SPIRIT OF THE PENINSULA SUMMER 26 150 Years of Riding the Rail Roland Petersen Colorful Abundance Fungi Frenzy Shroom Boom The Mysterious Ghost Ships of San Mateo County Gateway to Grandeur: Sequoia National Park PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM refresh!
The One for Timeless Elegance. Villa de Verano, Hillsborough | $88,000,000
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Building science–driven construction for healthier living. Clean air, consistent warmth, and enduring design — aligned in every detail. Building a Better Way. EARTH BOUND HOMES A home that quietly takes care of you.
CA License #836236 A well-built home does more than provide shelter — it shapes how you feel, every single day. At Earth Bound Homes, we take a deliberate, building science–driven approach to construction. Airtight envelopes, continuous insulation, and balanced ventilation create environments that stay stable year-round while quietly supporting your health. “Rooms that hold the same temperature from corner to corner. Air that feels fresh, never stagnant.” These aren’t flashy upgrades — they’re foundational decisions. Over time, those details compound: reducing allergens, improving air quality, and creating a living environment that actively supports your family’s well‑being. For more than 20 years, we’ve partnered with leading architects across the Bay Area to deliver homes where every material is chosen with intent — prioritizing durability, low-toxicity, and long-term performance. Your home doesn’t just look timeless. It functions that way. EARTH BOUND HOMES Come home to something that quietly takes care of you — and everyone you love. earthboundhome.com Where design and performance are fully aligned.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BRAD KNIPSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY: BRAD KNIPSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY
SEGALE BROS. TOP QUALITY CRAFTMANSHIP With a proven track record for top-rate service, Segale Bros. has been fabricating, finishing and installing custom cabinets for homes in the area since 1976. A family-owned business from day one, Segale Bros. has served the homeowners of the Peninsula as well as the entire Bay Area for decades and has grown into a vital resource for builders, architects and designers. Professionals love working with Segale Bros. as they approach each project with results and longevity in mind. To keep up with demand from homeowners and professionals alike, Segale Bros. has incorporated a broad spectrum of product offerings including commercial custom cabinets. The ability to engineer and produce ever more complex work has made them an industry leader, and a constant in the Peninsula construction landscape. SEGALE BROS. WOOD PRODUCTS 1705 Sabre Street, Hayward 800.286.2915 Instagram:@segale_bros_since_1976 segalebros.com PHOTOGRAPHY: SEN CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY: SEN CREATIVE
CREATING A TRAIL SYSTEM ON YOUR ACREAGE TRAILSCAPE PRESENTS BUILDING YOUR HOME thoughtfully built trail system can transform raw acreage into something both functional and deeply meaningful. Beyond simple access, trails create a sense of structure across the land, opening areas that may have once felt unreachable or underused. Rolling terrain, dense vegetation or uneven terrain can become navigable, allowing property owners to fully experience the breadth and beauty of their surroundings. One of the most practical advantages of a well- designed trail is improved accessibility. Trails provide clear, intentional routes for walking, riding or light utility vehicles, reducing the need to cut new paths each time the land is explored. This not only preserves the natural environment but also minimizes wear and tear on sensitive areas. Over time, a defined trail system helps guide movement in a way that protects the land while making it more usable. Trails can also serve an important role in land management and safety. When built with proper width and clearing, they function as effective fire breaks, helping to slow or contain the spread of wildfire. This added layer of protection can be especially valuable in rural or wooded areas, offering both peace of mind and practical defense. In addition, trails allow easier access for maintenance, monitoring and emergency response if needed. Equally important are the lifestyle benefits. A private trail invites daily connection with the outdoors. Whether used for walking, running or quiet reflection, it encourages consistent activity and a deeper appreciation for the land. Rather than viewing acreage from a distance, owners and their families can engage with it directly— observing seasonal changes, wildlife and natural rhythms in a more intimate way. There is also a lasting, generational aspect to trail building. When carefully planned and constructed, trails become enduring features that evolve with the property. They can host family traditions, from morning walks to gatherings and exploration, creating a framework for shared experiences over time. In this sense, trails are not just pathways but a form of legacy—something that adds long-term value both emotionally and practically. Ultimately, trail building blends thoughtful design with respect for the natural environment. It is not simply about altering the land, but about working with it, enhancing its usability while preserving its character. The result is a space that feels both intentional and timeless, offering access, protection and connection for years to come. A
THE MATERIAL WORLD. LICENSE B479799 it’s time to renew.® This whole house remodel is a masterclass in the use of elevated materials. A dreamy kitchen, living room, and a spa bathroom. Oak. Stone. Linen. Precisely balanced. Refined through restraint. Composed. Comfortable. Crisp. The details don’t announce themselves. They’re quietly everywhere.
