Stop and Smell the Wildflowers
regions), we accidentally bumped into a raucous display of red, yellow and lavender wildflowers while driving the spectacular Chief Joseph Highway (WY- 296) northwest of Cody, Wyoming. Again, this scenic drive is worthy of at least one excursion, if not two, at any non-snowbound season. The road climbs through awe-inspiring sweeping turns and ascends into the mountain peaks. There it joins the stunning Bear Tooth Highway, which descends back down past several gorgeous alpine lakes to Yellowstone National Park in one direction or to the village of Red Lodge, Montana, in the other. Driving the Chief Joseph Highway in early July, huge fields of wildflowers beckoned us, and we stopped to stroll along a two- track dirt road into their midst. Vibrant red Indian paintbrush waved in the breeze alongside lavender lupine. The dirt road took us into the woods where brilliant yellow daisies poked up from the forest floor in between and around many fallen logs. We were fortunate to have this dazzling display of wildflowers all to ourselves except for the buzzing bees and other insects that were very excited by the floral banquet.
Explore these roadside delights Feature by Emily Fagan; photos by Emily & Mark Fagan
It’s always a thrill to see the happy faces of wildflowers smiling up at the world and dancing in the sun, and we’ve been fortunate to have witnessed some incredible wildflower displays in our RV travels. Some spots we’ve visited are well known, and people flock to them during the peak season when local websites and news outlets provide progress reports and recommended dates for wildflower peeping. Other places caught us by surprise as we were driving by, and we just had to stop and smell the flowers. Here are a few of our favorite spots:
Bush Highway in Mesa, Arizona—Arizona Poppies
An exquisite scenic drive along the Bush Highway on the northeastern edge of Phoenix is worthy of a day trip at any time. This short winding road soars over hill and dale, offering ever changing jaw-dropping views of jagged mountain peaks rising alongside the Salt River as glorious stands of saguaro cacti stand sentinel on both sides of the road as far as the eye can see. However, the whole landscape truly comes alive in March when the bright orange and yellow Arizona poppies blanket the landscape in every direction. Driving the Bush Highway from the Beeline Highway (AZ-87) south toward Saguaro Lake, there are a few places along the side of the road where you can pull over to park and take in the extraordinary Sonoran Desert views. Stately saguaro cacti dot vast fields of golden poppies backed by mountain peaks in the distance. The density of Arizona poppies depends on the winter and early spring rains, and various websites track the progress of these fiery little blossoms throughout the season. However, if it’s a good year, especially one that’s so good it’s called a Super Bloom, the color will knock your socks off. Once your eyes have had their fill of little yellow flowers surrounding the base of towering cacti that were mere sprouts back in the cowboy days, an outing on the Desert Belle paddlewheel boat on Saguaro Lake is the perfect way to top off the day.
Chief Joseph Highway in Wyoming—Indian Paintbrush, Daisies, and Lupine
In contrast to the well-known annual orange poppy explosion in Arizona (and other southwestern desert
Poppies in Arizona
STOP AND SMELL THE WILDFLOWERS
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2026 | 24
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker