are godspeed lowering springs good

Yes, you still have time to see the super bloom — if you know where to go

Blazing fields of desert dandelions, streaks of purple lupine and pink sand verbena, and poppies bursting along hillsides have transformed Southern California. There’s still plenty of time to see this season’s outstanding bloom of annual wildflowers, if you know where to go.

“It’s cooler right now, which means we may have an extended wildflower bloom,” said Larry Hendrickson, a botanist with Anza-Borrego Desert State Park about 160 miles southeast of L.A.

Chasing desert wildflowers, even in a big, wet year, can be daunting, because they don’t bloom everywhere and they don’t bloom at the same time. The other daunting factor? Mobs of people who crave that uniquely California touch of nature.

The show will continue through June at higher elevations. Cactus, yucca and agave, for example, usually bloom until mid-May in Anza-Borrego’s Culp Valley, a cool desert high spot at 3,400 feet.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

This is the It park for wildflowers in 2019. Much-needed rain started in December and continued into February, each downpour sparking a new generation of seeds to germinate. Cool temperatures at critical times during fall and winter sealed the deal for a banner season.

Hendrickson called it “a very good bloom,” avoiding the nonscientific “super bloom” label that created chaos recently in Lake Elsinore. In 2017, a big bloom at the park drew thousands of visitors, who clogged traffic and left behind garbage, trampled flowers and bad feelings.

This year, the town and the park better prepared for the crush by placing portable toilets near heavily used areas and handing out maps to the flower fields to direct people.

A woman walks on a trail through hillsides of blooming wildflowers near the Mile 31 marker of Highway S-22 in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Quick list of where to find the super blooms in Southern California »

Here are some places to look:

Visitor center: Start here, where more than 2,000 people swing by on a super bloom weekend. Expect long lines. Still, it’s a good place to ask questions, grab a map and a flower guide.

Easy walking within a quarter- or half-mile turned up ground-hugging purple mat, wild heliotrope (purple), thick stands of bricklebush (yellow), fluffy white Fremont’s pincushion and little balls of white popcorn flower.

Go to the park’s website for up-to-date reports on where wildflowers are blooming and a downloadable map that shows the best places to see them.

Info: The visitor center at 200 Palm Canyon Drive is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through May. Parking costs $10, but the road sometimes closes temporarily when the parking lot fills up. (760) 767-4205, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

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Here's where to find the best spots to take in the sights and smells of California's wildflower super bloom this spring.

Coyote Canyon: I struck gold before I even got to the end of paved Di Giorgio Road and the entrance to the canyon: Low-to-the-ground desert dandelions created a vast wave of yellow that riffled in a soft wind. Coyote Canyon usually makes the must-see list in a good bloom year, and for good reason. It’s the largest watershed in the park, and seeds thrive here.

PHOTOS: Poppy fields in Lake Elsinore's Walker Canyon reopen to the public »

I parked where the paved road ended (as did plenty of other visitors) and headed east on foot, following a flat path. It was easy to find a rich variety of plants: yellow desert sunflowers; large, white dune primroses, the park’s signature wildflower; lupine in shades of blue and purple; bright pink sand verbena; and desert lilies, with white trumpet-shaped flowers on slender green stems.

On the way out of the canyon, I stopped at a field with no wildflowers but plenty of scrap-metal sculptures, including a fantastic giant scorpion facing off against an equally huge grasshopper. The works are among 130 creatures and characters created by self-trained artist Ricardo Breceda that are scattered around Galleta Meadows Estate, private property holdings near the park and Borrego Springs that are open to the public.

From Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs, go east on Palm Canyon Drive and north on Di Giorgio Road. Park at the end of the paved road and walk east to the flower fields. Four-wheelers can continue on the dirt route into Lower Coyote Canyon but should check road conditions beforehand. Parking is free.

A butterfly clings to a wildflower in Coyote Canyon at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Luis Sinco

The Texas Dip: “You've seen the poppies, right? They're amazing,” a woman shouted at me before dashing off to her next wildflower spot. Yellow poppies were abundant on southern-facing slopes in the dip, a wide, low spot on Borrego Springs Road known on the map as San Felipe Wash.