Renewal is at the center of every home remodeling dream. It makes everything fresh, exciting, and wide-open for possibilities again. It’s how we re-invent not only our homes, but our lives, and become our best selves. Let’s take this journey together. 650.230.2900 HarrellDesignBuild.com It’s Time to Renew. EMPLOYEEOWNED
12 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} Peninsula Culture 35 Art Emergency 46 Down the Tracks 52 Perfect Shot 54 Diary of a Dog: Aberdeen {due west} Travel & Wellness 59 Gateway to Grandeur 70 Touch ‘n Go IN EVERY ISSUE 20 Editor’s Note 24 Sloane Citron 27 QuickPUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY: PAULETTE PHLIPOT / JESSICA BURKE / STUDIO SHOP GALLERY - ROLAND PETERSEN {food coloring} Eats, Drinks & Scoops 79 Roger That 88 Shroom Boom 94 The Beat on Your Eats {home & design} Style and Substance 97 Rhythms of Change 106 Color Concerto {punchout} Features 114 Phantoms in the Fog {landmark} 122 Westwind Barn {summer 26} contents 97 79 106 59 COVER: THE DARLING HOTEL
Custom Home Building, Renovations & HomeCare. Built Right. Built for Life. conrado.com 408.867.2095 CA# B-575965 Established 1988
Great Real Estate Advice Starts With Local Insight Leslie Woods, Your Mid-Peninsula Real Estate Advisor lwoods@sereno.com | lesliewoodsrealestate.com 650.796.9580 | DRE #01855901 The small details - schools, streets, and coee shops - make a neighborhood feel like home. Buying or selling in the Mid-Peninsula means understanding more than the numbers. It means understanding place. LOCAL EXPERIENCE MATTERS. LET’S TALK.
Olive was born from a love of the garden, growing things and creating landscapes that calm our busy lives. We offer well-made garden furnishings, heritage tools from Europe, seeds chosen with intention, and baskets and trugs handwoven on small farms in Oregon and New York. We have outdoor incense, clay pots from Italy, watering cans from the UK, snips and floristry gear from Japan. Half Moon Bay has always been a place where land, sea, and community shape how we live. We hope Olive feels like a natural part of that rhythm—a place that helps you slow down, dig in, and spend more time outside. Come visit us on Main Street. 431 Main Street, Half Moon Bay / www.oliveoutdoorliving.com / @oliveoutdoorliving FERMOB NIWAKI FLAMINGO ESTATE BERGS POTTER SNEEBOER HAWS SEEDS TOOLS & SNIPS POTS & PLANTS OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING GARDEN BOOKS HOME DECOR
16 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM “All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height.” —CASEY STENGEL, BASEBALL MANAGER FOUNDER/PUBLISHER Sloane Citron EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Johanna Harlow CREATIVE DIRECTOR Britt Johnston CONTRIBUTING STORY EDITOR Sheri Baer EDITOR EMERITI Andrea Gemmet COPY EDITOR Carrie Lightner PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTORS Annie Barnett Paulette Phlipot PHOTOGRAPHERS Gino De Grandis Katya Mizrahi Robb Most Robert David Siegel WRI TERS Magali Gauthier Jennifer Jory Loureen Murphy Sheryl Nonnenberg ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Georgina Fox PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Sally Randall CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Airiel Mulvaney PUNCH is an idea about how to live a life that is more engaging and authentic, from personal adventures, growth and what we feed our bodies and souls to the culture that fulfills us and the traditions and new discoveries offered by the Peninsula. It is about appreciating and exploring the richness of where we live and how that understanding can enhance our lives and make them more fulfilling and happy. FOLLOW PUNCH: @punchmonthly PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM FOR EVERYTHING PUNCH: punchmagazine.com PUNCH MAGAZINE ADVERTISING Please call 650.383.3636 or email hello@punchmonthly.com PUBLISHED 1047 El Camino Real, Suite 202 Menlo Park, CA 94025 ©2026 by 36 Media, LLC Members Sloane Citron, David Arfin hello@punchmonthly.com punchmagazine.com PUNCH® is a registered trademark of 36 Media, LLC
AlysGraceMP alysgracebayarea A L Y S G R A C E . C O M MENLO PARK 899B SANTA CRUZ AVE SAN FRANCISCO 3490 SACRAMENTO ST LOS ALTOS 208 MAIN ST SAN RAMON 6000 BOLLINGER CANYON RD ALEXA LEIGH ALIX OF BOHEMIA AMO DENIM APIECE APART APOTHEKE ASKKNY ATM AUTUMN CASHMERE B. BELTS CHAN LUU CIRCOLO 1901 CLARE V. COCOA CASHMERE LONDON COSABELLA FRAME FRANK & EILEEN HARRIS WHARF LONDON ILLESTEVA JAO BRAND KAI FRAGRANCE KUTJEN LOEFFLER RANDALL M.A.B.E. MANSUR GAVRIEL MICHAEL STARS MOTHER MOUSSY NEST FRAGRANCES NILI LOTAN ONCEPT ONE GREY DAY REPEAT CASHMERE RIDDLE OIL ROYAL NOMAD SAINT ART SAVE THE DUCK THE GREAT THE SHIRT TROVATA TWP ULLA JOHNSON URBAN APOTHECARY VELVET WHITE + WARREN XIRENA
For more information and to arrange a private showing of this exceptional estate, please contact: 175 Alta Mesa Road | Woodside | $4,695,000 | 175AltaMesa.com Sweeping Views & Refined Indoor-Outdoor Living in Woodside Glens Known as the High Hilltop Home, this move-in-ready gem offers breathtaking views of the Western Hills and colorful sunsets, just moments from Woodside School and Town Center. • 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths with approx. 2,910 square feet of living space • Designed for indoor-outdoor living and entertaining • Chef’s kitchen with granite countertops and new high-end appliances • New dual-paned windows framing dramatic views throughout • Oversized lower-level family room • Large lower-level primary suite • Lot size of approx. 11,888 square feet (0.3 acres) • Attached 2-car garage (approx. 435 square feet) • Walk to Town Center and Woodside School Among Top Teams in SF Bay Area (per RealTrends rankings) www.HelenAndBradHomes.com Rankings provided courtesy of Real Trends, The Thousand list of individual agents by total sales volume in 2024. Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. BRAD MILLER 650.400.1317 brad.miller@compass.com License # 00917768 HELEN MILLER 650.400.3426 helen.miller@compass.com License # 01142061 +
