By Patric Hedlund

Families who live in the Mountain Communities are in the perfect place to offer their special Mom some memorable Mother’s Day fun on a wildflower safari, hunting for poppy fields.

This third year of drought and our recent rains conspired in a mysterious alchemy to produce magnificent displays of wildflowers. Tourists from all over the world come to see nature paint the Gorman hills and the Western Antelope Valley with a master’s brush.

You can drive south on Gorman Post Road along the Gorman hills, which are showing color, then head to Highway 138 off Interstate 5.

Areas between Neenach and Antelope Acres have been blazing with carpets of poppies (try 245th Street West off Highway 138).
A stop at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is recommended. Massive blooms have peaked, they say, but you may see lovely displays along the Antelope Loop path.

The reserve is open sunrise to sunset. The interpretive center is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. They’ll give you a trail map. Admission is free, but parking is $10 per car (www.parks.ca.gov, type ‘poppy reserve’ in the search field, 661.724.1180). Take a broad-brim hat.

Click into our Calendar and Announcements page for tips on Mother’s Day brunch. A note: The wildflower phone hotlines are not useful this year.

Photo captions:

Photographer Lori Murphy found these fields (below) in the Antelope Valley and (above) down Highway 223, above Arvin. Also consider Wind Wolves and Hungry Valley.

To see full stories with photos, please go to The Mountain Enterprise e-Edition

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This is part of the May 9, 2014 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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