About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Stanley Park

Stanley Park is a 1,000 acre urban park bordering downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The park attracts an estimated eight million visitors every year, including locals and tourists, who come for its recreational facilities and its natural attributes. A 5.5 mile seawall path circles the park and there are an estimated half million trees that can be as tall as 250 feet and hundreds of years old. There are approximately 125 miles of trails and roads in the park, which are patrolled by the Vancouver Police Department's mounted squad.

There are lots of things to do at the park. You can drive, walk, bike, or roller blade. By circling the park you'll see many of the landmarks: Lost Lagoon, the Vancouver Aquarium, Brockton Oval (a small sports complex), the naval reserve base HMCS Discovery, famous totem poles, the Nine O’clock Gun, Lion’s Gate Bridge, Lumberman’s Arch, Prospect Point.The west side of the seawall has three swimming beaches. The first you'll come across is Third Beach. You can see weird rocks when the tide goes out. Second Beach is popular with families because it has a wonderful outdoor swimming pool equipped with slides and a special tortoise slide for the little ones. If you have a racquet handy, tennis courts and a pitch-and-putt golf course are close by. I’ve lived in Vancouver all my life and never tire of visiting Stanley Park. You can do about a hundred different activities there - feed squirrels, climb trees, watch a Beluga whale show, ride on a horse-drawn carriage (which I’ve still never done), and ride the miniature train. You can go swimming on a sandy beach, take in an art show, wander through the rose gardens, or play pitch and putt. You can picnic inside the hollow tree or at a variety of grassy areas or go fancy at The Fish House or The Sequoia Grill (where my nephew had his wedding reception after getting married on the expanse of lawn overlooking the ocean and mountains. ) Whatever you decide to do, you won’t go wrong by visiting Stanley Park in the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia.This is my 3 1/2 year grandson watching the beluga whale show from underneath the aquarium.

8 comments:

Leslie: said...

I know this sound like an advertisement for the park, and maybe it is. I just know that I love my city and environs and now that spring is really here - at last - I've decided to be a tourist in my home town this summer. (Actually finances pretty much ensures the necessity anyway.) So I've been thinking about all the wonderful places I will visit in the next few months and Stanley Park is number 1 on the list. If any of my future blogs on sites to see around Vancouver encourages any of you to come visit, then GREAT!!! Can hardly wait to see you!

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Wish I was there. I think I could spend a month in Stanley Park alone. The Belugas look beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Leslie: said...

Hey there LGS - you'd fit in great with all those other "nutty" creatures we see scurrying around everywhere! :D

Janice Thomson said...

You are so right Leslie...Stanley Park is one of THE most beautiful and wonderful places to visit in Vancouver. I love it there as well as the Queen Elizabeth Gardens too. If I only had a yard full of one of every plant there...sigh...

TomCat said...

I understand what you mean about the finances. Those pics are fantastic.

Leslie: said...

Hi Janice - yes, I also love the gardens at QE Park and will make it over there someday too.
Hi Tomcat - I really like the photo of my grandson (taken by his Mom) and there's another one of his shadow looking at the jellyfish at the aquarium (it's another great shot).

Smalltown RN said...

OH i love Stanley Park as well....can't beat the walk around the sea wall....and Lumberman's Arch and the fish and chips.....you do the city and the Park justice in your description.....

thanks for dropping by Leslie...hopping you are having a great day! Cheers

Ruth L.~ said...

I feel almost like I've been to the park. What beautiful pictures!

I see from your profile that you are a retired teacher. I'll join your ranks after next year with 35 or 36 years under my belt. And that's after taking the "early retirement" incentive that was offered seven years ago to get those of us at the top of the pay scale to leave, and make way for the younger ones. Fine by me! :>) Can't wait to be free to . . . well, you know. You're doing it.