Sunday, September 2, 2012

Garden Party

As residents of Southern Oregon, for years we drove past the "Visit Beautiful Butchart Gardens" billboard in Yreka.  While the gardens beckoned, it was farther out of our reach than our normal travels, except those to Southern California to visit family.  It was a "back burner" item for when we had time, and that never seemed to happen.

Now, as our days as Washingtonians appear to be waning, there is time.  Time to see the sights, time to visit places we didn't expect to, time for strolling around gardens.  This weekend Cindy and I took the ferry through the San Juan Islands to Vancouver Island and made our way to the elusive Butchart Gardens.

The trip through the San Juans was breathtaking.  The weather was near perfect, with the occasional wisp of cloud along the horizons and the sun shining as it is not often want to do in the land of filtered sunshine.  Passing by Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands, the ferry made its way steadily towards the line of demarcation in the water that separates the US from Canada.  My cell phone altered me to the transfer, as the warning text regarding the increased cost of data hit the phone just as we crossed into Canadian waters.

 

A chance comment by the Canadian customs agent let us know there going to be fireworks at the Butchart Gardens that night, so after checking to out hotel and dinner, we headed west in search of our destination.  The abundant signage made it easy to find and we were able to find a place to sit ans watch the fireworks among the things of others present.  Re-admittance the next morning was a scant few dollars and we spent the next four hours visiting the work the Butcharts and their descendants have done over the last 100 plus years.  Among the wonders we saw were The Sunken Gardens in what was originally a used-up limestone quarry, an indicator that anything is possible as long as you are willing and able.

Our return trip was through the northern San Juan Islands, another treat of beautiful sunshine and wonderful weather.  A stop at Tim Hortons for donuts completed this trip to our neighbor to the north.

There is a sense of permanence attached to large gardens, such as the Butchart.  Stone walls, paved paths and statues fill the areas, reminding of estate garden where my maternal grandfather lived and worked when I was a child.  While I haven't seen those gardens in over 40 years, visiting Butchart gives me hope that it still remains and is more beautiful than I can remember.


1 comment:

  1. I won't ever forget my trip there either, almost two decades ago. It's a place that lodges itself in your being, isn't it? So beautiful.
    On my way back to Victoria via bus from the gardens I stopped at a butterfly sanctuary, my first and only to date. Magical day and one of the best trips ever.

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