I had a wonderful time at the little know spot in Santa Cruz called Arana Gulch. This painting trip was done during the summer. You can find it by taking a right off Soquel Ave on Mentel Ave. Follow Mentel until you come to Agnes Street. Turn left and park along Agnes. There is an opening to the park there. Notice the glorious geraniums inside the park along the fence to the right. This parcel of land includes open meadows, California oak woodland, and the riparian zone of Arana Creek. Kind of hard to find but worth it.
Arana Gulch is one of our few greenbelt areas left in Santa Cruz. It's the stark contast to paved streets and houses that shocks your sytem into contemplating just the importance of nature in our lives. This wild and relatively untouched area begs us to bask in the spirit of nature if only for a short time. Forcing yourself to stop and pay attention gives your life a boost. Painting at Arana Gulch allows your perception experience the drouping shape of trees and the glorius exuberance of high grasses and shrubs.