For decades, when you drove north on I-5 from San Diego in the spring, you could see the colorful bands of the Carlsbad Flower Fields on the right as you passed Palomar Airport Road. I remember pulling off at that exit, parking by the side of the road, and walking in awe among the endless rows of flowers.

After not stopping for many years, I did last week, and learned that the entire area is now fenced in, and very difficult to see from the road. The picture above I snuck from a parking lot nearby, zooming between two trees and over the fence. Also, the condos in the back weren’t there in the olden days.

What’s worse, to get in, you now have to pay a $14 entry fee at a ticket booth. It’s like at the zoo. There are discounts for seniors and children. Then there are turnstiles to get in, and really, there is no good way to see what’s in there without buying that ticket.

I didn’t buy one.

But I thought I should show you a glimpse of the famous Carlsbad Flower Fields.