Driving slowly, I scanned the hillside until my eyes watered. Nothing. It wasn’t until I parked the car and walked about a quarter mile into the wash that I found pale yellow rivers of poppies on the hills. Something wasn’t right.

I glanced at my watch and realized I had made a rookie mistake: It was past 5 p.m. and though the sun hadn’t yet set, the light-loving poppies had closed up, shut into tight little whorls. The show was over for the day, and I had missed it.

Are crowds ruining California’s super bloom? »

Retracing my steps, I found thick barrel cactuses, some a few feet tall, with crowns of waxy yellowish flowers the size of a baby’s fist. I counted as many as 10 blooms on some. The lowering sun that had shut down the poppy show lighted the cactus flowers to produce an astonishing glow. I felt vindicated.

From Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs, take Borrego Springs Road south and park along the road at the bottom of the dip, about a mile from California 78. Walk into the wash on either side of the road.

Wildflowers bloom near the Mile 31 marker of Highway S-22 in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Cactus Loop Trail: The one-mile trail across from the Tamarisk Grove Campground was thick with poppies and “belly” flowers (ones so small you have to get on your belly to see) amid the barrel, fishhook and cholla cactuses on this route. It’s an easy trail but climbs uphill a bit from the road.

Park on the road outside the campground at 5960 Yaqui Pass Road in Julian, Calif. The well-marked trail is easy to find.

Up and coming: Wildflowers along Henderson Canyon Road, the darling spot of the 2017 super bloom, were starting to pop on my visit. This is an easy drive-up spot but can be crowded because it’s so popular. As of last week, the park reported dune evening primrose and sand verbena were blooming, but sunflowers were still in bud.

From Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs, head north on Borrego Springs Road and east onto Henderson Canyon Road. Park on the side of the road.

Near Joshua Tree National Park

The sides of the road leading to the southern entrance of the park looked like a lupine forest, tall purple stalks interspersed with yellow brickelbush and tall red-flowering ocotillos. It’s easy walking alongside the road to see pockets of wildflowers amid the rocky landscape. You don’t need to enter the park (and pay the $30 fee) to see the flowers.

Info: From Interstate 10, take Exit 168 onto Cottonwood Springs Road and head north.

Near Desert Lily Sanctuary

Forget-me-nots bloom in a dry wash at the Desert Lily Sanctuary near Desert Center. Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

The namesake lilies appeared in scattered places in the 2,000-acre protected area near the southeastern corner of Joshua Tree National Park, about 185 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. But the deep pink sand verbena stole the show. Verbena plants love the same dry, sandy flats as lilies, which made for an impressive roadside display at a spot along lightly trafficked California 177.

Info: Park at the Desert Lily Sanctuary lot on California 177, seven miles northeast of Desert Center. Then walk less than a quarter mile south along 177 to find the verbena display.

Mojave Trails National Monument

To escape the crowds, I looked to one of the country’s newly designated federal lands, Mojave Trails, a bat-shaped parkland of 1.6 million acres that takes you into the heart of the Mojave Desert.

With staffers from the Bureau of Land Management and the Mojave Desert Land Trust leading the way, I found gorgeous patches of lupine, desert dandelions and shrubby creosote — with no one else in sight. This is a great place for four-wheelers to take off on dirt roads in search of blooms.

I found good wildflowers along Amboy Road, specifically on the southern side of Sheephole Pass, and at Amboy Crater, an extinct cinder cone volcano that’s also part of the monument. Wildflowers were more sparse at the crater, but I loved how the yellow daisies and pink verbena contrasted beautifully against the black volcanic rock.

Info: From Twentynine Palms, go north on Amboy Road and pull off the road when you see flowers; you’ll probably have the desert mostly to yourself. Continue north to Amboy Crater, which connects with Route 66. You’ll find free parking, a bathroom and picnic tables. Follow the well-marked, easy trail to the cinder cone.

