Item From the Past: The Butchart Gardens

There's a lot to be said for traveling without a camera. Or at least not bothering to unpack the thing. I used to go places and not take pictures most of the time -- pretty much everywhere I went during the '80s.

For instance, I made no pictures of the Butchart Gardens, an extraordinary spot in Victoria, BC, during my June 1985 visit. The only image I have is the guide booklet above. But I remember the colorful evening light show the gardens puts on. After wandering around the fine floral displays in late afternoon, I waited in my rental car, reading, for dusk to come so I could see the variable colors sparkling among the plants, generated by strings of lights and well-positioned flood lights.

Quite a sight. I'm glad I wasn't fumbling with a camera at that moment.