7 spring road trips to the most colorful flowers across America
There are many clichés about spring, but their ubiquity doesn't diminish how beautiful the changing of the seasons can be.
If you need a reminder for how great this season can be, we've got seven road trips across the United States that are perfect for stopping and smelling the roses — and the poppies, bluebonnets and many other wildflowers.
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From east coast to west coast and everywhere in between, wildflowers are popping up in patches all across America.
Catskill Mountains, New York
The thousands of different wildflower species that line the Catskills are a perfect excuse to head up the Hudson Valley.
The Catskill Forest Preserve is 287,500 acres of mountains, forests, lakes, waterfalls and cliffs — great for hiking, canoeing or just admiring the flowers.
The route through the Catskills will take travelers past several charming towns that are worth a stop on their own, like Phoenicia, Woodstock and Kingston.
Antelope Valley, California
The real-life incarnation of the poppy field from The Wizard of Oz is in California, just north of Los Angeles.
The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve is in bloom from March through mid-May, with peak viewing around mid-April.
Starting off from Malibu and heading north via Route 5 will bring travelers from the City of Angels through Los Padres National Forest —another great place for wildlife spotting — and up to Lancaster, home of the poppy reserve.
For those looking to extend the drive, either head east to the Mojave or continue north to the mountains of Twin Oaks.
Chinook Scenic Byway, Washington
With Mt. Rainier in the background, drive through the Chinook Scenic Byway for one of the most majestic wildflower displays in the country.
The hundreds of different species of wildflower come to life in late spring and summer.
Start in Yakima on Washington's Route 12 and continue driving onto Route 410, which cute through Mount Rainier National Park.
The entire drive through the park takes about two hours, without any stops for photo ops. At the exit of the park, it's another hour drive to reach Seattle.
The All-American Road is closed for the season, but will open again on May 20.
Texas Bluebonnets, Texas
It's all too easy to forget that it's not all ranches and desert and big cities in Texas. Every year an incredible array of bluebonnets paint themselves across Hill Country, just northwest of Austin.
The impressive display is most visible from late March through June.
In 1932, the Texas Highway Department hired a landscape architect to make sure that the wildflowers grew to perfection alongside the state's major roads.
Check out Route 281 and the Wildflower Loop, off of Route 16, for the state's bluest pastures.
Skyline Drive, Virginia
A ride on Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park will reveal more than 850 different types of wildflowers, including azaleas, trillium and black-eyed susans. The park keeps the roadsides unmowed to allow passersby the best views of the flowers.
An entire weekend each year is dedicated to the wildflowers. This year, Wildflower Weekend falls on May 7 and 8.
The drive is 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is the only major road in Shenandoah National Park.
San Juan Skyway, Colorado
The San Juan Skyway is a 233-mile loop in Southwestern Colorado that takes drivers through the San Juan National Forest. It's been designated as an official All-American Road.
It takes about five hours to drive the entire "road to the sky."
The loop will take visitors past the San Juan Mountains, hot springs and Native American pueblos.
George Washington Memorial Parkway, Washington, D.C.
It's not just in the country where flowers bloom.
Every spring, the George Washington Memorial Parkway is covered in a colorful array of tulips ands cherry blossoms.
Follow the 25-mile parkway from Virginia and through D.C. and make sure to actually stop the car every few miles.
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Cailey studied journalism at SUNY Purchase and french cinema & literature at Paris IV Sorbonne. She is a cynical optimist and Talking Heads karaoke enthusiast. Drop her a line @misscaileyanne
