Stanley Park, Vancouver

Stanley Park is and always will be one of my favorite places to go and be with nature. It's view is absolutly breath taking no matter where you are in the park. The big old trees, the nature paths, the lost lagoon, miniture train,petting zoo, water park it's an amusement park for nature lovers.

Our whole family enjoed an exillerating afternoon at Stanley Park. The EcoWalk tour is filled with information presented in an entertaining way while walking through this spectacular nature preserve. Or daughter Jennie loved the aboriginal legend of the "Rainmaker." My wife and I were facinated by the magnificent native trees and birds in this ecological wonderland. The aboriginal First Nations history and culture of Canada's West Coast Salish peoples is awesome. Our trip to British Columbia was great; the EcoWalk Tour of Stanley Park was a highlight of our Vancouver visit. Visiting Vancouver without taking an EcoWalk Tour of Stanley Park would be like going to Paris without going up the Eiffel Tower. Don't miss it.

You are in Vancouver visiting for a few days and you have 'heard' of Stanley Park. What do you do? SEAWALL. There is a walk all around Stanley Park called (big surprise here) "the Seawall" built over a decade by a retired stonemason. I grew up in Vancouver and I remember going on the seawall and stopping because it was not yet finished! Today it wraps around the park jewel that is Stanley Park like a stone ribbon, good exercise, and you get to see the city while you walk around. Inside the Park there is the world class Aquarium and a lot of great sights. While walking around the park on the seawall, if you start at 9:30 near the Rowing Club, by the time you get to the other side of the park it will be lunch, and what better place on the seawall than the legendary Teahouse Restaurant, considered by Vancouverites the most romantic restaurant in the city. Most Friday and Saturday nights, there is usually at least one couple proposing. The food is great though that depends on the chef of course. I grew up in Vancouver and the Teahouse is a real favourite of mine, for ambience and as part of a walk around the park, nothing beats a good meal under a roof of glass, with truely interstellar service.

Stanley Park was one of the highlights of our trip. We stayed at the Coast Plaza hotel by Stanley Park and spent three days enjoying the park. Our favourite spot was the Prospect Point Lookout overlooking the inlet and the Lions Gate Bridge. What a fantastic panoramic lookout point. There's a terrific restaurant called the Prospect Point Cafe, a great view bar called the Lions Gate Bar & Grill, a huge entertaining Gift Shop and Trading Post, live indian carving demonstrations, take out concessions and what is rated to be the World's Best Ice Cream - and my kids agree this is the best stuff in the world. Prospect Point also offers many park trails, forest walks, hiking, education and interpretive material. We also biked around the seawall and enjoyed spending time together, had a picnic (we actually got some fish & chips at Prospect Ponit's concession and took the food to the picnic area). There are totem poles which are beautiful but apparently they're replicas. There's an Aquarium and also beautiful Rose Gardens in the middle of the park by the Stanley Park Pavilion. There's also a theatre there where you can watch shows in the park, and dine at the Stanley Park Dining Pavilion, enjoy high tea or afternoon tea -- so much great stuff to do in the park. And all of it is free -- except for the parking.

When travelling to Vancouver, BC, Canada, don't miss a visit to Staley Park; it is truly amazing! If you want to experience the park in its fullest sense, take an EcoWalk tour. The EcoWalk tour is a fun and informative walk through Vancouver’s world class Stanley Park, a 1,000 acre (402 hectare) nature preserve. The guide gives information on the trees, plants, birds and animals as well as on the rich aboriginal First Nations culture and legends of the park. The walking pace is medium, taking 3 hours to complete and covering 8 kilometers, (5 miles) of relatively flat paved and graveled trails over selected seawall and forest paths. This walk is suitable for families, including active seniors. Both visitors and residents who take the Stanley Park EcoWalk just love it; it sparks or renews their interest in our aboriginal First Nations culture and Canada's unique West Coast ecology. Please visit the web site www.ecowalkbc.com

Stanley Park is a little oasis, where anyone can go and escape from the bustle of the city. There are plenty of formal gardens and lawns, (which you can use), that eventually give way to wilder forest walks with just a path cutting through them. There is an Aquarium that is worth a visit. Also the Totem Poles that make are shown on all Vancouver’s tourism brochures are there, (so have your photo taken there). On sunny days artist will be selling there painting just inside the entrance and often musicians will be playing near the Lions Gate Bridge. If you tire of walking you can always hire a bicycle or take a ride in a horse tram. From the park you can view the mountain behind the city or look out over the Pacific Ocean, then after the Park you have the beaches to enjoy before returning to the bustle of city life.

Stanley Park is one of the recormendation I recormend when you go to Vancouver. It has a nice atmosphere, and you can take nice pictures there. The recormendation I will make about Stanley Park is to go to near the Lion Gate Bridge.

Stanley Park is beautiful. It is a small island in a big city, with beautiful beaches, stunning woodland, along with plenty of places to stop off for food. You can also find the fantastic Aquarium here. A must when visiting Vancouver.