Yesterday, we celebrated my niece's first birthday with a picnic at Chaldecott Park. I grew up in…read morethe Dunbar area, and Chaldecott was the nearest park to my home as well as across from my elementary school. However, I have since moved away from the area, and the last time I was at Chaldecott was probably over twenty years ago! Chaldecott Park, named after Francis Miller Chaldecott, a lawyer who owned property in the area, is a fairly large park at 3.45 hectares. It is located between Wallace and Crown Streets and spans two blocks, from King Edward to 27th Avenue. It has standard playground equipment, a baseball diamond, a soccer field, and a spray park. The spray park, installed in 1996, was not there when I was a child (I'm old!). Instead, there was a shallow concrete pool, with a large concrete hump that one could climb or sit on. You can actually see the outline of the old pool, as it is the outline of the spray park. The park is well maintained, and there are washrooms, although like every park washroom I have ever been to, they are kind of icky (although they were clean when I went yesterday). Overall, a decent neighbourhood park with plenty of space, and a fun trip down memory lane. [Yelp collections: Parks and Gardens]

This is my little oasis from home…read more It's a relatively large neighbourhood park on the very far west side of Vancouver. It's possibly the only waterpark for kids this far west. Complete with picnic tables, bbq if you want, ball diamond and soccer field. Lots of trees for shady areas. I like this park for the waterpark in the summer. No crowds and no where near as crazy busy as Stanley Park, Kits Beach. Parking is easy on the side streets next to the park.

Nice decent sized park in SW Vancouver…read more Parking is plentiful around the park. There are some baseball diamonds, a kids playground, plenty of nice big trees, and a rather large outdoor pool. The park is also generally far away enough from major streets (other than Marine Drive) such that there isn't much traffic noise. As of the time of writing (2021), alcoholic beverages can now be consumed in several designated areas, which is a welcome and long overdue change. My friends and I rejoiced in liquid form.

A great neighbourhood park that's about 2 by 3 or 4 city blocks in size. It has a wooded section,…read morechildren's play area, barbeque stations, 2 baseball diamonds, and an outdoor pool with concession stand. This is one helluva public space! During summertime, there's even a weekly outdoor concert series, aptly named 'Music in the Park', every Friday evening in July. Really the only thing missing is a designated off-leash area, but then you can't have it all right?

Beautiful sunset if you're there around that time. Watch out for the mozzies during summer. They…read moreare out in full force. I enjoyed the 8 km return walk out to the jetty, especially when the weather is great. Not too hot/cold or sunny in spring. It is very picturesque when the sky is clear or with just bits of clouds. Lots of wildlife to look at during the walk. Spotted blue herons and plenty of ducks and seagulls. It was low tide and you see more of the wetlands. There are two shelters and two toilets along the way at different locations. I like how there are yellow markers on the ground at every 0.5km. The estimated time will take 2.5 hours to complete the 8 km return trip, longer if you want to admire the view at the end. Shorter if you're just getting your steps in. I got in 14k+ steps while R took 12k+ steps. I guess I have shorter legs. Hahaha. I will come here again to walk when the weather is good. I like flat land walking.

Gorgeous stretch of beach at the western edge of Richmond. Convenient with restrooms by the parking…read morelot. The beach is long and we found that the farther we walked, the more serene and natural the beach was. Farther down, the beach felt so pure/natural that we all commented on how it has prob remained unchanged for a thousand years. Very pretty in a Tofino type of way. Very soft, fine and darker colored sand. Only problem is no restroom farther down.

I have only been here a few times whenever I was walking by foot to or with my best friend's house…read more It is located approx. @ W 31st Avenue close to the Dunbar community center. It is a very well maintained park, one of the best in the city. LOTS of fields and children's play areas, clubs and clean areas. My best friend and I hung out in the park before the St. George's fair this year.

Beautiful forest. Many different trails and loops so it can be a short or long hike. Many off leash…read moreoptions and encountered many dogs. All of the dogs we encountered were very friendly and well behaved. There are many different wild berries too!

This is a nice park, it's not too crowded and has some nice scenery. I've only biked here but it…read moreis very popular with walkers (dog walkers) runners etc. There are quite a lot of trails here as well, I really should it explore it more in the future.

