| Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with wildflowers creating a mosaic of color that changes daily. This time of year, it’s common to see poppies, owl's clover, lupine, goldfield, cream cups and coreopsis, to name a few. The intensity and duration of the wildflower bloom varies from year to year and blooms are never certain, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed! Enjoy an included boxed lunch along with time at leisure to explore this State Natural Reserve. Accessible trails (including a paved section) through the gentle rolling hills make the park a wonderful place to stroll regardless of the bloom. Benches along the trails make good places to relax in the quietude of the countryside while watching for wildlife such as meadow larks, lizards, gophers and hawks gliding silently overhead. The Interpretive Center features wildflower and wildlife exhibits, an orientation video and a gift shop. This afternoon we’ll tour Saving Grace Animal Sanctuary, the 2.5-acre animal paradise nestled in the Acton foothills. This sanctuary operates on the belief that every life is valuable, and no animal should be abused or neglected. The rescued residents of the sanctuary come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but every animals’ background tells a story of how compassion won out over cruelty. You’ll have an opportunity to meet and feed some of the 50 animals here that come in all shapes, sizes and species including donkeys, pigs, goats, sheep, alpacas, bunnies and more. |