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If you don’t want to drive to the Antelope Valley or trudge up a mountain to view California’s annual explosion of color, pack up a picnic lunch and take the family to the annual Wildflower

Walkabouts at the Earthside Nature Center, 3168 E. Del Mar Blvd. in Pasadena. Informal guided tours of this secluded, tranquil environment will be led by knowledgeable docents today, Sunday

and Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center, once an eyesore used for dumping trash, nestled between a flood control channel and Southern California Edison power lines, is now a microcosm

of the California plant world. Inside this magic kingdom, it is shady and cool and the only sounds are the crunching of leaves and the chirping of birds. You can expect to find a festival of

blossoms including baby blue eyes, phacelia, black sage, wild iris, lupine and the ubiquitous poppy. A stroll down leaf-strewn paths, past a serene pond under spreading oaks and sycamores

demonstrates what can be accomplished when land is reclaimed and cared for. Admission is $3 for adults, $1.50 for students under 18 and senors over 55. The center can be reached from the 210

Freeway. Take the Rosemead off-ramp south to Del Mar, then right for approximately one-half mile. Park along the curb and enter on foot via the driveway at the east side of the Girls Club

building. The guided tour takes about one hour. Picnic facilities are available next door at Eaton Blanche Park. For information call (818) 796-6120. MORE TO READ