Day Tripping 2

This is what spring looks like in eastern San Luis Obispo County! That's what I've been hearing, but had never experienced first hand. Until Friday, that is.

With the temperatures creeping into the mid and even high 70's and nothing but blue sky above, we decided that Friday would be the perfect time to head on out to the eastern edge of SLO county and onto the Carrizo Plain to see if this "wildflower thing" is all it's cracked up to be. I'm here to tell you that it is!

My wife and I packed a lunch, loaded up the dogs, and set out to see if we could find something really spectacular. Without much of a plan, and no map, but with the "local wisdom" that says "go to Shell Creek Road and turn left", we struck out at 11:00 AM heading through the quaint and charming Santa Margarita, and then continuing east on CA HWY 58. A mile out of Santa Margarita the road becomes a winding 2 lane that takes you through some beautiful "horse country", spotted with the occassional ranch house and country estate. The hillsides are a lush green, and already we begin to see large swaths of yellow painted hills, and clusters of poppys along the roadside. We pass the occassional patches of blue and lavender flowers, mostly on the flatter meadowlike stretches along the highway.

At Shell Creek Road we take the left turn and immediately are greeted by a meandering country road, following a running stream, and flanked by vibrantly colored hills on both sides. We pulled off on a seldom used dirt lane where we walked the dogs and ate our picnic lunch.

It was so quiet out there that literally the only thing we could hear was our own breathing, and the occasional hum of an insect or bee flying by!

After basking in the sun for a while we loaded up and headed furhter east on HWY 58 to the Carrizo Plain. I mean this is some spectacular, untouched, expanse of natural beauty. We took the drive out a ways, driving through the largely deserted town of California Valley, and as far as the entrance to Carrizo Plains National Monument. At times we actually stopped the car in the middle of the road, rolled down the windows and shut off the engine to listen to the complete silence. It was truly a remarkable place! And a remarkable day trip!