20 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM deadliest shipwrecks—and to the lighthouse later erected to guide sailors home. (Page 114) Artifacts also offer a link to the past. Step into the studio of conservationist Alexandra Thrapp Pignati to discover how she and her team preserve paintings, sculptures, books and other precious works for generations to come. (Page 35) From preservation to creation, we spotlight the paintings of Roland Petersen, a major player in the mid-20th-century Bay Area Figurative Movement who recently celebrated his 100th birthday and continues bringing bold swaths of color to the canvas. (Page 106) Next, PUNCH heads to Hyperion, a Redwood City rock climbing gym, to get acquainted with the Peninsula’s active climbing community. (Page 70) Once you’ve worked up an appetite, check out Roger, a space-themed restaurant shooting for the moon (Page 79) or let Far West Fungi inspire your next home-cooked creation with a medley of mushrooms. (Page 88) Follow your curiosity through these stories and many more in PUNCH’s summer issue. Keep exploring, Johanna Harlow johanna@punchmonthly.com {editor’s note} curiosity wherever it led and never stop asking questions. History was taught to me and my brother the same way, and mom introduced us to the past through on-the-ground narratives. We examined the Lewis and Clark Expedition from the perspective of Sacagawea, their Lemhi Shoshone interpreter and guide. We considered Queen Elizabeth I’s cunning through the exploits of Sir Francis Drake, “the Queen’s Pirate” who plundered Spanish vessels on behalf of the English Crown. History wasn’t some graveyard—all dates and dust—it was alive. To this day, I’d rather take the plunge into history than keep it at arm’s reach. Don’t show me a war only by the number of its death toll. I don’t really care which day in April the Battles of Lexington and Concord took place. I’d much rather smell the gunpowder and catch flashes of redcoats darting through the trees. Let me feel the heft of a flintlock musket in my hands. Let me sit down to a meal of hardtack so tough it requires a rifle butt to break into pieces. Give me those sensory, human details in which I can immerse myself. In this issue of PUNCH, we won’t let history sit quietly behind glass. We’ll take you aboard the first locomotives as we explore the rise of trains in our region. (Page 46) Then we’ll transport you to the deck of a doomed ship on the eve of disaster as we explore the San Mateo’s Coast’s Learning has always inspired a sense of wonder in me. One of the earliest influences that fueled my inquisitive side was being homeschooled in my younger years. My mom, our stay-at-home teacher, believed in a hands-on education. One day, our classroom might be on the trails, learning about indigenous plants and wildflowers. On another, it might be in the kitchen, pan-frying cornmeal cakes while studying Native American tribes. A biology lesson could mean sketching jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. A geology lesson might involve trekking into Lassen National Forest’s famous lava tube with flashlights to marvel at the raw power of volcanoes. More than anything, we learned to follow PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: MARIETTA ASEMWOTA
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24 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {sloane citron} to read the newspaper’s box scores. Reading of Mantle and Maris and Koufax took me back to that time as children together in our shared room on Hayden Street, as though no time had passed at all. How comforting it all felt. We decide to play golf, despite Dan—once a youth star— not having played a round in almost 10 years. Playing a scramble format, we work as a team to beat the course, and sometimes we do, shooting a respectable 78 with borrowed clubs and an unfamiliar layout. That game, like pretty much everything else, I learned from my brother, my hero. Our last night is bittersweet, the magic of the trip still in the air, but fleeting. In my room, my thoughts run deep—sharing this time with Dan and feeling the pull of our youth—and I lie in my bed staring at nothing in particular, my mind unfolding our lives together, emotions moving through me. In the morning, we load the car and head back the way we came. A soothing rain keeps pace with us as though following us home. On the drive, we continue to chase down memories and thoughts that had not yet appeared. Close to the airport for my drop-off, Dan asks, partly in jest, “Is there anything we haven’t discussed?” A road trip reminds you how rare it is to simply be with someone you love, uninterrupted, with nowhere else to be. And somewhere between departure and destination, you realize the journey isn’t just across distance—it’s into each other, with a glimpse deep inside yourself and your fellow traveler. And if you’re lucky enough, you get to share it with your treasured brother. “I need a break,” I tell my big brother, Dan, a doctor living in Denver. “Well,” he says, “so do I. Since we both are having big birthdays, let’s celebrate with a road trip.” I smile. Dan (five years my senior) and I have taken many road trips together over the years, and each has provided a special memory. We’re not just traveling to a place on an airplane, we’re on a journey. The hours together give us the ability to discuss our lives with no time limits or interruptions and allow us to search deep within ourselves for the fragments of memory that have shaped our time together. We needed a destination— almost an afterthought really, since it was companionship and brotherly love we were