Desert Sunflowers

Ron NiebruggeAnza-Borrego, California, Photos, Travel 6 Comments

Desert Sunflowers

Desert Sunflowers or Desert Gold, along Henderson Canyon Road, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.  This is looking up toward Coyote Canyon at sunset.

In 2005, when I heard about the amazing desert bloom, I quickly caught a flight from Alaska and lived out of a rental car for 6 weeks as I traveled around the and photographed the Desert Southwest.  The one place I was sorry to have missed seeing were the fields of Desert Sunflowers on Henderson Canyon Road – By the time I got down here in February, a rainstorm had pretty much wiped them out.

So when we arrived in Borrego 3 weeks ago, this was the first place I went.  But 3 weeks ago, there wasn’t a single flower in this field, it was all green.  It really has undergone an amazing transformation in the past couple of weeks, mostly in just the past week.

The best news; most of the plants have one, maybe two blooms, and about five buds ready to bloom, so I think it is going to get even better in the days to come!

It is interesting how the timing of the bloom varies from year to year.  In 2005, this area was wonderful during the first couple of weeks of February, this year it will be an entire month later. 

Poppies!

Ron NiebruggeCalifornia, Photos, San Diego, Travel 14 Comments

Poppies

California Poppies.

O my gosh, these hills are amazing!  These incredible hills are a result of the San Diego wildfires this past fall.  The burnt hills around San Diego are very colorful right now, and will probably get better in the days and weeks to come.  I was fortunate enough to visit the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve in 2003 which was a peak year – frankly, these are better, partly because of the shear numbers of poppies, but in addition, these hills are much more photogenic full of rocks and other cool subject matter.

I have two people who I owe a big thanks.Read More

Ritz Carlton Palm Springs

Ron NiebruggeCalifornia, Photos, Travel Leave a Comment

Ritz Carlton Palm Springs

Palm Springs area at sunrise.

I have spent the last couple of days in the Palm Springs area doing an assignment for Ritz-Carlton – they are building a beautiful new resort on the hills above  Rancho Mirage, California.  This is actually the amazing view from one of the rooms!  Right now this room consists metal studs as construction is in full swing, but by the fall of 2008, the resort should be open with guests enjoying this wonderful view.

My photo posts from the two previous days are also from this site.  This location provides views of the surrounding mountains that our equally as nice, I look forward to seeing the finished product!

Palm Springs

Ron NiebruggeCalifornia, Photos, Travel 2 Comments

Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs, California. 

 I’m in Palm Springs area for a couple of nights for an assignment – this was from last night as I scouted in the hills above Rancho Mirage.

Joshua Tree National Park

Ron NiebruggeCalifornia, Photos, Travel 11 Comments

Wildflowers in Joshua Tree National Park

Wildflowers in Joshua Tree National Park, California.

I had been hearing wonderful things about the Southern Entrance to Joshua Tree NP, and I must say they were accurate.  The fields of flowers in this couple mile stretch are every bit as good as 2005 in my opinion; there are wonderful fields with a beautiful variety of color!  I wish I had gone a little sooner as many are a little past prime.

I liked how the last light of day was just hitting the top of the flowers – it almost made them glow.  On the downside, by this time of day the poppies had all closed up – 2 hours earlier, this filed had lots of bright yellow poppies far more visible.

 It is interesting to compare this year with the famous bloom of 2005.  This year there is lots of California Sage and Poppies.  In 2005, this area had lots of lupine and Brittlebush.  Here is the same location from 2005:  Joshua Tree Wildflowers.  Of course in both years there were dozens of other wildflowers mixed in.

Desert Lily

Ron NiebruggeAnza-Borrego, California, Photos, Travel 5 Comments

Desert Lily

Desert Lily

The Desert Lily is a popular wildflower that can be hard to find, but not this year in Anza-Borrego, they are numerous.  I have seen the flower, or at least the plant throughout the Park – there are even some growing in the Pumpkin Patch!