Last year we were a little earlier for the spring wildflowers and then the flowers are a little earlier this year – and yet we had another beautiful walk in Garland Ranch- Monterrey County.
I can’t resist this kind of entrance to a park. There is a year-round entrance downstream.
We went past the Visitor Center, to the main entrance and crossed the meadow.
After rounding the meadow
and wandering around the farmstead – The dairy was settled by Martin Tomasini in 1873. It went through several families until it was sold to the Park District in 1990.
I had to spend a little time with the farm equipment. All protected or kept from each other with rail fences.
We went uphill on the Buckeye Trail.
We saw blue-eyed grass, lotus, miner’s lettuce, monkeyflowers, Chinese houses, and fiesta flowers.
In the shade, the ferns are happy too. This maidenfern caught my attention.
The globe lily fortunately caught Mike’s eye. This pair was the only one we saw.
In the drier areas there was plenty of vetch.
Lupines, poppies and statice filled spaces among the grasses in the almost dry meadow. Oh and some flower facilitators.
Garland Ranch is 3400 acres with several entrances and miles of trails. The Visitors Center is worth a stop, especially if you want to identify those flowers.
See you on the trail!
Words by Lynn Millar, pictures by Lynn and Mike Millar
Location: Garland Ranch Regional Park 700 West Carmel Valley Road (approx 8.6 miles east of Highway 1 or 1 mile west of Laureles Grade)
Hours: 7 days/week, sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.
Wheelchair: Certainly some of the lower trails. Use main entrance – not the summer bridge.
Picnic: Near the Visitor Center
Benches: Scattered through the park.
Bathroom: near the Visitor Center – flush, cold water.
2014 Walking at Garland Ranch.
Walking in Sonoma County...mostly 