after, not tourist attractions or other people. “How about Santa Fe,” I suggest. While we had gone many times, both of us enjoy it there. We grew up in Amarillo, and the small New Mexican arts town is a quick trip for us and a common vacation spot. The Southwest was our roots and everything from the terrain to the weather to the people felt familiar and comforting. So I fly to Denver where, the evening before we start our journey, we have dinner with our cousin, Peter Vardon, and his family. The next morning, we load the car, excited to get going. The day is young, the sun bright, and we have a full tank of gas, some snacks and plenty of tunes—the perfect way to start the trip. We hit the road heading south and fly through the miles, but inside our car, time feels suspended. There’s no rush, no agenda beyond the road ahead, and that makes room for plenty of conversation. We start off talking about the journey, but soon drift into memories, old stories, things half-forgotten. We discuss our issues (mine, really) and go deep into the memories of our childhood in Amarillo, where we shared a room, our beds two feet apart. Sometimes we laugh and sometimes we drift into the seriousness of life—lost dreams, old girlfriends, those that have passed and those we remember. The road, trust and a lifetime spent together invites honesty. That day alone would have been enough. But we arrive with three more days ahead. Our hotel, near the famous Santa Fe plaza, is fine, not too fancy but clean and comfortable. That night, we exchange gifts, and Dan gives me a firstedition copy of October 64 by David Halberstam, a beautifully written story of the baseball of our youth—Mantle, Maris, Koufax and more. It turns out to be a propitious gift. We spend our days wandering the streets, enjoying good food and visiting museums—the New Mexico History Museum, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and the Wheelwright Museum where the main attraction is the compelling work of Emmi Whitehorse. Surprisingly, the free, close-quartered “Oldest House in Santa Fe” is especially interesting. I’m constantly on the lookout for the nine gifts I need for my grandkids. At night, tired from miles of walking and hours of conversation, I read the baseball book Dan gave me. It was my brother who taught me the game, playing endless catch in our front yard, the Amarillo light shining down on us with the cicadas droning their song. And it was he who shared his baseball card collection with me as we studied the stats of our favorites, and who showed me how driving with dan
BIG NEWS FROMANDRA NORRIS GALLERY 311 Lorton Ave (at Burlingame Ave) Burlingame, CA 94010 I tel: 650 235 9775 www.andranorrisgallery.com ART EXHIBITIONS AND SALES OF INVESTMENT QUALITY CONTEMPORARY ART FROM INTERNATIONAL, ESTABLISHED ARTISTS WITH CALIFORNIA TIES WATERMARK May 16 - June 19 Elizabeth Geisler, Stephan Hoffpauir, Troy House, Elena Zolotnitsky SPECTRUM June 24 - July 31 Gary Bukovnik, Marie Cameron, Danza Davis, Terry Thompson RESIDUAL LIGHT August 5 - September 11 Gail Chase Bien, Alyson Belcher, Mimi Jensen, Anne Subercaseaux Troy House, Tropea No. 1, ed 3/20, Archival pigment photographic print, 57 x 71 inches framed
PANORAMIC VIEWS MEETS PRIME LOCATION Custom-built in 2011 by the original owners, this Mediterranean-inspired residence blends Timeless Charm with Modern Luxury. Positioned on an exclusive cul-de-sac setting among grand estates, it offers the rare combination of expansive views of the Monte Bello vistas on both levels and prime proximity to downtown Los Altos and I-280. The Best of Both Worlds Los Altos 24570 Ruth Lee Court 6 beds | 6 baths | 5,693 SF Living | 34,172 SF Lot 24570RUTHLEE.COM nicoleruccolo.com | 650.823.0002 REALTOR© | Nicole.ruccolo@compass.com | DRE 02101054 Compass is a licensed real estate broker 01527235 in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit properties already listed. OFFERED AT $8,650,000 | 24570RUTHLEE.COM
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 27 SUMMER 2026 + SUNNY DAYS & VACATIONS + OUR 91ST ISSUE {quickpunch} JUNE + REVEL in coasters, concerts and cotton candy at the annual San Mateo County Fair from June 5-14. + BASK in the basketry of Cantor Art Center’s Jeremy Frey: Woven exhibition, featuring an artist known for his meticulous Wabanaki weaving techniques and porcupine quillwork. Visit March 26-July 20 or attend a talk with the artist on June 25 or July 16. Summer invites us to slow down and savor life. The longer days stretch out like a gift, offering time for sunlight, laughter and connection. Warm air and blue skies awaken a sense of freedom we often forget during the rest of the year. To live it fully, be present— walk alone with your thoughts, feel the sun, gather with people you love, and say yes to simple pleasures. Life is brief. Take time now to enjoy simple things: a breeze, a sunset, a shared meal. Like Warren Zevon said: “Enjoy every sandwich.” Summer reminds us that happiness is often uncomplicated and always within reach. “Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” —SAM KEEN welcome back JULY + STIR the pot at Palo Alto’s annual chili cook-off on July 4. You’ll also find jump houses for the kids, margaritas for the adults and activities for everyone. + SAVOR tasty collaborations at Heritage Fire San Mateo, where family farms and local chefs join forces for live-fire cooking with locally-sourced ingredients on July 26 at the Coyote Point Recreation Area. SUMMER HAPPENINGS AUGUST + CHEER on kelpies and corgis as they ride the waves at the World Dog Surfing Championships on August 1 at Linda Mar Beach. + MOVE and groove at Filoli’s Summer Stage concert series August 9-11 and 16-18. Performers will rock out with the majestic main house serving as a backdrop behind the stage. Expect a special show from American Idol winner Iam Tongi.
