Wildflower Quest

With all the rain we've been having in Southern California since the wildfires, we heard that the desert would be an explosion of color during the spring. With all of our busy schedules, we couldn't make it out to the desert at the beginning of March when the color spectacular was supposed to be at its peak. Not to be deterred, last weekend we decided to head out to the desert and see what was left.

We took Whit & Kathie's car instead of the bikes this trip since it was chilly and very windy. I was thankful that we weren't on two wheels as the wind howled and nudged the car on the winding mountain roads as we made our way towards Borrego Springs out East. The temperature dropped as we climbed up in altitude and promptly climbed back up as we descended towards the dessert. Although the temp was low 70s, the wind added a little chill.

Too late for the wildflowers, we decided to head towards Anza-Borrego Desert State Park that Whit & Kathie's friends recently recommended. We were a little nervous as we turned off the pavement onto a sandy road in the VW Jetta. Seeing the assortment of dirt bikes and 4-wheel drive vehicles all around didn't put our minds at ease as we embarked on the 4 mile jaunt on soft sand to the scenic outlook.

After a few tense moments, we pulled up at a make-shift parking area and joined the few other folks who were walking up a path. We had no idea what was on the other side; we were hoping for the final burst of color from some late blooming wildflowers! What we saw made the trip worthwhile, even without flora. As we crested the path, we found ourselves looking over the Carrizo Badlands. It was a kind of mini Grand Canyon! You can get a feel for the scope of this scene in the pic with me standing on a rock at the overlook. In the group picture is Laura, Kathie, Whit & me.

The day was not without color though. All along the roadside were brilliant yellow flowers and interesting looking cactus. We also kept seeing these very tall weeds topped with red flowers. We took a closer look at the plant known as Ocotillo. It was taller than Whit with long stems with leaves and spines. Each stem was topped with a cluster of little red flowers, it was actually quite pretty.

It was nice to get out and see a little bit more of Southern California. I work and travel a lot, but I'm determined to see as much of southern California as I can and to not waste a moment taking this place for granted!