Fred and I recently visited the lovely Butchart Gardens . We started our mini-vacation in Anacortes where we (and our car) boarded a ferry headed to Vancouver Island , Canada . Sunlight reflected off the ocean as we cruised by the tree covered San Juan islands . Upon entering Canada and answering the border officer’s usual question of why we were there, we learned that Butchart Gardens would be having a fireworks show that night. We weren’t planning to go to the gardens until the next day, but we couldn’t pass up the chance to see their fireworks. The show was amazing! Too bad I left my camera at the motel and had to rely on my cell phone for photos. We spent the next morning walking, resting on the many benches throughout the gardens, then walking some more as we enjoyed their incredibly beautiful gardens. We enjoyed the Italian garden, Japanese garden, and a large rose garden. We saw some of the roses we grew in Medford , as ...