28 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin— The players and inside story of the stock market crash that sparked the Great Depression. A must-read for those interested in finance and the market. Kin by Tayari Jones—Two lifelong friends from Honeysuckle, Louisiana, take different life trajectories. A story about mothers, daughters and sisterhood. Travel & Leisure—Travel magazine with strong literary quality, helpful travel advice and amazing photography— travelandleisure.com WHO KNEW? Beneath the still waters of Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir rests the lost town of Crystal Springs. In the mid-19th century, it grew around a charming resort hotel set along a stagecoach stop just miles from San Mateo. A small but lively community emerged, with farms and a dairy sustaining daily life. Yet change came swiftly. By 1875, the town was already fading, and within a decade, dam construction sealed its fate. By 1887, rising waters erased it completely, leaving only a quiet, submerged memory of what once was. Well Read Unscramble AOEC L R R K A P Finally, some half-baked advice: Be yourself. Unless you can do better. Discoveries + INVESTIGATE La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve’s four new trails with six fresh miles of territory to be explored. From the Lonely Forest Trail lined with second-growth redwoods to the Coho Vista Trail with switchbacks and sweeping coastal views, there’s something for everyone. + SPLASH into summer at Coyote Point Recreation Area, a popular spot for open-water swimmers and watersports enthusiasts alike. Ready to join the kiteboarders, paddleboarders, windsurfers and wing foilers? Sign up for a class or rent gear at Boardsports California, conveniently located near the Promenade. Dash to Dine + EL COMAL—Oaxaca and Yucatán traditional Mexican dishes with some unique specialties like cochinita pibil. Warm atmosphere—266 Main Street, Los Altos + EYLAN—After the opening hype, this place just keeps getting better. Incredible contemporary Indian food with colorful atmosphere—500 El Camino Real, Menlo Park + BAHCHE—Excellent Greek food and delightful ambiance. Noted for its octopus and lamb, with great attention to detail—3081 South Delaware Street, San Mateo
Studio Shop Gallery, 244 Primrose Road, Burlingame, CA www.studioshopgaIlery.com Fine Art & Custom Framing Photos by: Annie Barnett
30 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} What’s the biggest sleep myth that people still believe? That everyone needs eight hours of sleep. While this is ideal, most people can function just fine on seven. Is sleeping in a cold room actually better or just trendy? Sleeping in a cave was once ideal. And it still kind of is. People enter deep sleep more easily and longer when it’s cooler. What’s the weirdest dream scenario that’s actually very common? Anxiety dreams are most common. Lost at the airport without a ticket. Running through a school uncertain in which room your test is. Most often, this is rooted in some daytime stressor or deadline. Another common dream to watch for is drowning or suffocating, as this can be a marker of sleep apnea. Are you a napper? I’m not a good napper and I can’t really sleep in on weekends. My mind is active and full of ideas, which can make it hard to wind down. Meditation has genuinely helped move the needle. I’m currently working on a book titled Meditation and Medication: When Is It Time to Chill, and When Is It Time to Pill? Can you tell us a little more about the performance psychiatry side of your work? I often joke that I get to fine-tune the Ferraris of Silicon Valley. These are brilliant, driven people who sometimes run a little hot. You would be amazed how often greatness and instability travel together. THE Q & A ALEX DIMITRIU What’s your favorite quote? “More suffering happens in imagination than in reality.” We can dream big or dread big. How do you recharge? Nature is how I reset. I love local hikes, kite surfing, wing foiling and skiing. I try to stay in the elements year-round. Being tossed around a little recalibrates you. It reminds you what matters. How have modern factors changed human sleep compared to pre-electricity times? Lighting is everything. Since the light bulb and smartphone, sleep duration has dropped. Blue light makes things worse. I dim lights heavily in the evening using warm tones, candlelight, and sunset colors, which help melatonin levels. Friends joke they need a headlamp at dinner. Is scrolling before bed really that bad? You’ve got to do boring things before bed. Scrolling is the opposite. Your phone is the equivalent of a slot machine. You search, and it occasionally rewards you with something interesting. Your brain just gets too excited at a time when it should be slowing down. Be honest, how many hours are you typically getting a night? Most nights, I get about seven hours. I sleep best when I’m in bed by 10:30pm, though life doesn’t always cooperate, especially after the kids go to sleep and I crave a little quiet downtime. I may be a sleep doctor, but I’m still human. The sleep expert and consultation psychiatrist behind Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine discusses sleep myths, the bane of blue lights and the strange dreams that are actually trying to tell you something.
