Into The Woods

        Last week we had so many of our wonderful friends visiting us from out of town- we always love showing people a slice of our life in Vancouver- we really love being tourists in our own town. We go places we don't normally explore which can be a real treat. With our friends gone- either home or onto the next leg of their vacations- our little apartment was feeling very quiet- we all felt it- so we took the party outside as we tend to do.

        Continuing with the theme of "tourist in our own town" we decided to pay a visit to Stanley Park - we packed a picnic and our swim suits and really truly spent time enjoying the park. We started out with a visit to the newly refurbished Aquarium- the Littles were disappointed that some of their favourite bug displays were gone and the octopus was in hiding. From there we enjoyed a picnic in the shade- relaxing under a canopy of branches and enjoying the cool shade after the pressing crowds of the Aquarium. We had no where to go and nothing to do so we truly relaxed into our picnic.

           After a quick cool down in the water park we moved onto parts of the park we have never visited with the Littles- we hit the trails and hiked out to view Siwash Rock- which is a stellar part of our coast. The Littles had lots of explore and look at amongst the ancient trees with trunks so wide even a family of four fails to reach the circumference.

         One of my favourite things about Stanley Park and in fact Vancouver in general is that regardless of being a major city there are so many hidden pockets of quiet and nature. The trails of Stanley Park are cool with few hikers and few bikers- well off the beaten path so to speak- deserted enough to make us forget- if only for an hour- that we aren't in the middle of a busy city.