Travel Haiku - California Wild Beauties Poem by john tiong chunghoo

Spring Antelope Valley
california poppy has taken up
every space

Spring Antelope Valley
a desert of
flowers

Spring Antelope Valley
no space
for my feet

Perhaps the best state in the country to view spring's bounty of wildflowers? California. The shimmering orange California poppy, the state flower, can be spotted along Southern California roadways and on hikes in the hills in spring. To see them in profusion, head to the Antelope Valley in the Mojave Desert, where fields surrounding the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve become a sea of orange from mid-March to May. During wildflower season, free guided public tours are offered, if staff is available, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekends and 11 a.m. on weekdays