Premier California Ranch & Recreational Properties RANCH ON THE FALL RIVER • TROUT FISHING • WILDLIFE • AGRICULTURE Spring Creek Ranch features 1,530± acres at the headwaters of California’s renowned Fall River. Pristine waters support trophy rainbow trout with exclusive access for the owner. The ranch provides premier waterfowl and upland bird hunting. Located ten miles from Fall River Mills in northeastern Shasta County, it has reliable water rights, 650± acres of farmland and pasture. Includes a three-bedroom home, a custom Airstream fishing camp, barns, and more. Offered at $18.5 Million. More Information: www.chickeringco.com / (530) 265-5774 Terry Hundemer, Broker CalBRE#01100594 The Chickering Company, Inc. • ranches@chickeringco.com
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HIGHEST SALE IN THE SAN CARLOS FLATS “The best story that has ever been told!” SOLD AT $6,000,000 207 Edgehill Rd, San Carlos 5 Beds | 3.5 Baths | 3,455 sq. ft. | 0.26 acre lot
603 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park, CA, 94025 peabodygallery.com | | (650) 322-2200 Peabody’s curated selection, award-winning experience, and expert craftsmanship come together to create the perfect frame design for both your artwork and your uniquely styled space. the art is in the frame
CONSERVATION art emergency words by JOHANNA HARLOW PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 35 {punchline} PENINSULA CULTURE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ACT ART CONSERVATION
36 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} As Alexandra gives a tour of her “surgery,” she points to a heated vacuum table, essential for rescuing rolled paintings. “I wish I could gift them to every conservator of paintings,” she says. “It helps us to consolidate flaking paint and relax the canvas to work out any kind of dents.” The equipment list is extensive: an anoxic chamber (an oxygen-deprived bubble that eliminates wood-boring beetles and moths), a suction washing station (that keeps paper stable and prevents pigments from bleeding), microscopes, solvents, humidity chambers, light tables for mending layers, respirators of every kind, brushes galore. Only in its ninth year, the studio is still accumulating gear. “We’re building the ship while we sail it,” notes Alexandra. Let’s not forget the coveted Cook ‘N Stir. “We found it on French eBay,” says Alexandra. Patients rushed to Alexandra Thrapp Pignati’s emergency room in San Mateo don’t require defibrillator paddles, but protective varnish and starch paste. At ACT Art Conservation, the only multidisciplinary private studio of its kind on the Peninsula, Alexandra and her team resuscitate paintings, sculptures, books and other precious works. “We joke that one day we’re just going to paint a big red cross on the front door because we are sort of the art hospital,” laughs Alexandra. Her clients range from SFMOMA and the Legion of Honor to Stanford University and the California Historical Society, along with countless other institutes, private collectors and galleries. “In private practice, much more so than in an institution like a museum, we definitely get the emergency room pieces,” says Alexandra. She even likens arthandling trucks to ambulances. PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHANNA HARLOW
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38 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM she says, adding, “We have a major ethical code that we stick to very strictly. We all have master’s degrees or higher.” Conservation wasn’t even on Alexandra’s radar when she first attended college at Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute in Florence. Drawn to film and the darkroom, Alexandra initially focused on photojournalism, but grew disenchanted by the push for digitization. Feeling lost, Alexandra went searching for answers. “I was quite literally just wandering the halls, like, ‘I don’t really know what direction to take.’” Passing the conservation studios, she paused in the doorway. What is that? she remembers thinking. A professor caught sight of her lurking outside his classroom. “Are you going to stand there or are you going to come in?” he asked. He handed her a hefty baroque candlestick and told her to start polishing. “It was love at first sight,” she laughs. {punchline} “We treat it like royalty.” This heated device stirs starch paste, an essential adhesive in paper conservation, saving a torturous hour of stirring by hand. “Everybody jokes that if you have one in your studio and if, God forbid, there was an emergency, grab the Cook ‘N Stir because you can never find them!” Alexandra explains that the starch paste, like the pigments they use, is reversible—and that’s key. “There’s a difference between restoration and conservation,” she says. “Restoration is getting something back to its original state ‘by any means necessary,’ often very irreversibly. It’s usually done by an untrained individual who is trying to make something look new.” Conservation, by contrast, works with age, not against it. “We want you to know that there’s a distinction,” PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ACT ART CONSERVATION
