See the Big Cats Get Active

The Exotic Feline Breeding Compound in Rosamond will host a Twlight Tour fundraiser on Saturday, June 19th. Here's your chance to view the center in the evening, when the big cats are more active and you have more access to view them.

The EFBC, also known as "the Cat House," is a private, non-profit conservation and breeding compound that houses some 70 species of big cats, including tigers, leopards, jaguars and ocelots. It offers visitors an unusually close view of these stunning animals.

Tickets for the Twilight Tour are $15 per person, adults only. They can be purchased at the door at 5:30; the event lasts until dark. You can order pre-paid tickets for the September 18th Twilight Tour by phone (661-256-3793 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.).

Poppies and Other Wildflowers

This may be the peak weekend for California poppies at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. We took a short road trip out to the High Desert and found enormous fields of electric orange blooms along the way. The area is still relatively undeveloped, and there is plenty of ranch land to see. At this time of year, the park itself may prove too crowded to tolerate. If so, park along 170th Street instead and view the poppies for free.

On the drive back from Antelope Valley, we made a detour up Interstate 5 to see wildflowers near the Grapevine. Once again, the rains of the winter have painted the hills with lush grasses and blooms.

Hiking Anza-Borrego

About a week ago, we went for a hike in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The weather was still relatively cool, and things were definitely in bloom. We made a short hike to Borrego Palm Canyon, where we found water, an oasis, and yep, a couple of tall palms.

Spring at Crystal Cove

photo by Mozaic Studio

The weather promised to be beautiful on Saturday, so we headed down to Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Beach. The park, once part of the immense Irvine Ranch, covers some 2,400 acres of prime, undeveloped land available for hiking, camping and biking. There are stunning views of the water, shore and the hills from nearly every point in the park.
 
The current California fiscal crisis makes the day-use entrance fee a steep $15, but you'll probably forget all of that when you're walking on the pristine beach and enjoying the sun and the breeze. At low tide you can walk over rocks to tide pools, or look at one of the emerging arches in the cove rock. You can also hike or ride horses in El Moro Canyon, and in the spring view the abundant wildflowers.

Beach cottages were built in the 30s and 40s, when the cove was still in private hands. When the land was sold to California in 1997, the state began the long process of refurbishing the cottages and making them available for public use. You can make reservations for the cottages through the park's website.

But as long as the weather is good, the park is open to anyone, and it's definitely worth the trip. Park on one of the magnificent bluffs overlooking the water, then hike a short distance either down to the beach or up to the canyon.

photo by Mozaic Studio


photo by Mozaic Studio

Wildflower Season Ahead

 
(Death Valley wildflowers. Photo by Mozaic Studio.)

Since it's been a relatively rainy winter this year, several parks are predicting good wildflower blooms in March and April.

Poppy season officially started at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve March 1, and park reservations can be online.

The Mojave National Preserve promises a "memorable" wildflower display, and Death Valley, which received nearly 5 inches of rain this winter, predicts a more spectacular bloom than originally anticipated. Peak blooming should occur there from the end of March to mid-April—a short two- or three-week period. Trees at Joshua Tree National Park are already blooming at higher elevations, and flowers should appear in mid-March.

Meanwhile, Anza-Borrego State Park will host wildflower tours through mid-March, with each tour going to whatever area is blooming best. The cost is $5, and reservations are not necessary. See their site for dates and times.

For desert wildflower updates throughout the Southwest, go to Desert USA