Springtime in San Diego is a wonderful time to visit as the weather is perfect and all the gorgeous flowers are in bloom. My family and I went for my children’s spring break vacation during the first week of April and despite the crowds at some of the main tourist sites, it was a fabulous time to go.
One afternoon while the kids were enjoying Legoland, I decided I needed a break from the crowds and commotion and decided to check out the neighboring Carlsbad Flower Fields. I had read about it in my guidebook and knew that it would be something I’d enjoy seeing especially after a long, colorless winter in Minnesota.
Open every spring, the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch is an extraordinary burst of color and beauty with thousands of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers in bloom, covering over 50 acres of hillside property overlooking the Pacific Ocean. To see the Flower Fields is quite an experience. The striking inundating colorful hills of flowers juxtaposed against the backdrop of the dark blue water is spectacular especially for the color-craved eyes.
Pulling into the strip mall parking lot where Carlsbad Flower Fields is located seems rather uneventful. Yet, once you park your car and walk inside the entrance to the Flower Fields and nursery you are bound to be delightfully surprised. It is stunning.
There is a nursery as well as a lego garden and tractor rides for the kids. Yet the real reward is the view of row after row of brilliant flowers in hues of reds, yellows, oranges, pinks and purples.
I longed to have a ladder or someplace high where I could really get a bird’s eye view of the flowers but unfortunately it did not exist. I think a viewing platform would be quite wonderful.
The crowds were relatively modest especially compared to the neighboring theme parks. For the price of only $12 (adults) I thought the Flower Fields was a steal.
It was hard to leave the peace and tranquility and return to the madness and crowds of Legoland but my family was waiting for me. If I had it my way, I would have just stayed and enjoyed the magical technicolor fields of flowers.
If you go:
The Flower Fields are open every spring. This year, they are open from March 1- May 10th. For driving directions, location and hours, click here.