Bursting with color [Poppy Preserve Follow-up]

Valley Press on ^ | Tuesday, April 8, 2008. | KIM RAWLEY

[BenLurkin]

Bring tennies, water for 8 miles of trails at reserve

If you haven't been out to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve yet, don't worry. There are still weeks of blooms left. The show "will get better before it gets worse," said Sissy Feitelberg, management service technician for the California State Parks Mojave Desert Sector. The reserve was jammed all weekend with cars, lots of motorcycles, and on Sunday, bicycles. According to Feitelberg, even the overflow parking lots were full. "A couple of rattlesnakes popped out, too."

Merchandise is "flying off the shelves" at the Jane S. Pinheiro Interpretive Center. The center features the gallery of Pinheiro watercolors, a gift shop, a professional herbarium, a video room and the interpretive gallery.

While there might be other species of wildflowers at the reserve, the golden California poppies are what people want to see, photograph, paint, sketch and marvel over.

For those who can, going to the reserve during the week is a better bet to avoid some of the traffic. The 1,800-acre reserve is about 15 miles west of downtown Lancaster on Lancaster Road (Avenue I).

[BenLurkin]

"California Poppies cover the hills at the Antelope Valley California State Poppy Reserve."MB> RON SIDDLE/Valley

[CPOSharky]

Looks like there are more Mount Lemon Zineas than poppies.

[stylecouncilor]

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