Opening soon: You'll feel like you're in Oz in these magical SoCal flower fields
There's a big bloom coming to the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, along with many tiny flutters.
On March 1, the property alongside I-5 opens for its annual springtime seasonal celebration, with color and scent supplied by 55 acres of ranunculus flowers that typically bloom for six to eight weeks.
Dating back to the 1960s, this roadside spectacle has become one of Southern California's most familiar rites of spring, along with the hunt for wildflowers in the desert and renewed rivalry between Dodgers fans and Padres people.
Admission to the fields (via timed-entry tickets) is $22 per adult, $20 for military and seniors over 60; $12 for children 3 to 10. Tickets are sold only online, not on-site, and no reentry is allowed.
Besides the ranunculus fields, the ranch's offerings this spring include:
There's also an American flag made from red, white and blue petunias, 300 feet by 170 feet; a 5-acre 'sea of sunflowers'; a sculpture exhibit by artist Alex Heveri portraying birds and insects with glass and steel; greenhouse displays of poinsettias and Cymbidium orchids; and plenty of tacos, pizza, ice cream, shakes, popcorn and other snacks for sale. Visitors can buy ranunculus and other items at an on-site Armstrong Garden Center shop.
The fields will be open daily (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) March 1 through May 11 (Mother's Day). Ranunculus flowers, grown along the northern San Diego County coast for at least 90 years, are native to Turkey (and are also known as Persian buttercups). Over the years, pioneer Edwin Frazee and other local growers developed 13 colors of the frilly flowers.
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Atlantic
3 hours ago
- Atlantic
Paris Can Be Intimidating—But It Has Great Butter
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. The Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain's account of his international adventures, made him famous—and cemented the stereotype of the Ugly American. One hundred and fifty-eight years later, Caity Weaver followed him to Paris. Caity and I chatted about her hilarious recounting of her trip in The Atlantic, why Paris can feel so intimidating, and the only food she ate there that she actually liked. Isabel Fattal: If you could go back in time and travel to Paris with Mark Twain, would you? Caity Weaver: Could I be assured of a safe return? Isabel: Yes, for imagination's sake. Caity: Absolutely. I would go anywhere with him. One of the things I was struck by when I reread this book before my trip was how unbelievably funny it is. Of course I knew that Mark Twain was 'a humorist,' but there were sections where I was laughing out loud. I think a lot of times when people think of old books, they get an idea in their head of a book that's really stuffy or boring. But this was cracklingly interesting. As a reader, it's rewarding to come across prose like that. As a writer, it's extremely irritating and intimidating. This man was funnier than I'll ever be, and he did it in 1869. Isabel: Do you have a favorite line or passage from the book? Caity: There was a section where he wrote about what he calls 'the Old Travelers'—well-traveled know-it-alls you sometimes encounter abroad: 'They will not let you know anything. They sneer at your most inoffensive suggestions; they laugh unfeelingly at your treasured dreams of foreign lands; they brand the statements of your traveled aunts and uncles as the stupidest absurdities.' Isabel: If you could ask Twain one question about his trip, what would it be? Caity: I would say: 'Sam, Mr. Clemens, did you go to the Louvre? Did you set foot inside the Louvre, really?' I can't prove that he didn't, but I strongly suspect that he didn't. And I feel like he would tell me. Can't kid a kidder. Isabel: You write in your story about the possibility that Twain was ashamed about not understanding the art at the Louvre. Does visiting Paris make a person feel like they need to have a certain level of cultural knowledge? Did you feel intimidated at any point? Caity: I feel like a completely idiotic, disorganized, disheveled crumb bum anywhere, but especially in Paris. It's like walking into a very fancy hotel lobby. Some people are going to be really comfortable there, and some people are going to think, Am I gonna be arrested for walking into this hotel lobby? Paris is so just-so. I find it to be an intimidating place. The combination of not really speaking the language and the city being so beautiful … I felt a little bit on edge there. Isabel: I have one bone to pick with you. I think you were eating wrong in Paris. You didn't eat anything yummy! Caity: I sure didn't. (Well, I had great ramen.) Isabel: What went wrong? Caity: I didn't eat anything I absolutely loved except the butter. I had a crêpe suzette—delicious, and thrilling to have a small fire caused in a restaurant at your behest. I had some croissants. I really was hoping to be able to write, 'Oh my God, I found the best croissant in the world,' and I just don't think I did. But the butter: unbelievably good. I took so many notes for myself trying to describe the color and the taste of the butter. [ Reads through her notes.] I suppose I am an Ugly American, because this