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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, writing in 1847, could easily be describing Stanley Park as it is today,with majestic helmlock and pine standing like sentinels and listening to the
ocean's distant rumble. Any walk through this magnificent
park will have you experiencing those very sentiments, poetic
as they may seem.
The natural beauty of this park requires no superlatives to do adequate justice to it's uniqueness in the world, or to it's state
of solitude and repose in a boisterous city, nor to it's longevity
in an ever perilous era. This is a lily that requires no gilding , a brilliantly faceted emerald set upon the hand of Vancouver.
How many cities can boast of 400 pristine hectares of forest set practically in the front yard, or of 8.8 kilometres of a wide,
rambling seawall next to sparkling surf, peaceful beaches, noisy beaches, beaches dedicated to children hunting for
absconding sea creatures, solitary havens where one may
ponder upon the fabric of the universe, or green swards meant for nothing more than for laying down and counting
clouds?
All this and more. No matter where you walk to in Stanley Park, something new and interesting unfolds before the eyes,
perhaps an aloof heron guarding some ancestral fishing spot, or a raccoon washing it's next meal carefully, several ducks
in the midst of a property squabble, or industrious bees flitting from one gorgeous blossom to another.
Further along, a ship dashes under the Lion's Gate Bridge to some sanctuary on another shore, forging frothing wakes that
slap the seawall with ardor. Children wave to the crew and they wave back.
Welcome to Stanley Park, Vancouver's Emerald.
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Your guide to Stanley Park has sections 1-2-3-4 for quick access to the basics.
Sections 5 and beyond contain details on ecology,origins,history,and further reading.
Enjoy your visit and happy memories!
Your Guide To Stanley Park.
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| Shakespeare Garden |
End : Your Guide to Stanley Park : Introduction.
