Vacations Blog

Antelope Valley

In Los Angeles we have the unique opportunity to stand in one place and see the ocean and snow-capped mountains at the same time.  Even with the insane population growth of our area, we are surrounded by natural beauty.  Because many of the naturally beautiful places are only accessed by short day trips out of the city, there are certain phrases you hear around here that you wouldn’t hear many other places, such as “Go to the snow” in the winter or “Go to see the flowers” in the spring.

March and April are the prime months when the desert hills surrounding Los Angeles and San Diego explode in bloom and show off their amazing array of colors.  The most famous flower of the area is the California poppy, which festoons the hillsides and valleys with its bright orange brilliance.  “The poppies are blooming!” is another exciting exclamation you might hear an Angeleno say, prompting weekend planning of a drive up to the mountains, complete with picnic gear and photography equipment.

California Poppy

By mid-April the poppies give way, however, to their supporting cast, and the once brilliantly-blooming valleys direct your attention higher in the hills, where viewing nature’s spectacle is as easy as pulling over to the side of the road.  From Los Angeles, take I-5 North and head east on Highway 138.  The most recent wildflower reports – yes, these do exist, creating another local phrase – list brilliantly blooming bands of “sunflower, lupine, poppy, phacelia, fiddleneck, red maid and goldfield.”

More than poppies

Owl's Clover

Guided tours of the area are available at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve if staff is available, and a system of easy access trails is in place which might be easier for families with young children.  But Mother Nature is not one to be confined by the boundaries of a state reserve, so the wildflowers are on display all around the drive up to the park itself.

Roadside viewing

Typical nature warnings apply if you head to the area:  take only photographs, leave only footprints.  However, try not to trample the wildflowers themselves, because it takes years for them to regenerate.  Also, up the high Mojave desert, the wind can come swooping down on you with great force, so check weather conditions before making the trip, and bring lots of water.  If the desert makes you thirsty and your cooler is empty, urban sprawl has got you covered.  Lancaster and Palmdale are pretty close by, and word has it there are tasty margaritas to be found which you can enjoy while you review the amazing pictures you took.

Author was arrested by Wildflower Police shortly thereafter

I sent my field team to SeaWorld San Diego to check the park out from the perspective of a family who could actually enjoy an entire day there.  (With my own two boys under 4, everything we do is limited by naptime).  My intrepid team consisted of M – the narrator, the-9-year-old – her sister, and her father.  These are their stories.

Shamu strikes a pose

We started out at Shamu’s show. All in all, it was incredible. The 9-year-old said that it was by far the best part of the day. The orcas are gorgeous and always look bigger up close than you expect them to. We sat in the last row of the “soak zone,” so we didn’t get splashed nearly as much as some. Some people got absolutely drenched. The trainers were very talented as well. The 9-year-old told me that she wants me to become a trainer so she can get first dibs on meeting the animals up close. I told her she should become a trainer instead. She said, “Yeah, that’s a better idea.”

Of course, there was a young female volunteer who got up and got to touch Shamu. The 9-year-old was jealous.

Hey, jealousy

Sea dogs

Then we went to the “Pets Rule” show, where they have trained dogs, cats, and pigs. This was also very impressive. The 9-year-old giggled throughout the whole show. I think her favorite part was when a dog stood up on its hind legs and rotated a wheel on a “Hot Dog Cart,” which proceeded to produce four dachshund puppies. Very, very cute. Certainly not something you’d expect to see at SeaWorld, but there were plenty of chances to get sprayed by the hydrant or the “TNT” explosion.

After this, we got a chocolate brownie funnel cake. Always good from a nine year old’s perspective: “This could be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

Next we went to the dolphin show. Very impressive. The dolphins jumped amazing heights. Again, we sat at the way back of the splash zone. The people sitting front and center looked like they had jumped into the pool with the dolphins after the show, but we stayed nice and dry. The 9-year-old’s favorite animal is the dolphin, so she was disappointed when the show didn’t last hours and hours. I thought each show was perfect at 20-30 minutes long, as did my father.

Not cool.

We did a bit of walking around. We didn’t go into the Sesame Street playground, but all three of us (me, my sister and my father) were all in agreement that it looked like a blast. [Although this attraction is aimed at younger children] I can certainly say, as an adult, I really wanted to just let loose in that place. So many things to climb… it looked like a blast! The 9-year-old was afraid of looking uncool, so we didn’t venture in.

Shark Encounter

We also did the “Shark Encounter” where you go through an underwater acrylic tube to see the sharks all around you. Unfortunately the floor of the tube was a moving platform, like the one in airports, so you didn’t get to look at the sharks as long as you wanted to. But there was a separate flat-panel of acrylic past the tube that was nice to look at.

We also went into one of the aquariums- the “Sea Life” one or something like that, where there were just several types of fish. Some of the fish were bigger than the 9-year-old, so she was very impressed.

Equal opportunity screaming

To end our trip, we went on the Atlantis roller coaster. I’d say it’s not for the faint-at-heart. There are two plummeting 50+ foot drops. The 9-year-old had a good time, but she didn’t admit it until we were on the car ride home. She was scared out of her mind during the ride, and I have to say that I, personally, had no idea I could scream like that. It’s been nearly two hours and my throat is still sore.

L.A. local note:  if you go with older kids who can suck it up for the car ride, this can actually count as a super long day trip.  If not, and who can blame you, here are some links to San Diego hotels reviewed by Uptake bloggers .

[field work and photos by Martha King-Devine]