Diamond Valley Lake, Hemet

Visitors to Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet follow a trail through hills covered in wildflowers with the snow-capped San Bernardino Mountains in the distance. Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

On my way back to L.A., I decided to stop at Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet, about 90 miles southeast of Los Angeles — and was glad I did.

The hills surrounding the man-made reservoir had some of the most vivid wildflower displays: brilliant patches of orange poppies, deep blue lupine, purplish-blue Canterbury bells and bright yellow goldfields.

To see wildflower displays, expect to walk at least half-a-mile on easy dirt trails that start at the lake’s marina parking lot. I hiked to a high point on a 1.3-mile loop trail and hit a trifecta of views: flowers, snow-capped mountain peaks and the lake’s deep blue waters. Some said the 2017 bloom was better, but this spot was my hands-down favorite for plant variety and colors.

Info: Trails start at Diamond Valley Lake Marina, 2615 Angler Ave., Hemet; (951) 926-7201. The wildflower loop trail is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through the end of the flower season.

Other trails to the flowers are open year-round starting at 7 a.m., but the best time to see poppies is between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. when they are open.

Parking costs $10; it’s $3 a person for a trail fee, which includes a flower guide and trail map.

·  Plan. Contact individual parks for a flower report and/or consult with the Theodore Payne Wildflower Hotline, which updates blooms every Friday. Info: (818) 768-1802, Ext. 7

·  If you can, visit midweek to avoid the heavy traffic on weekends.

·  Carry plenty of water and snacks; places to buy food may be far from where you are hiking or stopping. Wear boots or sturdy shoes, use sunscreen, and carry water with you at all times.

·  Make sure you have a map of the area you’re visiting. Cellphone coverage is spotty in many areas of the desert, and you may not be able to access directions.

·  Many desert areas lack facilities, so plan accordingly. For example, don’t expect to find garbage cans at every site. Make sure you pack out your own trash.

·  In state parks, dogs aren’t allowed on trails or in the wildflower fields. You can take them on designated roads and campgrounds, but always on a leash.

·  More info on Southern California wildflowers

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel

02

Apple And Goldman Sachs Are Launching A New Credit Card. Here Is What We Know

Apple CEO Tim Cook (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)ASSOCIATED PRESS

It was reported last year that

The move, expected to take place later this spring or early summer is their attempt to bolster waning sales in their core products which are iPhone sales and securities-trading, respectively.

The combination of the two firms will likely make a big splash on the consumer credit marketplace given their capabilities in launching and marketing new products. It also doesn’t hurt that they have extremely deep pockets to fund the launch.

Followers of Apple know that Apple already has a credit card partnership in place with Barclays plc, but this partnership will replace it. The new partnership will also differ in several ways. For one, this is Goldman Sachs first foray into the consumer credit card business. The deal will also be structured differently because Goldman Sachs will pay Apple a fee for every consumer who is issued a card, which is a common practice in the industry. With Barclays, Apple waived the fee in lieu of offering its customers interest-free financing.

The new influx of fees would allow Apple to diversify its streams of revenue amid slowing top-line growth. The Apple-Goldman card will also be linked closely with the iPhone, which executives hope will promote broader adoption of their Apple Pay contactless payment service. Apple receives a cut of the sales generated from the service, but analysts expect the company to receive a larger piece of the pie when their proprietary card is used.

Goldman Sachs launched their consumer banking brand Marcus in 2016 and currently has banking and consumer loan offerings. This will bolster their consumer brand, but they are playing catch-up with consumer banking juggernauts like J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank of America. Marcus is most well known for its high interest savings account, and consumers are left wondering whether the new credit card will offer one of the lowest interest rates to remain in line with their customer friendly approach.

While few details of the upcoming card or its features have been announced, the anticipation is starting to build, something that executives at Apple are masters at creating. Offering perks or incentives to rival Chase’s Sapphire Reserve Card is no easy task, and there’s no indication that it will. But even if it does, it still might not make sense for many consumers.

