Best Places to Travel in April: Wildflowers, Festivals, and Scenic Escapes

I look forward to April the way that children wait for Santa Claus. This spring month brings gifts of warm sunshine, longer days, and colorful blossoms that enliven the landscape. It’s a season of new beginnings when all things seem possible. With winter gone, April is also prime time for traveling without encountering cold weather or summer crowds.  

This year, Anza Borrego Desert State Park is expecting a “limited” wildflower bloom, but it’s still a stunning area to explore. Daytime visitors might see bighorn sheep, and at night, visitors can gaze at the internationally recognized Dark Sky Park. 

Beyond Borrego, Palm Springs is hosting Desert X through May 11. The biannual exhibit of contemporary art transforms the Coachella Valley into an artistic landscape. My favorite place to stay in the area is La Quinta Resort & Club, which has just completed an extensive renovation. The dog-friendly resort is nestled on 45 acres at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains and offers 5 golf courses, bike rentals, 21 tennis courts, 8 pickle ball courts, 42 climate-controlled pools, bike rentals, yoga classes, and an extensive, full-service spa.

On the other side of the globe, Greece is another marvelous spot to see in spring. Having nearly melted on the Acropolis on more than one hot summer day, I highly recommend an April visit to this fascinating destination. I’m also happy to have recently learned about Folegandros, a low-profile island that lacks the crowds of nearby Santorini and Milos. On Folegandros, Gundari, a new luxury boutique hotel which opens for the season on May 16, offers 30 suites and villas, each with a solar-powered infinity pool overlooking the Aegean Sea. In the Greek capital, New Hotel Athens features 79 rooms with art installations that reflect contemporary Greek creativity. 

Back in North America, I’d love to attend the family-friendly Nantucket, Massachusetts, Daffodil Festival April 24 to 27. The 14-mile island has a low-key vibe at this time of year that’s nothing like the busy summer season. The day’s events include a flower-themed hat pageant, a children’s bike parade, the Daffy Dog Parade, and an antique car parade and tailgate picnic. When I go, I want to stay at The Cottages and Lofts at Boat Basin. It’s the closest thing to staying on the water without being on a boat. Furry, four-legged companions will enjoy staying at Woof Cottages, outfitted with comfy doggy beds and an abundance of tennis balls.

I’d also like to go to the Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa, which will take place May 1 to 10. This event was established to celebrate the historic royal gift of tulips from the Dutch to Canadians immediately following  World War II as a symbol of international friendship. The festival preserves the memorable role of the Canadian troops in the liberation of the Netherlands as well as commemorates the birth of Dutch Princess Margriet in Ottawa during the war. (The maternity ward was briefly declared to be extraterritorial so she could officially be born in the Netherlands.) The festival has been celebrating this beautiful legacy since 1953.

Speaking of tulips, the very best place to see them in abundance is in the Netherlands, where they bloom all over the country in April and early May. The most luxurious access is on a “tulip cruise” which begins and ends in Amsterdam, the “Venice of the North,” and includes stops in Belgium. 

In Charleston, South Carolina, April visitors enjoy the scent of blooming azaleas, camellias, and magnolias, as well as special events including The Flowertown Festival, the Charleston Jazz Festival, and Art Charleston at the Gibbes Museum of Art. 

In Asia, Japan’s Cherry Blossom Festival is the most notable spring event. The bloom starts in mid-March and continues through mid-May and draws visitors from all over the world. Ueno Park, where there are 800 cherry trees, is the most famous viewing spot in Tokyo. Hanami, the custom of flower viewing, is a popular Japanese tradition. 

I wouldn’t want to live anywhere other than San Diego, but I do love visiting Northern California in the spring. Specifically, I enjoy walking along the bluffs in Mendocino and taking in the dramatic sea views. This town is the stuff of picture postcards, complete with cute shops, cafes, and galleries. Spring is the best time to enjoy wildflowers here and it’s the best season for whale watching. Having said that, my favorite place to visit in the area is the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens located between Mendocino and Fort Bragg. Here, April showoffs include roses, coastal wildflowers, rhododendrons, and azaleas. April activities in the garden include guided rhododendron walks, dahlia care workshops, and coastal wildflower walks. The 47-acre treasure has four miles of trails and is dog friendly. The Mendocino Botanical Gardens is in the same association as San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas. 

Unlike Mendocino, Big Bear Mountain Resort is only about three hours from San Diego, but it feels a world away. For almost half of the year, the ground here is covered with snow and temperatures, unlike San Diego’s Mediterranean climate, reflect four distinct seasons. I remember Big Bear as fairly rustic, but a friend who visits several times a year recently assured me that it’s become “less mountain men and more shiny.” This opinion is shared by friends who regularly stay in comfy cabins or condos procured through VRBO or Airbnb and enjoy outdoorsy Big Bear activities with their young families. After a day of skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, or kayaking, popular dining options include Oakside Restaurant & Bar, Fire Rock Burgers & Brews, Barrel 33, and Tropicali, whose poke bowls are rated No.1 on Yelp. 

I’d like to see Big Bear again and I’m not sure what to expect. It’s April, a season of new beginnings, and all things are possible.