The Flower Fields

This was one place, I had not bothered to visit all this while I was in San Diego. But then when, I had pretty much run out of places to wander to alone, and it was still the season for the flower fields to be flourishing...I decided to take up the photo-op.
It would also be a test for my will power (a BIG one!!) that I not step into the factory outlets which are literally a stone's throw away from the flower fields.

So I drove some 30 miles all geared up with the camera, the tripod (ya well i wanted to look the part ;-) ) and a 'San Diego' T shirt to the Flower Fields!!

And a photographer's paradise it was (yes yes...I know I am no pro...but well I know a good thing when I see one!)

Turns out, I carried the tripod only for the feel of it. It did not need to come out of the cover, it was so bright and sunny. And as far as self pictures are concerned, there were ample number of people happy to click away. So what....I will use it some other time!!

More for my memory sake, here's a bit of information about the 50 acre canvas of flowers I walked in. No it was not the place where Silsila ( a famous hindi movie) was shot, as I was asked. But yes it pretty well could have been, with families dresses in neat white clothes, sporting those extra wide smiles, getting family portraits clicked!!

The field primarily sport a variety of flowers belonging to the family Ranunculus, though they include a selection of gladiolus and a small but pretty Rose garden (nothing in front of the Chandigarh one...but some strange colors for sure!!)

Can't say that this was an extremely adventurous trip...but then what adventure can I expect from flowers...

Did I speak too soon? On my way out of the fields, I forgot where I had parked my car. Don't take it lightly, there are on any given weekend atleast a 1000 cars parked between the factory outlets and the flower fields!! Add to it my memory...it is one tedious task!!! It does not help, that I change my car every month and so cannot remember the number plate, even if my life depended on it!

After 15 minutes of walking the parking lot, and beeping my car I finally tracked it down and proceeded to exit the parking lot (another 10 minutes!) 

And on the exit were Traffic cops (oh god!! I am sorry I even thought it could be a calm outing!!). For those of you who are unaware (as I was till I read somewhere on the internet), one can continue to use their Indian (or whichever country) license in California state (for how long? not mentioned). But to be on a safer side, people usually apply for a domestic one if they have to stay here longer.

I have been here a year and lazy as I am I have not!!! Every third car or so was being stopped for inspection and as luck would have it, I was a third or so in line  :)

So I put up my best smile and displayed my Indian license (with an unrecognizable picture!) and told the officer that I had landed in the US 2 months ago!! The best smile worked (Phew!!) and a few pleasantries (hope you enjoy your stay in the US and I bet New Delhi would be hot!!) later, I was on my way home, before any other adventure could strike.

A flowerful day ended!!