Last week I took a trip up to Rockford to visit the Anderson Japanese Gardens. I arrived shortly after they opened and was welcomed to a peaceful corner of the city. I love the combination of stone, water, and plants which make up a quintessential Japanese garden. This creates a sensory treat with the smell of junipers, sounds of water trickling, sight of tranquility and humankind embedded in nature, and touch of cool pockets in the shade. This is definitely a place to go slow, and have a seat to reflect.