If the card is to launch in a traditional physical format, there’s no guarantee that it will accelerate the adoption of Apple Pay, unless a substantial cash-back component or other incentive to use the service is included. If the card launches as a digital-only option, American consumers who are relatively more reluctant to adopt digital payment platforms may not race to sign up for it.

With Apple’s push of their Apple Pay technology, consumers are left wondering if they should start to rely on contactless payments for purchases. As with most things, there are pros and cons to the technology.

Advocates of the technology regularly discuss the fact that your card info is more secure when using Apple Pay since Apple doesn’t store your full card number. Instead they store part of your card and pair it with part of your device number. Encrypted keys are then used to process the transactions. For those who haven’t taken advantage of free credit freezes yet, this is a good way to lower the chance of having their credit card stolen. Credit card fraud and identity theft aren’t slowing down, and this makes Apple Pay increasingly attractive.

The downside is that reducing the friction to spend may lead you to spend money more freely, lowering your all-important savings rate. After all, since Apple will receive a cut of every transaction, they’ve made it easier than ever for you to spend your money seamlessly. With credit card debt at eye-watering levels, the last thing you need is to rack up more credit card debt. This highlights the importance of learning how to budget.

Ultimately, we’ll have to wait until the card is launched and all of the details are known, to decide whether it makes sense to sign up or not. All I know is that I won’t be lining up outside of an Apple store for the chance to become an early adopter unless their product is fundamentally different from anything on the market, but the early details don't seem to point that way.

03

Shake Off Those Winter Blues With a Spring Grooming Intervention

No matter what kind of weather you experience, winter tends to wear on us all.

For those of us who dealt with seemingly endless amounts of snow and cold, we may still be feeling a little depressed from a lack of Vitamin D or, for that matter, enough fresh air. Artificially heated environments have dried us out and generally made us feel blah. You’ve probably felt this way too.

But, good news! Spring is on its way. The days are getting longer. Temperatures are warming up. And, as Tennyson put it, “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” Don’t we all feel a bit better when we’re in love? 

Whether it’s time to go a-courtin’ or just time to control your destiny, shake off those winter blues with a few things that will go a long way towards brightening your look and your life when spring finally decides to arrive in your neck of the woods.

Get a Hair Cut  Low Fade with a Brush-Up StyleThomas Barwick/Getty Images

Have a talk with that guy in the mirror. It’s not you. Well, yeah, actually, it is you, but definitely not the best version of you.

Assuming you still have a full head of hair (damn you), march into your local barbershop and have a heart-to-heart talk with your barber. If he’s a good groomer, chances are he’s been coaxing your style all along to keep your locks on-trend. But just in case his eyes have glazed over from hearing you say “just a bit off the top … clean up the sides,” check out some of the latest hairstyles for 2019 from Men’s Hairstyles Today. We’re leaning towards then low fade with the brush-up, but if you can get away with a low taper fade with a messy quiff (a what!?), then go for it. Risk it. Try something new. After all … it will always grow back.

Get Rid of Those Grays True Sons Hair and Beard Dye

Did Old Man Winter sneak in and leave a little evidence of time’s passing on your scalp this season? Hey, we all know the silver fox look is still trending right now, but even those guys sometimes need a little help to keep their color looking clean and bright. Check out True Sons for a modern approach to home hair coloring. For $24 a month (depending on the plan you select), an easy to use foam is delivered right to your door with all the tools you need to treat your hair and beard and keep yourself looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Slough Off that Old Skin Spongelle Men’s Triple Butter Supreme Buffer

Don’t want no scrubs? Um, yeah, actually you do. Sorry, have you been reading The Manual lately? What are we constantly tell you to do? No, besides drink more bourbon. Exfoliate! It’s okay, we won’t take it personally (much) but just in case you’ve been ignoring us or only using an exfoliating product on your face, it’s time to introduce the concept to your whole body. The Spongelle Supreme Buffer incorporates moisturizing cleansing with an exfoliating sponge as well as black tea and coffee extracts for their antioxidant properties. You’ll remove dead skin cells, giving your whole body a natural glow. (Don’t forget to follow up with a good moisturizer. Preach!) 