is my description of butter: 'creamy; has a scent; smells almost like movie theater butter.' The color was such a rich, deep yellow, almost like how an egg yolk can sometimes tip over into orange. My notes say, 'So fatty and rich.' Next bullet point: 'like if the whole room were made out of pillows.' And then: 'Yes, I realize I am describing a padded cell.' But it was an ultimate richness, softness, like, Just let me roll around in a padded cell. That was how I felt eating this butter. I took dozens of photos in my hotel room trying to capture its exact hue, and failed to. I encountered another group of Americans in my hotel lobby who were trying to figure out a way to transport butter home in their luggage. I involved myself in their conversation, as Americans do: What if the hotel was willing to store it in a freezer, in an insulated lunch bag? We devoted quite a bit of time to solving this problem. Caity: Oh, no, I think they're probably enjoying that butter right now. I wanted to bring a bunch of dried sausage back to the U.S. And then, after I purchased it, I realized that I could get in trouble for flying with it. I ate so much saucisson in my hotel room so fast. 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I've been thinking about which people attract the genius label for the past few years, because it's so clearly a political judgment. You can tell what a culture values by who it labels a genius—and also what it is prepared to tolerate. The Renaissance had its great artists. The Romantics lionized androgynous, tubercular poets. Today we are in thrall to tech innovators and brilliant jerks in Silicon Valley. Vos Savant hasn't made any scientific breakthroughs or created a masterpiece. She graduated 178th in her high-school class of 613, according to a 1989 profile in New York magazine. She married at 16, had two children by 19, became a stay-at-home mother, and was divorced in her 20s. She tried to study philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis, but did not graduate. More in Culture Catch Up on The Atlantic When Pete Hegseth's Pentagon tenure started going sideways The travel ban shows that Americans have grown numb. 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San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
How much has World Cup's global party been spoiled already by Trump's tantrums, threats?
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Here's an interesting headline from Marca, Spain's daily sports newspaper: 'Trump, FIFA scandals spark movement planning to boycott 2026 World Cup.' Don't mind Spain. They're just cranky because of Trump's 20% tariffs on their exports of olive oil, auto parts and other goods. If only Spain would take a deep breath and remember that Trump's tariff policies change by the hour, so maybe better deals are ahead. Same with the new travel ban. Its effect on fans coming to America for the World Cup and the Olympics, and its implementation, are so vague and unknown that visitors from, say, Spain or Iraq might just have to get on the plane to America and hope for the best. American roulette: Maybe you come and go easily, maybe you accidentally wind up behind bars on Alcatraz. The Marca story says, 'As anger (at Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino) mounts, fan groups and some national associations are considering bold measures to demand change — including refusing to play or attend matches hosted in the U.S. unless FIFA addresses governance concerns and Trump's immigration policy is clarified.' Spain might not be the only whiny country. China doesn't seem thrilled with Trump's tariffs. Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin are slow dancing one day, mud wrestling the next. Canada is steamed about Trump's tariffs and bluster over Canada becoming the 51st state. Will future Olympics and World Cup host countries slap reciprocal travel bans and restrictions on U.S. fans? The tariffs, the travel ban, the broken alliances, the global political and financial chaos, all cast a pall over America's place in global sports. The Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium in February, the World Cup games in California next summer and the L.A. 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How about: Cut through the gimmicks and make each tournament game win count as 1½ wins? • Let's all thank Brock Purdy for signing that low-ish contract, quickly, thus sparing the San Francisco 49ers the ghastly task of sifting through the pile of discarded quarterbacks, and maybe plucking out Aaron Rodgers. The tinfoil-helmeted veteran agreed to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers about two weeks after Purdy inked his deal, so it's possible Rodgers was the 49ers' Plan B. But Rodgers is only 41, so maybe he'll stick around the game long enough to get a third shot at a 49ers' job. • Commissioner Adam Silver is starting to talk about NBA expansion. He's not naming names, but others are, and Las Vegas is at the top of most lists. That puts more pressure on A's owner John Fisher to get his ballpark built ASAP, because MLB really wants to beat the NBA to Vegas. The A's say actual construction will begin this month. A's fans in Vegas must be heartened by the fact that the team isn't squandering all its winning luck in West Sacramento.
Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business Insider
American tourists can't quite quit Europe
The American dream may be struggling, but for many, the Euro summer dream is alive and well. Jimin Shim, a millennial copywriter who lives in Denver, has plenty of concerns about the economy, from stock market volatility that she feels has been brought on by the current administration to a tough job market. Still, she's vacationing in Portugal later this month, and treating her mom to the trip too. "Traveling is very important to me. I try to do at least one international trip a year and then maybe a couple of domestic trips," she told Business Insider. "And because I know that that is a priority for me, it's something that I budget for and am saving up for all year round." While there's been some softening in leisure travel demand this year, data and surveys suggest Shim is one of many Americans who are weighing their international travel plans against their worries about the economy and saying, "book it." The extent to which Americans are pulling back on international trips this summer is not fully clear. An analysis from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, found summer bookings from the US to Europe were down nearly 10% from January to May compared to last year. Meanwhile, a summer travel survey from Deloitte, released in May, found more Americans were traveling internationally this summer compared to 2024, with most headed to Europe. And a recent data analysis by Allianz Partners, a travel insurance and assistance company, found summer travel from the US to Europe would increase by 10% in 2025. The economy isn't the only reason Americans might rethink travel to Europe this summer. The weakening US dollar doesn't go as far as it used to, and some Americans are worried about their safety or not feeling welcomed abroad due to the current administration's approach to foreign policy. Americans are also waiting longer to book their trips, which could complicate the picture. Still, it's clear that many Americans are traveling abroad despite the downturn in consumer sentiment. "I think you're seeing a hesitancy," Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International, a market research consultancy that specializes in the travel tourism industry, told BI. "I still believe a majority of American travelers who were planning to go abroad are still going to go abroad." The enduring appeal of Euro summer Eylon said that while there are indications of a slowdown, it does not look like a "game-changing" shift. His firm's monthly consumer sentiment survey of 1,000 travelers found the number of American travelers who said they were very likely to take an international trip in the next 12 months declined from 25% in January to 19% in May. He noted travelers seemed to be in a "wait and see" mode this spring, echoing what other industry experts have said and previously told BI — that travelers are booking closer to travel dates, in part as they search for good deals. Eylon said it is possible there will be an overall decline in Americans visiting Europe this year, but it's too soon to tell the full picture. He thinks those canceling or ditching trip plans will be in the minority. "American travelers view it as a need more than a want," he said of travel, adding that many see it as a "right." Meredith Pierce, a travel content creator based in Atlanta, said that's exactly how she and many other millennials and Gen Zers view travel, including to Europe. Pierce posts a lot of popular "Euro summer" content and sees it as a persistent and lasting travel trend, even when folks have financial concerns. "Everyone loves the idea of sipping an Aperol spritz and looking at the Mediterranean," Pierce said, "especially if maybe you are stressed in your day-to-day life because of politics or the economy or budgets, or anything like that. A bit of escapism I think comes into play there as well." The hesitancy fueled by economic uncertainty could also make it a bit more affordable to travel to Europe this summer. Eylon noted the slowdown in leisure travel led to some declines in airfare prices, which may have pushed some hesitant Americans to take the plunge. When economic concerns, largely fueled by Trump's tariff policy, intensified in March and April, some airlines suspended their forecasts for the year, and flight prices declined. Rather than get spooked by the economic uncertainty, Pierce believes plenty of people pounced. Her "Euro summer" content from last year started going viral, and she was getting flooded with DMs and questions from people who found a cheap flight to Europe and were suddenly planning their trips. Pierce said some budget-conscious travelers are opting for more affordable and under-the-radar destinations in Europe, such as Albania or Poland, which feature similarly picturesque scenes but at a lower cost than Italy or Paris. More frugal spending once they get to their destination Deloitte's summer travel survey noted that many American travelers already had their big summer trips partially or even fully booked by April, when concerns around tariffs and the economy intensified. The survey also found that while consumers' sense of financial well-being was down year-over-year in April, slightly more Americans planned to take leisure vacations this summer compared to 2024. Deloitte found travelers looking to save were cutting back on in-destination spending as well as opting for more affordable lodging and flight classes. The survey also found that while some are being more frugal, many Americans are prioritizing bucket list trips and international travel, or trips that are otherwise special in some way. Deloitte found 42% of air travelers were flying internationally on their longest summer trip, compared to 38% in 2024. Those traveling internationally were also more likely to increase their travel budget compared to last year. Shim, the copywriter from Denver, also has a special reason for making her Portugal trip work this year, despite her financial concerns. Her family has been going through a tough time after her grandfather's death last year. This vacation is a way to spend quality time with and treat her mom, who has never been to Europe, and take the first trip that's just the two of them. "I also think that sometimes in these times of uncertainty and tumultuousness and a lot of tension and division, traveling and spending quality time with family who loves you is a great way to just take care of your mental and emotional health too," she said, "which I think is also very important to do."
