Most people don’t think of nature when they think of Manhattan, but if you visit the Big Apple without venturing into the country’s first landscaped public park, you’ve missed a key part of New York life. Central Park spans more than 800 green acres in the midst of concrete and tar, a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the ultimate metropolis.

On the early October day I spent there, the sun was shining like it was summer; people played Frisbee and suntanned in bikinis when they should have been rushing from building to building in sweaters and scarves. The park was full of people and dogs enjoying a fine New York Indian summer.

One of the delights of Central Park is fairy tale motif that runs throughout the many trails. On the way to Belvedere Castle, my friend and I stopped to look at a map. “Okay,” I said, “we need to pass Strawberry Fields and then turn right at the Swedish Cottage.” How often does one get to say that?

Upon turning right at the Swedish Cottage, we walked through the Shakespeare Garden, home to plants mentioned in the bard’s writing, including columbine and primrose. Butterflies alit on nearly every flower or bush, reminding us to stop and smell the flowers. (I didn’t see any roses.)

Belvedere Castle provides some of the best views in the park, and we stood in the sun as long as we could watching turtles relax on the rocks surrounding Turtle Pond, gazing at the wide expanse of the Great Lawn, and thinking about all the world-renowned actors who have performed at the Delacorte Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. Throughout Central Park, there are statues of Hans Christian Anderson, Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet, and more.

I was preparing to leave for a trip to the fantasy world that is Cornwall and Devon, England, home to more mythical sites than I can name. But I felt quite content with this dreamscape smack dab in what can be the harshest of realities.