20241013_123020Stanley Park (October 2024)

During our third and final day in Vancouver, “A” and I took it easy and didn’t do too much. Our flight back to Los Angeles wasn’t until 17h00, so we had a half-day to enjoy the city leisurely before we had to head to the airport to get home. Considering we had packed, nonstop activities in the prior two days, it was refreshing to have a chill day to see the last of Vancouver.

Following breakfast in our hotel room, we packed up and checked out of the hotel by 10h00. After dropping off our luggage with the hotel staff, we headed out on-foot over to a bakery about 20 minutes away, which served some delectable treats, including these MASSIVE cream puffs. I got two to-go, one matcha-flavored and the other Earl Grey, to be enjoyed later.

Prior to arriving in Vancouver, I had made plans with another friend, “N,” to meet up to hang out– due to our differing schedules, I was happy she was available to meet up for a couple of hours just before leaving the city. That said, “A” and I met up with her in Stanley Park, where we spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon walking around. Just like with my other friend “D” (whom I met up with on my first night in town), I had met “N” when we were language assistantes in France; I had not seen her in over seven years, and it was great catching up after all this time.

Stanley Park is ENORMOUS, at over 405 hectares of bike paths and walkways among forest trees and views of the English Bay in its perimeter. It also features the Seawall, a stone wall the wraps around the outer part of the park and is used by pedestrians and cyclists to explore scenically. The Seawall is 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) in length within the park, but it also extends out of Stanley Park and in total is 17.4 miles (28 kilometers) long. The three of us easily spent two hours strolling the park, and we managed to see only half of it all!

We saw a few sites in Stanley Park, including the Totem Poles, which are replicas in honor of the First Nation peoples. There were a few benches near the totem poles, where we sat down to chit-chat, and I finally broke out the cream puffs to eat. They were HUGE, but really delicious: both were very flavorful, strong in matcha and Earl Grey taste, and I devoured them too quickly. I would happily return to that bakery to get more!

20241013_112031Totem Poles

20241013_112706Earl Grey and matcha cream puffs

The three of us had several more stops, including Hallelujah Point where one can get great waterfront views of Downtown Vancouver. Also located there is the Nine O’ Clock Gun, a historic cannon from the early 19th century that fires daily at 21h00– unfortunately, we were not there in time for the firing, but I imagine it must be a cool experience, especially to observe it at sunset!

20241013_104823Hallelujah Point with Downtown Vancouver skyline

As “A” and I were in Vancouver during autumn, we were able to experience the vibrant fall leaves, especially a whole row of them in one part of Stanley Park. Really gorgeous! We also walked along part of the Seawall and saw some interesting wildlife, including a great blue heron in all of its glory. It was a lot of walking, a lot of talking, and a lot of fun overall.

20241013_121631Autumn in Vancouver

20241013_122001Great blue heron

Soon enough, “A” and I had to head back to our hotel to get our luggage and head to the airport. We said goodbye to “N,” returned to our hotel, collected our bags, and took an Uber over to the airport. It was absolutely PACKED inside the airport, with many flights and passengers coming in all at once– thankfully, we got through with enough time to grab food and water before boarding our plane. We took off at 17h00, and it was a smooth ride back to Los Angeles– we landed at 20h00, and from there, I said goodbye to “A” and caught an Uber home, returning by 21h00.

…and there you have it! “A” and I had a short, but fun trip traveling throughout Western Canada. From Calgary to Banff National Park to Vancouver, we saw a lot in 10 days, and I am especially happy to have finally visited Banff, with Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in the mix. It was also our first time traveling together, and it worked out well! We have been friends for over 25 years, and it was great finally doing a trip together. 🙂

Thanks for reading my Canada series, and I have one remaining travel series to feature before the year’s end. Stay tuned!!!

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

46 thoughts on “Destination: Vancouver, Canada (Strolling Stanley Park and Cream Puff Picnic– DAY 3)”

  1. Those cream puffs look great! The view of the Vancouver skyline from Hallelujah Point is pretty as a postcard. They say the friends we make in our youth are golden. It’s wonderful you got to travel with your longtime friend and you enjoyed your trip together. Thanks for sharing, Rebecca!

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    1. Thanks, Darlene! It was a short, but lovely adventure in Canada with one of my oldest friends. Couldn’t have asked for a more perfect end to our time than in Vancouver (especially in the fall)! 🍁

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    1. Indeed! Thanks, Rebecca. It was a chill last day, and what better than to spend it in Stanley Park? My friend and I had a wonderful time throughout Canada, and we hope to do more trips together soon!

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    1. Thanks, Marion! It was a fun time spent in Canada, especially with an old friend. The cream puffs were an unexected treat, but a delicious treat nonetheless! More adventures are coming soon!

