There were high surf warning so there weren’t any surfers out but it sure was pretty.
We set up camp, had lunch and relaxed a while. Then I went out for a walk.
The pink ice plant was in bloom.
As was the yellow.
And across the main drag from our end of the park you could see huge swathes of yellow flowers. I don’t know what they were but they sure were lovely.
When I got back I had to take another shot of the beach looking south.
Just about dinner time the sun began to sink into the ocean to the west.
It always surprises me that it doesn’t sizzle as it disappears.
The next morning the high surf warning had been lifted and we had surfers by the score out.
We were at the high point of the cliffs and the pelicans swooped by all the time. After many tries I managed to get of shot of them coasting by.
Mid morning we headed north just a few miles to The Flower Fields, a wonderful 27 year old Carlsbad tradition. Nestled in between an outlet mall (which wasn’t there 10 years ago when we first visited), an Armstrong Nursery (which is open all year long) and various hotels and housing tracts is 50 acres of agricultural land. Nearly all of it is dedicated to growing Tecolote Giant Ranunculus. These flowers were developed here and they grow nearly the entire worlds supply of seed and bulbs here.
The parking lot and the entry area are filled with Martha Washington and scented geraniums.
There was a small farm stand selling HUGE strawberries.
Once through the gate we made our way through the formal gardens where there were lovely delphinium in bloom.
They have an antique tractor drawn wagon ride that will take you to the top of the flower fields and then you can walk back down the hill viewing the flowers as you go. You get a nice view of the fields as you go—and yes some folks just ride the entire loop and call it good.
The Tecolotes come in 13 colors.
The purple/wine colored flowers at at the top of the hill followed by the red and pinks and oranges.
We got off the tram up at the top and I stopped and took a photo of the antique tractor and it’s driver.
Then we walked along the top for a while and I tried to capture it all.
Capturing Walter and the flowers was much easier.
At this point the heavy clicking of the camera ensued. FLOWERS!
Violet
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| Red | |
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| Dark Pink | |
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| Orange | |
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My guess is that these pink-edged whites were a sport of some sort.
| Peach! | |
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| Deep Yellow | |
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| Lemon Yellow | |
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And rows and rows of flowers
With Walter blooming in amongst them.
The reds give way to pink and then to oranges.
And then the yellows give way to whites. There were lovely ladies dressed up and having the pictures taken all over the place.
| White! | |
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| Pink | |
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And then there was an antique tractor cordoned off from the fields so you could climb on it and have your picture taken. Walter went first.
And then he took a picture of me.
Past the pastel pinks came a burgundy and orange mix.
And then a cheery bolder mix.
Once again these looked like bouquets ready to be picked.
We were down at the bottom of the fields now and there were huge beds of nasturtiums in bloom opposite the fields.
As we walked along the bottom of the fields there were more flowers in all sorts of lovely colors.
Picotee
Double white
Double rose
Double Peach
Pale peach
And lavender
We strolled back into the formal gardens where there were huge beds of geraniums.
And Walter found a bench.
Armstrong Nursery is kind of the granddaddy of the rose nurseries of Southern California. Back in 1951 there was a big Armstrong Rose Nursery in Montebello and he bought the roses for his big rose bed there. They were a grower but they left Montebello when the smog got too bad in the mid 51’s.
They have a Rose Demonstration Garden here associated with the nursery out front. And the roses were in bloom.
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| Can you smell them? | |
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| Maybe just a little? | |
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After one last shot of yet another huge bed of geraniums we made out way back to the truck.
The ocean was waiting for us when we got back.
Later in the afternoon, while Walter took his nap, I took a walk down to the ramp that leads to the beach.
The beach on this end of the park is pretty much a giant pile of tumbled rocks. When we camped on the northern end there was sand and I assume it’s still there. There was one lone family out playing in the water—the air temperature was pleasant but the water was cold.
I had a great time taking photos of the lovely smooth rocks.
I slid/stumbled my way down the great shifting shelf of rocks to waters edge.
And chased the foam for a while.
And it chased me back up the rocks a few times too.
I wandered down the beach for a while clicking away at the rocks.
And then stumbled and slid my way back up the shelf and up the ramp.
We had another super sunset. This time there was a bit of a fog bank out to sea and I thought the sun might just sink into it.
But it kept on going painting the ocean orange.
In this closer shot you can see the line of clouds across the sun.
But the clouds never swallowed the sinking sun.
Instead, it just slid into the sea.
The next morning we packed up and motored south along I-5 and picked up I-8 east which we took back to Tacna and the Copper Mountain RV Park where we’d stayed the week before on our way to San Diego.
Then on Saturday April 13th, we drove the last 200 miles back to our home in Sahuarita.
We spent the last two weeks in April getting ready for our summer travels. On Wednesday May 1st, we head out for a three-plus week trip through NE Arizona and SW Utah—Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, Hovenweep, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Lake Powell. Then we’ll loop back to Show Low for 4 months camping at Juniper Ridge RV Resort.