It turns out poppies are the state flower of California. There were lots of people out looking at them in the fields. There is a Poppy Reserve near by, but we didn't drive in, just stopped by the side of the road. The orange was such a vibrant color in person that they almost hurt your eyes. We did find a few yellow ones mixed in with the orange and a few other wild flowers intermixed among the poppies. This proves there is some color to the desert, at least some short lived color.