Travel Value All Stars: Public Parks

Public parks and botanical gardens are perfect places to visit when you travel.

Meet one of our travel value all stars! No matter where you go, what you do, or why you travel, these features, attractions, or amenities will always offer you tremendous value; an excellent experience for your limited time and money.

Confederation Park in downtown Kingston, Ontario.

Public Parks

The best things in life really are free! Few things come close to matching public parks and gardens in term of their outstanding value. Utterly free –or  occasionally costing a cup of coffee – there’s no limit on the amount of time you can sit, daydream, and people-watch.  I love to soak in the beauty of the public art and lovely gardens, while enjoying locals go about their day. 

I love to take an early morning stroll through a beautiful park before I catch my flight home. That simple experience turns a day I would normally write off as just a "transit day" into a day with extra travel experiences. When I'm jet lagged or worn out from a day of prowling around town, I grab my book and park myself on a park bench, turning simple rest and relaxation into a memorable vacation moment. 

Watching Shakespeare in the Park set up in Ottawa's Strathcona Park.

As a student on a bare bones budget, I would take humble picnic fare with me to the parks and gardens around Europe and transform a few measly Euros into a 5 star moment. I noticed I wasn't the only one doing this and noticed some genuine 5 star moments - it seems even the wealthiest of the world love nothing more than a (gourmet, truffle filled) picnic in the park!

Pure summer at Montreal's Botanical Garden.

Parks contain much more than carefully cultivated gardens. Often filled with fountains, sculpture, statues, children's zones, special displays and exhibits, and recreation areas like skating rinks and checkers boards, there's plenty to do if sitting and looking at flowers isn't your thing. 

But doing nothing is pretty good too!

Cactus garden in Las Vegas.

Sculpture in Paris.

Treats and trees in Lahaina.

You can bet that we'll be visiting public parks in every city we visit on our round-the-world trip - and every trip after that! I'd love to hear from you - what are your favourite parks, gardens, and public spaces? 

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