People gripe about the rain and its effects, especially on traffic. It's easy to forget that we're living desert-adjacent; being a part-time Hi-Desert dweller, I'm grateful for every inch of rain we get, especially after the devastating fires of 2006. Along with nourishing our parched land and turning that empty concrete wash into an actual "LA River", the rain brings an abundance of wildflowers, transforming the desert floor into a multicolored carpet for miles.

Peak viewing season begins mid-March; if you don't want to make the trek, you don't have to: local wildflower viewing can be found by calling The California Wildflower Hotline at (818) 768-3533. There's an index of local blooms on the site so you can familiarize yourself before heading out and sightings are updated weekly beginning in March. If you want to satisfy the amateur botanist in you but prefer one-stop shopping, you're in luck.

The Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino offer a staggering variety of options year-round, from the Japanese Garden to the Botanical Conservatory, to name only a fraction of what this massive treasure complex holds. If one of you would rather stay indoors, they can check out The Huntington Library while you stroll the gardens; holdings include a Gutenberg Bible and in the Art Collections, Gainsbourough's Blue Boy.

Photo of driveway poppies by The Marmot via Flickr.