Temescal Canyon, Pacific Palisades

 Temescal Canyon

 Temescal Canyon is located off Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades, California. It was the original site of the Chautauqua Conference Grounds established around 1922 by the Methodist minister Rev. Dr. Charles Holmes Scott, founder of the Pacific Palisades. In 1943 the land was purchased by the Presbyterian Synod and used as a private retreat location. In 1994 the land was acquired by the Santa Monica Mountians Conservatory as a public park.

  “Throughout my young years I would wonder the Santa Monica coastal mountains behind my home, which was merely a few block from where I lived on Muskingum Ave. There were short-cuts down to Temescal Canyon. Cutting through the apartments below a vacant lot  off El Medio was the easiest and drops you on Sunset Blvd. where the creek flowed to the ocean. The other way was to walk up to El Medio Place, and hike down into the canyon or take a fire road up to Skull Rock or down to the upper-bridge and hike up the creek from there.

There‘s always the main entrance off of Sunset Boulevard. The area along the creek set in a sycamore forested canyon was owned by the Presbyterian Church. From Sunset, the dirt road meandered along a creek up into the canyon. During World War II service men and their families occupied small cabins that ran along the road for maybe a quarter mile into the mouth of the canyon. Now the cabins were used for various retreats and Presbyterian concerns. The creek originated several miles up in the hills and extended on down to the Pacific Ocean. In the early sixties it was still pristine and teaming with minnows, California Newts, both Mountain King and King snakes, gopher snakes, ringneck, two-line and red racers, Southern-Pacific Rattlesnakes, tree frogs, toads, Red Tail, Coopers and Sparrow hawks, deer, bobcats, skunk, raccoons, coyote, opossum and a plethora of rodents. I enjoyed many hikes and camping out with friends and acquired a vast appreciation of nature” – Peter Burg

Over the years Dick executed quite a number of painting of different sites in Temescal Canyon

 #86 Temescal Canyon – 18X24, framed, oil, signed Masonite board.