage to investigate closer to the footpath. We turned back at Siwash Rock, stopping to admire the manmade, gravity-defying rock towers that have been constructed close to Second Beach.

The following day we drove over to the Totem Poles at Brockton Point, reportedly the most visited tourist attraction in all of British Columbia. Parking is easy to come by although there is a charge ($1.85US / hour or $6.48US / day) but to see the Totem Poles is free. The group of about eight poles are set at the edge of a lawn park, with a back drop of tall bright trees. Just to the north of them you get a wide view of Burrard Inlet and the Lion’s Gate Bridge.

Whichever route you follow through or around Stanley Park, one piece of advice I can offer is "don’t forget your camera", as the views from any side are quite phenomenal.

Beautiful scenery of the ocean and downtown Vancouver. Nice totem poles, water park, and horse-drawn carriages. You can see forever out into the ocean and walk, bike, run, or rollerblade all through the wonders of Stanley Park.

As you walk around the boundary of Stanley Park, you are always on the water's edge. The view is ever changing.

It ranges from commercial to industrial to residential to ocean to mountains.

The choice of view is yours, even the same view is changing as you watch it. ENJOY!

Whoever designed the bike trails in Vancouver was a perfectionist. The paved roads are designated for cyclists in one lane and walkers in the other lane. A two-hour (?) bike ride in Stanley Park will take you around various beaches, parks, and other scenic areas. It's possible to extend the trip to other places--almost everywhere is so bike-friendly! Not much uphill (thank goodness), and it's fun to make stops along the way. An Italian gelato ice cream off 4th Street in Kitsilano is the best way to end the day.