The former Salem resident would arrive at trails famous for wildflower blooms only to discover he'd come just a bit too early ...

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about Oregon's wildflower hotspots and the best times to see them with expert Greg Lief.

The sun shone bright, birds zipped around the sky and tiny, vivid purple, yellow and white flowers flared at my feet.

Lief, who runs the website OregonWildflowers.org and the Facebook group Oregon Wildflowers ... Coast Range and Eastern Oregon to find the best of nature's fireworks display.

Bathrooms: yes. Fee: no. McCall Point and Rowena Plateau (75 miles east): A few miles beyond Hood River, the Oregon village of Mosier is a gateway to south-side wildflowers. Park at scenic Rowena ...