Nothing says spring like a wildflower hike.
Put it off, and you’ll miss out entirely.
(In other words: YOLO.)
Here, our favorite wildflower hike within 50 miles.
Everything’s better with a Pacific Ocean backdrop — plus the gear you’ll want and, most necessarily, your post-hike beer spot.
THE HIKE: Maybe you’re making the trip to a dedicated flower farm — in which case we say, vaya con Dios and take lots of pictures. Generally, we we like to see wildflowers in … the wild, even if that means fighting for space with a bunch of other people with the same idea. (Easier fix: go early, go late, even on a weekday.) Our pick — and it’s a controversial one, even at HQ — is Chimney Rock. Amazing bonus: You might even get a look at a whale this time of year. Time it right — we like the park’s Twitter feed for updates — and you’ll get a look at California poppies, lupines, wild daisies, and more.
THE GEAR: Pics or it didn’t happen. We’re devoted to the Leica Q — not quite compact, but hard to finder better quality images for the size. We’re not going hiking with a full-body rig — personal preference — but this ensures that we bring home top-quality shots (uh, to us, anyway) from our time outside.
THE BEER: Stop in Point Reyes Station for the Old Western Saloon, dissolute in all the right ways.
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