Lompoc Valley Flower Fields

There was a time this valley grew a huge share of the world's flower seed, and every spring the fields still remember it. Drive the roads around Central and V and you will hit them: long commercial blocks of color laid out in stripes, larkspur and sweet william and statice running to the edge of the pavement. It is not a garden anybody arranged for tourists. It is farmland doing its job, and the beauty is a byproduct. There is a self-guided Flower Route you can follow if you want the full loop, or you can just go looking. Peak is roughly late May into June. Some years are louder than others, but when it is on, it is unforgettable.