CALIFORNIA BLOG

In southern California, we received more rain than usual this year, and wildflower lovers are experiencing the best wildflower season since 2005.  I am consolidating all of my postings into one entry.

A riot of orange and yellow will greet you this year at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. I visited on March 23, and the poppy bloom is said to not quite be at its peak.  I love the way California poppies absorb the light.

There were other wildflowers blooming among the poppies. 

The wildflower photos below were taken on a a drive that took me from Palm Desert, CA, through Hemet along Route 74, north on Interstate 215,  and then past Lake Matthews on Cajalco Road, ending in Corona, CA.  There were more beautiful wildflowers than I could photograph given the curvy 2-lane road in many places.  These photos were taken on March 9, 2008 and added on March 10:

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The wildflower photos below were taken in Palm Springs, CA along the road up to the Aerial Tramway on March 9, 2008:

Wildflowers with a snowy San Jacinto mountain in the background. 

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The photos below were shot in Joshua Tree National Park on March 8, 2008.  Most of the wildflowers were found within 10 miles of the southern entrance of the park near Cottonwood.  There are sections where one type of flower is dominant, and others where there is a wild, random mix of color.  The fee to enter the park is $15 per vehicle.

The wildflower photos above were taken in Joshua Tree National Park, and were taken on March 8, 2008.

In the northern areas of Joshua Tree National Park, the Joshua trees themselves were blooming. 

I found these California poppies in Riverside, CA.

The photo of the California Poppy above was taken on March 1, 2008 on the Palos Verdes peninsula.