Visiting the Carlsbad Flower Fields

Kicked off spring with a fun little day trip to the Carlsbad Flower Fields. It’s been on my SoCal bucket list for a while, but we just never made the drive, and I’m not sure why – it’s less than 2 hours from LA (depending on traffic of course). Probably because it’s only open for about 2-3 months every year, typically March to May…which is why I’m getting this blog out ASAP! If you want to visit this spring, there’s still time. Here’s the details from our day:

We left around 8:30am and got to the flower fields just before 10:30am. The flower fields are LITERALLY in the middle of the town – but all that kind of melts away when you enter and see the 50 acres of beautiful, colorful ranunculus flowers. Honestly, I’m a sucker for flower fields, so I was in heaven.

A few tips:
• Purchase tickets online – advance tickets are required.
• Pack the essentials: sunscreen, sunglasses, water, and maybe a hat.
• Would also recommend a light jacket as it can get breezy in the fields.
• Parking is free, and there is plenty of it.

While the flower fields were the main event, we knew we wouldn’t spend all day there, so we planned to picnic at the beach after. (Did I mention that the flower fields are also right by the ocean? Perfect.) We drove about 15 minutes to the beach town of Encinitas and picked up lobster rolls from Lobster West then drove another 5 minutes to Stonesteps Beach to picnic.

The beach was beautiful and quiet. I had checked the tide schedule before our trip, so there was plenty of beach to set up our picnic. (Stonesteps Beach all but disappears during high tide, so checking the tide schedule is a must if you plan to visit.) We ate, relaxed, and went for a little walk before packing up.

We made one final stop in Oceanside at Camp Coffee to fuel up for the drive home. Highly recommend their iced chai – delicious and very gingery.

Overall, it was a really nice day trip, and I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for something to do this spring! Theres also a new video over on our youtube channel – our very first vlog documenting our day in Carlsbad! Be sure to check it out for more, and like and subscribe!

– Courtney