This is the time to visit California! I mean, right now, between March and April, 2019. California just reported the most epic “super bloom” in decades in the region . For those who don’t know, super bloom refers a rare phenomenon in which an area's number of wildflowers exceed typical spring blooms, exactly what California is currently experiencing right now, thanks to the state's unusually plentiful (and much welcomed) showers this past winter.

Two of the most popular places to see the blooms are been Walker Canyon in Lake Elsinore, a lakeside city southeast of Los Angeles and Antelope Valley. We decided at the last minute that we would drive 4.5 hours (more like 6 hours after the bathroom and meal breaks) from San Francisco South Bay to Antelope Valley to witness this rare natural wonder. We took Dodo also with us for this adventure. Since dogs are not allowed in the Antelope Poppy Flower Reserve, we decided to board him with a dog sitter during our visit in the reserve.

When we were approaching Antelope Valley, we started to see fields of poppy flowers by the road and hills and hills of neon orange from far away. It was the most amazing sight. We stopped by the road and snapped some pictures with the kids and Dodo. Dodo was absolutely fascinated by the smell of the flowers. He was so excited and running like crazy.

Since Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve doesn’t allow dogs on trail, we decided to leave Dodo with a dog sitter in Lancaster. We took some snacks with us and went straight into the reserve. The reserve was quite busy as expected, as the words have spread out how amazing this year’s poppy blossom is. We went into the park around 7:30 am and it wasn’t busy, but we were definitely not alone. I would say from sunrise to 8 am is a good time to visit. By the time we left the reserve around 10 or so, the car park is already closed and people have to queue for a long time to get close to the reserve and park far away.

The valley was beautiful beyond words. Everywhere was burst with colors, white, orange, yellow, green and purple. We felt so grateful and lucky to witness this natural wonder. It was quite cold on the trail due to the wind. Even though we came prepared with jackets and hats, we did wish we wore a bit more. The hike in the reserve are very easy and safe, suitable for all ages. When we were in the poppy reserve, we stayed on trail the entire time. And the photos you will see with Dodo and the kids in the flower field were by the side of the road 14. We found some patches with no poppies on and took some pictures.

Here are some snaps from our trip and hope they will inspire you to visit soon.