The Brilliant Poppy Show

California poppy is the state flower of California. They pop up here and there in the spring with bright orange flowers.

For years, I wanted to visit the California Poppy Reserve. But the drive is long, and I worried all I could find is the small patch of flowers scatter around vast land and would be totally lost and waste the long drive. Came spring 2010, with rainy winter and mild spring, everything bloomed like crazy. For once I did my homework, check the wildflower report, call the Reserve for information, then I knew the wait was over; I'd have to wait for several years to get such a perfect condition for the flowers if I missed this one.


Left home before 5am in the Bay Area, for over 250 miles southbound I-5, I didn't see a single poppy. When the first little patch appeared on the side of the hill just north of LA, I scream, Poppy!!! Finally. Turned into 138, they started to appear in bigger patches. Then the whole field just turned orange approaching the Reserve. It's simply stunning.

California Poppy Reserve SNR in Antelope Valley, north of LA, open from March to May. From I-5 turns into 138 toward Lancaster, follow sign toward the Reserve. I heard that some years the flowers had disappointed turn out. The ranger said every two to four years the poppies will put out a show like this. Checked 2011, also had good winter rain, but the poppy show did poorly. For this trip, I rely on the Desert Wildflower Report, where people report their wildflower sighting, decided it's time to go when the site showed the flowering status was 9 out of 10, and one volunteer in the Reserve said he believed the poppies at the peak.

Seeing the sheep was a surprise and pure luck, they were at a sharp turn out of the Reserve toward Lancaster.

I drove a personal record of 691 miles in one day to see billions of poppies. (Sorry, global warming, I just have to do this.)  I'll keep those orange images forever.