Undo Winter’s Damage Caldera Lab The Good Serum

Winter’s harsh conditions can do a number on our faces. Undo that damage with Caldera Lab’s The Good. It’s a pretty straightforward product. Before you go got bed, wash and thoroughly dry your face. Apply Caldera’s mix of high altitude botanicals to your face and beard, avoiding the area around your eyes. The product’s antioxidants combat the effects of aging, pollution, and sun damage all while reducing the appearance of wrinkles, lightening spots and blemishes, and improving skin tone. 

Put Away Your Winter Pallor Menaji Men’s Makeup Starter Kit

There are some guys who have the right physique and skin tone so that when they are pale from not seeing the sun for months, they take on a chiseled, statuesque look. Then there’s the rest of us.

No matter how much we cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize we just come off looking tired and blotchy. We may still have a healthy glow, but the glow may look a bit more like a deep-sea creature’s as opposed to a bronzed god. Rather than rushing to a tropical vacation or opting for a presidential orange spray-tan, try smaller steps. Menaji creates a few simple products that will help cover up breakouts, blotches, scars, etc., and then bring down the shine a few notches with an easy-to-use powder. Yes, this kit is a gateway drug. Once you start experimenting, it’s a few steps to adding the brand’s Power Hydrator Plus that has moisturizer, sun protection, and skin-tone matching coverage. 

Brighten that Smile Sensodyne Sensitive Teeth Whitening True White Extra Fresh Toothpaste

A great smile is the first thing people remember about you. While you could go to the trouble of bleaching your teeth or getting them straightened, there’s a cheaper, faster way to get visible results. Switch out your toothpaste for Sensodyne’s True White. Besides freshening breath, protecting against cavities, and adding fluoride, True White also builds up sensitivity relief for teeth that may be hurting a little from hot coffee or cold drinks, and, with regular use, it helps whiten teeth. It’s also good for your teeth’s “dentin” because it’s less abrasive than traditional whitening toothpaste.

Mind Your Manscape Vida Sleek Hair Removal Sugar Waxing Kit

OK, this is a — pardon the expression — touchy subject. Some people prefer the natural, full-on bear look…while others like a cleaner, fresher look. If you or those you care about land on the latter side, it’s time to start getting things cleaned up. Not soon enough will we get the random, hot Spring afternoon where a visit to a pool, a run in the park, or a game of shirts and skins will find you doffing that T-shirt (remember, we do want to wear sunblock, but we also want that Vitamin D fix we’ve been craving). Some things may be best left to the professionals, but until you’re prepared to get naked in front of a stranger who is not your doctor, you may want to try this home waxing kit. You’ll get a cleaner, longer-lasting finish than you’ll ever get with shaving, at a fraction of the cost of a spa visit.

Do Some Internal Spring Cleaning Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Miracle Cleanse Concentrate

Winter’s nights and weekends may — besides encouraging us to stay in where it’s warm for nights of binge-watching — be tough on our diet. Sucking down rich, fatty foods that make us feel better in the cold, not having easy access to fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables … listening to us when we tell you to drink more bourbon … may mean your whole system is ready for a little “detox.”

Apple cider vinegar has long been touted for its awesome qualities, but try it for a health-giving quaff with the addition of organic honey, organic lemon juice, and organic cayenne. The drink converts the sugars found in apples into healthy organic acids. The drink’s live enzymes and vital prebiotics, that have been shown to decrease blood sugar, total cholesterol, and blood pressure, also help with intestinal health and weight loss. Drink this three times a day, in the morning, mid-morning, and mid-afternoon for a month or so to experience its full-effects.. (Be sure to give a little rinse with water afterward, too, to protect teeth from the vinegar’s acidic properties.) Overall the cleanse may help with losing weight and lowering triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels, but honestly, you could get the same results by eating clean and walking a little more.