Named for Alderman Henry Elston Almond, Almond Park exudes a feeling of tranquility. The park…read moreoffers a fantastic display of flowering shrubs and magnificent old trees. An upper pathway winds through a shady grove, leading to the popular playground area.Opened on February 23rd, 1928, the park was originally called Dunbar Park and was constructed for the sum of $15,200. Following the amalgamation of Vancouver, the park's name was changed to Almond in recognition of Alderman Almond's efforts in securing the area for public park.

Paths winding through the park connect to homes and a commercial area, lending mystery to this…read morequiet park. A wonderful place for a walk, there are many places to pause for a rest or to read a book, including a small seating area surrounded by colourful flowers. The development of this meandering park has an interesting history and impacted local politics at the time of the big debate surrounding its implementation. In 1886 the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was given 5300 acres in Vancouver by the Provincial Government in exchange for the development of the transcontinental railway stretching to Vancouver. By 1968, Marathon Realty, the development arm of the CPR, was poised to develop this swampy 40 acre site as one of Western Canada's largest shopping centres. This plan for a $20 million centre was immediately opposed by a local group, the Arbutus-Quilchena Homeowners' Association, which was specifically formed to fight Marathon's plans. Lawyer Jack Volrich, later Vancouver's Mayor, was the leading spokesperson for the group and attributed the controversy as the impetus for his political career. The development controversy lasted for four years and resulted in a much scaled down shopping centre, mixed housing and the dedication by the developer of parkland at a cost of $100,000 which was turned over to the Park Board in 1977.

I love Queen Elizabeth Park. One of my favourite spots is the Bloedel Conservatory which is a…read morelittle tropical paradise, full of beautiful birds and greenery. The paths in Queen Elizabeth during the summer are lined with perfectly maintained flowers. I love wandering through them to "stop and smell the roses". The views are some of the best in Vancouver I've seen where you can also enjoy eating at Seasons in the Park restaurant. It's the perfect stop after a walk around the park or a visit to Bloedel. The times that I have visited, Queen Elizabeth Park surprisingly rarely felt crowded; except for cherry blossom season. The cherry blossoms make you feel like you are almost visiting Japan. Queen Elizabeth Park is full of life, beauty, and peaceful corners to wander around and get lost in.

Queen Elizabeth Park is a beautiful park in the Vancouver area. The park is a good size, very…read morewell-maintained with gorgeous flowers and scenery, and even has a separate conservatory area if that's something you'd like to see (for a fee). Amazing views all around. Make sure you pay for parking at the lot!

Trail Series, Part 40 Running was never meant to be easy, so…read moremany runners choose a phrase to help motivate them. Some of my favorites include: "No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch"; "I don't run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days"; "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start"; "My sport is your sport's punishment"; "This isn't sweat, it's liquid awesome"; and "Do it for the post-run snack". It was during a recent run along the Stanley Park Seawall Path in Vancouver, Canada, that I discovered a different motivational technique. Rather than repeating a single phrase to keep you going, how about excitedly striding from one motivational expression to another? You see as this trail winds itself around magnificent Stanley Park, it is replete with benches adorned with a seemingly endless number of deeply personal plaques that broadcast both remembrances and some pretty keen life advice. I stopped more than 150 times during my run and I'd estimate that I photographed only 50% of the benches that are available to enjoy. My favorite plaques include: "What a beautiful difference one single life made"; "To the world you were just one, to me you were the world" ; "She lived for those she loved, and those she loved remember"; "How small a part of time we share"; "People and places have touched me so, left a mark on my mind, heart & soul. Thank you Lord, it's been a great ride"; "Loving Masterchef who taught how to savor the flavors of life"; and "Just a Godly man who so loved his four wonderful daughters". This outstanding trail is approximately 6 miles long, flat, and entirely paved. It features numerous dramatic curves that create excitement to discover what might be revealed just around each corner. Those with mobility issues will find it extremely accommodating and a separate lane for cyclists creates a safe path for all outdoor enthusiasts. It is well traveled during the day, and although the buddy system is always recommended, it isn't necessary in this instance. And that's...Henry's Take. #trailseries #stanleyparkseawallpath

I really enjoyed walking along the Seawall and get a fantastic view of the Vancouver skyline. It's…read moreespecially pretty with the reflection of the skyscrapers and other buildings in the water. There are ducks, seagulls and we saw a blue heron there as well. There are rows and rows of daffodils and crocuses growing everywhere. Love the architecture and aesthetic of this beautiful city.