VanDusen in October has no right to be that beautiful

We went for a Sunday morning walk in mid-October and the autumn colour was genuinely surreal — the Japanese maple section looks like it was art directed. The garden is large enough that you can get away from the main paths and find genuinely quiet corners, which is rare for an attraction this close to the city. The café does a serviceable coffee. Bring your own snacks and find a bench in the Laburnum Walk when it's empty. Admission is reasonable and the annual pass pays for itself after two visits. This is one of the most underused date spots in Vancouver.