A walk on the Wilder Side

Wilder Ranch State Park, Santa Cruz County

Oh, I was tired this morning. Too much tossing and turning last night, worrying about friends, thinking about work, and dealing with some achey muscles made me a cranky woman. Fortunately, after taking care of some bill paying and laundry, I had time to venture out to my favorite State Park and let the wind blow the brain fog and the stress away. Wilder Ranch State Park is a few miles north of Santa Cruz, California. It is divided by the highway. One side goes up into the hills, the other down to the ocean. Today, my destination was the cliffs above the ocean, through beautiful wild flowers, bunnies scampering everywhere to get away from the people ( and the mountain lions and hawks, neither of which I saw today). There were runners ( young men with no shirts), birdwatchers, several groups of school children, people on bicycles. It was a glorious morning. I came home ready to tackle the list of projects to do on my day off from personal cheffing. It wasn’t a day entirely away from food however. In doing some research on the park, I learned that 12% of California’s brussels sprouts are grown here, in the park. If you come in the fall, after the harvest, there is definitely a pungency to the air. Come with me and let your stress fade away. Listen to the birds sing, the children laugh, and the waves crash. Feel the sun and the breeze. Take a deep breath.