40 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM “I was totally spoiled right out of the gate,” Alexandra recognizes of those early years. For her thesis, she joined a team in conserving a 14th-century Bernardo Daddi crucifix at the Bardini Museum. During summers in the U.S., Alexandra worked for master conservator James Pennuto, who had practiced in San Mateo since the 1960s. “I always said, ‘I’m not going to open my own doors until your doors are closed,’” Alexandra recalls. “We were really a family there.” Though Alexandra has handson experience with different mediums, she gravitated to one in particular early on. “I just loved the way that paint behaved. I understood the construction of it,” she says. “This is going to sound funny, but it talked to me differently than the other things did. So I could understand what was wrong with it and how to fix it.” Working alongside professionals like ACT’s talented paper conservators Angela Sinicropi and Clair Emma Smith strengthened Alexandra’s appreciation for other materials. “Paper is the least forgiving medium to work with, so it’s terrifying sometimes, but we have a healthy fear of it,” PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ACT ART CONSERVATION Alexandra says. Alexandra’s interdisciplinary power team also includes a sculpture conservator, a mount maker, an historian-archivist and other gifted specialists. They’re an impassioned group of like-minded (or like-obsessive) professionals. “We think about these things at three o’clock in the morning and text each other,” chuckles Alexandra. What does she wish more people knew about conservation? “I think we’re often called once something’s happened,” she muses. “All conservators in the last decade or more have unfortunately become wildfire responders for major collections.” It doesn’t need to stay that way. Alexandra also documents pieces prior to damage for insurance purposes and offers guidance (or “preventive medicine,” as she refers to it). Litigation comes with the territory. “We’re called as expert witnesses a lot,” she notes. There’s another misconception Alexandra wants to clear {punchline}
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42 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM up: ACT doesn’t just handle museum-quality pieces. Heirloom pieces with emotional worth—like a landscape your grandmother painted—are among some of her favorite projects. “If this is a piece of artwork that your kid did and you love it and you spilled coffee on it, you can still call us,” she says. In other words, if it has value to you, then it’s valuable. “It doesn’t need to be a Matisse!” One current project, done gratis, has been salvaging a crumbling handprint plaster for a couple whose child passed away. “I was unbelievably honored,” Alexandra says, describing it as one of the most meaningful commisions of her career. “Grief recovery has definitely played into my life a lot. If I can give anybody a moment of feeling like they have something that they artful aid actartconservation.com can hold onto, that makes them feel closer to that person… that always gets me,” she shares, adding, “I know what that feels like.” The bruised and battered couldn’t be in better hands than at Alexandra’s art hospital. “You’re always nervous when a patient leaves,” she says with a smile. “Obviously, we’re confident in whatever treatment we’ve done—but then I always liken it to a doctor sending a patient out. You’ve just set that leg and rehabbed it and it’s absolutely in stable condition… And you know that they’re going to go skiing next weekend!” CONSERVATOR’S COLLECTION As one might expect, Alexandra has an intriguing home collection. Her pride and joy is a pennant flag from the Palace of Horticulture at the 1915 World Fair in San Francisco. She also has a bookcase of rare and antique versions of Alice in Wonderland. “I love the illustrations,” she says, adding that the collection was inspired by her kid sister who couldn’t pronounce the ‘R’ or ‘X’ in Alex and would call her Alice instead. {punchline} PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHANNA HARLOW
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46 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM HISTORY down the tracks long-prayed for event has at last transpired, and San Francisco and San Jose are bound together in iron bands,” Dame proclaims with pride. “This is a day of general rejoicing over the most important event that has ever occurred in this valley, or perhaps may ever occur again. ... The iron horse is here—see it, hear it, ye who doubt!” After a parade of dignitaries and military men, thousands feast on lamb, pork and beef roasted on six-foot iron rods over trenches piled with oak wood. Lager flows liberally from large barrels. But all too soon, it’s time to head home. “Away sped the three black monsters,” reports The Daily Alta California, “dragging with increasing speed the long line of cars, and filling the atmosphere with smoke and sparks.” It’s 1864, just 14 years after California has become a state, and eager throngs gather to commemorate another pivotal beginning: the grand opening of the San Francisco-San Jose Railroad (SF&SJ). The day starts civilly enough. The first train has come and gone from the San Francisco station, and many, preferring seats to standing room, choose to wait for the second. But as the crowd continues to swell, folks grow restless. On the next train’s arrival, “A general scramble ensued,” reports The Daily Alta California of the scene, “which resulted in most all the ladies being crammed into three or four cars, leaving several hundred of the male passengers out in the cold.” Unwilling to be left behind on this momentous day in history, the menfolk pile into the baggage, gravel and cattle cars. A collective cheer arises as the locomotive lumbers down the track. Not everyone is so lucky. Would-be riders at the Redwood City and Mountain View stations frantically flag down the jam-packed train in vain as it barrels past on its way to the San Jose station. Disembarking passengers are welcomed by a booming cannon and a 13-gun salute by Bluxome’s Battery, then ushered into the brick depot festooned with flags and evergreen boughs to listen to speeches from the mayor and the railroad’s president Judge Timothy Dame. “The {punchline} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY words by JOHANNA HARLOW ABOVE: Loved ones send off World War I draftees on a train headed for camp circa 1917.
