Into the desert to see the wild flowers

Lenox0604

So I keep hearing people talk about going into the desert to see the wild flowers that are in bloom now. Is there any place closer than Joshua Tree that you know of to do that? TIA!

melissa*n*chris

I went last year....I thought it was pretty "yawn."   I don't remember the name of the town we went to though. Just a head's up....IMO, it wasn't worth the drive.

10YearsTogether

I'll find out from my boss. He went with his friends from Rotary. 

PS - they are like, in their 70's so I'm not sure you'd be interested in the same place, but I'll still find out.

Serendipitie

There were some nice wildflowers a few years ago in the Santa Barbara mountains, but that might have been unusual because of all the rain that year.

SNGilberts

In past years, The Toll Roads put on a wild flower walk.  It's a great way to see the wildflowers a little closer to home.  Also, the 71 highway before the Central exit has a bunch of CA poppies.

 

HBCoCo

I think Carlsbad or somewhere near there in San Diego gets some really pretty flowers. 

If you go this weekend to Palm Springs don't plan on staying.  It's the first weekend of the Indian Wells tournament and if hotels are not sold out they will be ridiculously expensive. 

Lenox0604

Thanks everyone. As long as there are flowers, me and my macro lens will be happy.

HBCoCo

My DH and I love going to the mountains and have been almost every weekend.  As the last month has passed there are more and more flowers.  I am obsessed with taking macro pictures of flowers on my little Canon SD.  DH thinks I am nuts but I love it.  I already warned him I will be stopping at all times when I see a new flower.  I got some cool poppy pictures a few weeks ago.

Mrs.Masters

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve!

 

You can give them a call to ask about blooms. Also, if you're interested there are some abandoned buildings nearby. I'm going in a couple of weeks, when the blooms should be ready.