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  7. Cream puffs wouldn’t be my first choice, but with flavors like that, maybe…
    This is kinda how we spent our last day (the travel day) in Toronto. There’s rarely time to commit to sights with tickets and entry fees and possible lines and that sort of thing, so time in nature is perfect. Glad you had a good trip.

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    1. There have been times I’ve managed to squeeze in sites with timed tickets on my last day in town– just have to time it right! I like cream puffs, although similar to you, they aren’t my first choice of dessert; however, I couldn’t resist those unique flavors (Earl Grey and matcha)! Thanks for reading the Canada series, and there’s one more travel series to go before the year’s end!

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  8. Stanley Park sounds massive and looks so beautiful, especially with the autumn leaves! The heron was a great bonus too 🙂 I’m glad travelling with your friend for the first time worked out so well, as it’s always a risk however well you know each other.

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    1. Stanley Park was stunning, particularly in fall foliage! It was me and my friend’s first time traveling internationally together, and I think we did pretty well with it! Helps to have known each other for over 25 years!

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  10. Sounds like you had a great last day in Vancouver, dear Rebecca. Stanley Park is such a wonderful place to visit due to its blend of natural scenery, iconic landmarks, and activities. I loved walking the scenic Seawall, visiting the totem poles, exploring the Vancouver Aquarium, and simply enjoying the natural beauty. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. I’m glad you have fond memoried of your time in Vancouver! Stanley Park is beautiful and worth a visit for the nature and wildlife close to the city. I appreciate you reading, Aiva, and that about wraps up the Canada series! I have one more travel series to publish before the year’s over, so stay tuned! 😊

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    1. Absolutely! I’ve been scheduling evening flights on my recent trips, and it’s been great to see as much of a city as possible. Vancouver was lovely, and I had a fun time with my friend!

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  12. Stanley Park is certainly huge. What I like is that, in addition to the well-groomed areas, there is a very wild part in the centre, surrounded by tall trees, where the city completely fades away.

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  13. What a great trip for you and your friend, and a nice leisurely way to end. Like you, I once spent far too short a time in Stanley Park and didn’t get to see much. But I do recognize some of the views in your photos, so this was a fun walk down memory lane for me.

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    1. To be fair, we only spent a couple of hours at Stanley Park this time around– however, we managed to cover a lot of ground! It’s such a lovely green space in the middle of the city, and I hope you can return to see more of it!

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  14. Vancouver looks like a thoroughly decent autumn spot, with wonderful skies, wispy clouds and picture book fall leave colours. The shot from Hallelujah Point is a beauty. Stanley Park as a whole looks incredibly appealing: walking and talking in good company, that’s what life’s about.

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    1. Indeed! Vancouver is perfect in the fall, with fall foliage yet not-quite freezing temperatures compared to, say, the East Coast of Canada. Stanley Park was the ideal way to end our trip, with long walks, good talks, and plenty of natural beauty!

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  16. From the photo, the cream puffs do look huge! Good to know they tasted nice. I love the autumn foliage, the clear water, and the totem poles — the latter are something I always associate this part of Canada with. All in all, this looks like a great trip, Rebecca.

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    1. Thanks, Bama! It was such a beautiful time spent in Vancouver, and Canada overall! All the better to have visited in the fall to see the changing leaves…I appreciate you reading this series, and I promise one more travel series before this year ends!

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  19. I like those days with flights home at the very end. It’s almost as if you’re forced to take it easy, no more pressure and rush to see things. Those cream puffs look absolutely delicious! The totem poles are fascinating and the photo of the heron stunning.

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    1. Absolutely! On my recent trips, I’ve purposefully booked flights later in the day to enjoy the last of my time in a place, Vancouver included! It was a lovely half-day spent at Stanley Park, with delicious cream puffs to boot!

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    1. Bikes would’ve been a good option, but I haven’t rode on a bike in years and am out of practice! Walking was a solid alternative, and I couldn’t have asked for a better end to my time in Vancouver than in Stanley Park!

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    1. Indeed! A stroll through Stanley Park with good friends and good food was the perfect end to my time in Vancouver! The Earl Grey cream puff was divine; if you love Earl Grey tea, you’ll love this dessert!

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  22. I remember seeing those totem poles on an earlier series of Race Across the World (one of my favourite TV programmes!). Exploring Stanley Park sounds like a good way to spend your last day in Vancouver after a couple of busy days sightseeing, and those cream puffs look worth going back for.

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    1. Nice! The totem poles in Stanley Park are iconic; I’d seen them when I first visited Vancouver as a child (20+ years ago!), and I was happy to see them still standing during my return visit. I’m usually not a cream puff person, but the flavors (matcha and Earl Grey) were very enticing– and delicious!

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