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48 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM For more than a century and a half, the Peninsula’s regional railway has served as a vital artery to farmers, merchant kings and mining millionaires alike. It has carried raw materials that fattened the economy as well as the titans who forged it, ferrying movers and shakers from their country homes to their offices in San Francisco. It’s gone by many names: the Central Pacific Railroad, then the Southern Pacific and finally the Caltrain we know today. This railroad didn’t just connect the Bay Area—it created it. SUMMER HOMES AND FARMLAND But let’s return to those early years, back when the locomotive first started shaping our local landscape. Initially, the railway consisted of 25 stops. Traveling from one end of the line to the other cost passengers two hours, ten minutes and around three bucks (that’s about $60 today). “When it was first built, it was pretty much the only ‘rapid transit,’” says Vernon “Vern” Bruce, founder of the Millbrae Train Museum, an educational center in the former Millbrae Southern Pacific Train Depot. The only other option was bumping along in a stagecoach, a nine-hour trip on a good day. “Out here on the West Coast, cars didn’t really start to get into heavy use until the early part of the 20th century.” Rural farmers in San Mateo County welcomed the railroad with open arms. Agriculture had taken off as the Gold Rush craze waned. People began catching on that mining might not be the most reliable route to wealth and fortune—and that the boom in San Francisco’s population meant a growing number of mouths to feed. Soon orchards and vineyards popped up all over San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Prunes, peaches, apricots and cherries flooded the region’s fertile valleys. “Virtually all of the agriculture that wasn’t consumed on the Peninsula would’ve been shipped via rail,” explains Vern, adding that spurs were created to whisk the region’s abundance straight from the canneries and warehouses to San Francisco. Oysters and milk began flowing from Millbrae, leather and salt from Redwood City, and cattle from the foothills of Portola Valley and Santa Clara Valley. This newfound accessibility to the countryside also appealed to San Francisco’s early elite, who saw an opportunity for idyllic summer retreats while maintaining easy access to the City. Titans of industry like mining tycoon William {punchline} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY / CALTRAIN / SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY ABOVE: (clockwise, from top left) Commuters on a Southern Pacific train in 1951; A new Caltrain locomotive is christened for its inaugaral ride in 1985; Trains transported lumber for building Peninsula homes. Grace & Symington Lumber Company depicted here was a supplier.
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50 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM Sharon and banker John Parrot realized that they could enjoy lavish breakfasts overlooking the rolling hills of their countryside estates, take the train to work (perhaps reading the morning paper or conducting a little business onboard), pop into their San Francisco offices for a few hours and be back in the country in time for dinner. A flurry of opulent building projects followed, including James Clair Flood’s “wedding cake” of a mansion with turrets, cupolas and gables in Atherton, Harriett Pullman Carolan’s 98-room French chateau in Hillsborough and countless others. As more and more magnates splurged on country homes, there became a steady demand for lumber from Woodside, bricks from San Jose and imported furniture from San Francisco. Flocks of architects, carpenters and other craftsmen were called in. The economy flourished. COMMUTER COMEBACK There’s nothing quite like a disaster to shake things up. After the 1906 earthquake devastated San Francisco, there was an exodus as many fled the smoldering ruins to start anew elsewhere. “You had cities growing up right around the railroad because the railroad could bring in building materials,” observes Vern. “Most of the cities, still to this day, are centered around the railroad.” Another suburban surge happened in the 1940s and 1950s after World War II. Homes and storefronts began cropping up where farmland once flourished. Meanwhile, more people started swapping carriages for cars. This shift from grass-fed to gas-fed transportation prompted the first paved section of the California State Highway System in 1912, a stretch of road from San Bruno to Burlingame. Accessibility in turn heralded more automobiles. Motor coaches (AKA buses) also gained traction. Suddenly, trains fell out of favor. But as traffic grew more congested and Caltrain officially took over the rail line in the 1990s, our train has made a triumphant comeback. Today, millions of riders, from tech execs to tourists, ride Caltrain annually. For 155 years, this railroad has shaped life on the Peninsula and it shows no signs of hitting the brakes. THE COASTAL LINE The defunct Ocean Shore Railroad—the Peninsula’s lesser-known, coastal line—once lured leisure seekers from San Francisco to the shores of Pacifica, Granada and Half Moon Bay at the turn of the 20th century. Weekend passengers lingered over lunches in open-air cars lined with picnic benches, while farmers relied on the railway to transport the coast’s bounty of Brussels sprouts, artichokes and potatoes. The tracks clung to the coastal cliffs, resulting in breathtaking scenery… and constant problems. The 1906 earthquake sent a devastating 4,000 feet of track plunging into the ocean as the coastal bluffs gave way. After repairs, the fickle terrain and its landslides continued to wreak havoc on the railway, especially at the treacherous stretch known as Devil’s Slide. The route, along with its hopes of someday reaching as far as Santa Cruz, collapsed along with the crumbling cliffs. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY
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