Wild flowers blooming in the Western U.S.
Purple lupine blooming inside Mount Rainier National Park in Ashford, Wash. Credit: Visit Rainier/Deby Dixon
Plan a family getaway with a floral focus. Here are four places where you can pay homage to Mother Nature's colorful contributions:
1. Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford, Wash. As the snow melts, check Facebook posts and monitor tweets (@VisitRainier) to determine the best time to catch purple lupine and red paintbrush blooming inside this beautiful northwestern U.S. park. Explore via the family-friendly Nisqually Vista Trail or the more strenuous but stunning Skyline Trail.
INFO 877-270-7155; visitrainier.com
2. Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, Calif. Blossoms abound on these five islands just off the California coast. It is said that Anacapa Island's fields, flush with supersize, bright yellow coreopsis, can sometimes be seen from the mainland.
INFO 805-642-1393; islandpackers.com
3. Bishop's Lodge, Santa Fe, N.M. This resort, sprawled across 450 acres in the Tesuque Valley at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, offers a range of options for enjoying spring flowers. Catch the blooms from atop your complimentary mountain bikes or take a more leisurely approach by accessing miles of trails that crisscross the area. Daily guided horseback rides offer another option to enjoy the floral display.
INFO 800-732-2240; bishopslodge.com
4. Furnace Creek Resort, Death Valley, Calif. Visit Death Valley National Park to catch early bloomers such as desert star, desert gold, poppies, verbena and evening primrose. Within weeks, the Panamint Mountains and other higher-elevation sites burst forth with paintbrush, lupine, Joshua tree and panamint daisies. Spend the night at the Furnace Creek Resort, where kids can visit the general store, swim in a spring-fed pool and ride horses.
INFO 800-236-7916; furnacecreekresort.com; nps.gov/deva/index.htm
