STARS OF THE PENINSULA FEBRUARY 25 Sky Search Astronomy Star Morro Bay Magic Small-Town Charm Portola Valley’s Hillside Sanctuary Hollywood Comes to the Peninsula After the Fire: Big Basin Reawakened PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM beam me up
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8 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 23 {punchline} Peninsula Culture 23 Star Struck 30 Perfect Shot 32 Diary of a Dog: Romeo {due west} Travel & Wellness 37 Magical Morro Bay 44 Big Basin Reawakened IN EVERY ISSUE 12 Editor’s Note 14 Sloane Citron 17 QuickPUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: MATTHEW MILLMAN / GINO DE GRANDIS / VISIT SLO CAL 51 {food coloring} Eats, Drinks & Scoops 51 Dockside Destination 58 Behind the Bars 62 The Beat on Your Eats {home & design} Style and Substance 71 Hillside Sanctuary {punchout} Features 76 Hollywood Comes to the Peninsula {landmark} 82 Talking Heads {february 2025} contents 37 71
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10 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM “You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you.” —YOGI BERRA FOUNDER/PUBLISHER Sloane Citron EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Andrea Gemmet CREATIVE DIRECTOR Britt Johnston SENIOR EDITOR Johanna Harlow CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sheri Baer COPY EDITOR Carrie Lightner PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTORS Annie Barnett Paulette Phlipot PHOTOGRAPHERS Gino De Grandis Robb Most Irene Searles Robert David Siegel WRI TERS Jennifer Jory Lotus Abrams Elaine Wu EDITORIAL INTERN Margaret Koenig ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Sally Randall Georgina Fox CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Airiel Mulvaney ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Alexa Randall PRINT QUALITY DIRECTOR George Marquez 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. PUNCH MAGAZINE ADVERTISING Please call 650.383.3636 or email hello@punchmonthly.com PUBLISHED 1047 El Camino Real, Suite 202 Menlo Park, CA 94025 ©2025 by 36 Media, LLC Members Sloane Citron, David Arfin hello@punchmonthly.com punchmagazine.com PUNCH® is a registered trademark of 36 Media, LLC FOLLOW PUNCH: @punchmonthly PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM FOR EVERYTHING PUNCH, COMPLETE CALENDAR, INSIDE SCOOPS & MORE: punchmagazine.com
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12 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM was ravaged by the CZU wildfires in 2020, but instead of remaining a charred wasteland, this local treasure is roaring back to life. This month, find out how to explore Big Basin’s incredibly vibrant, much-altered landscape. (Page 44) Terrestrial treasures take a backseat to off-world phenomena for Andrew Fraknoi. The noted astronomer and educator discovered his passion for studying the stars thanks to comic books that he read as a young Hungarian immigrant. (Page 23) MeeSun Boice shifted gears from a career in finance and tech to find something she’s passionate about, so she teamed up with friend and chef Parke Ulrich to open Hurrica Restaurant on the docks of Redwood City’s beautiful Westpoint Harbor. (Page 51) Michael Sigmon is a Menlo Park chef who left restaurants behind to open Minee Chocolate. He tells us about his inspiration for making bean-to-bar confections. (Page 58) Grab some popcorn and check out our guide to some of Hollywood’s favorite Peninsula film locations. (Page 76) There’s even more to explore this month, from a gorgeously designed Portola Valley hillside home (Page 71) to our Q&A with Half Moon Bay’s big-wave surfer Jeff Clark. (Page 20) I think you’ll find that there’s a lot to love in the pages of this, our February issue. Andrea Gemmet andrea@punchmonthly.com {editor’s note} quietly admire whatever wildlife I encounter, from timid bunnies to noisy woodpeckers. And the best thing about hiking during our all-too-brief rainy season? Being serenaded by the sound of running water while walking alongside a creek. What’s a little mud on my trail shoes when there’s such a limited chance to admire a splashing, gurgling waterway before it turns bone-dry by summer? A trail is an ideal place to let your feet take over while your mind wanders. A short, steep hike above Morro Bay recently got me thinking about the lifestyle of our guide Mandy Davidson, an environmental advocate with decades of outdoor experience. Much of her day is spent in her kayak or on a trail, and she keeps the trunk of her car neatly packed with gear so she can take off on a camping trip at a moment’s notice. If I didn’t hold indoor plumbing in such high regard, I’d be sorely tempted to emulate her. In this month’s magazine, read about Mandy’s kayaking excursions and other tips for making a weekend getaway to the Central Coast beach town just as enriching as it is relaxing. (Page 39) I’ve definitely spent some time thinking about what life would be like if I’d opted for a job in the great outdoors instead of a career that keeps me in front of a computer all day. It’s easy to think of nature as a peaceful, spa-like oasis, but the natural world is full of struggles, calamities and displays of incredible resilience. Big Basin State Park is a prime example of that. Most of California’s oldest state park In between rainstorms, one of my favorite places to be this time of year is on a trail in Portola Valley. Windy Hill Preserve is gorgeous all of the time, but there’s something about the fragile green growth along the trails in late winter that lifts my spirits. Sunset still comes far too early in February, but the promise of spring is palpable on even its chilliest of days. I don’t head to the hills to pound out some miles or count my steps. I’m there for the forestbathing—or meadow-bathing, depending on the route. I applaud the trail runners who go thundering past, but I like to be free to stop and marvel at weird mushrooms, brush my fingers against a dewy patch of tender ferns and
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14 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {sloane citron} feel bad for the other guy selling the exact same hats and I think to myself that he should try selling sunglasses. And so, some of my vacation is spent watching to see how these peddlers do. Besides partaking in this rather useless activity, several times a day I take some of the little kids hunting for shells. We find plenty. I don’t think any of them ever make it home, but it’s the search that makes this fun. One day, as we are walking toward the ocean, we see a man gathering just-hatched turtles. This is a grand highlight. We slowly walk alongside two of the hatchlings working their way toward the ocean and don’t stop urging them on until the little guys finally make it into the surf. We spend a good amount of time and energy finding and eating food. Sixteen of us times three meals a day is 48 meals a day. It adds up, but between the grocery store, the resort restaurants and a few dining trips to the OUTSIDE, no one complains. Waiters traverse the sand to our cabanas and bring us drinks, french fries (tons of french fries), so many fish tacos that I start to hate them, kids’ meals and so on. We stay satiated and are full before every regular meal. Much of our time on this trip was spent in the various bodies of water since several of the little grandkids can now swim. The pattern goes something like this: pool 1; jacuzzi; pool 2; jacuzzi; kiddie pool (and its slide!); back to pool 1; beach chairs. Repeat until the kids are worn out, which is never. Finally, to my delight, my kids went on several buying sprees at our oceanside tiendas. The grandkids went on the 10-minute horse rides; several bracelets were bought; granddaughters got their hair braided; and a few of the minisurfboards were purchased just to quiet down the boys. As for the vendors who missed out on our largesse, I took some cash to them before we left and wished them a Feliz Navidad. Hopefully, it brought them some holiday cheer; I know it brought me some. Recently, as we have for the past decade, my family made a holiday trip to San José del Cabo, Mexico. I’m lucky to have three daughters who take care of each and every detail, from my plane ticket to meals to resort reservations. At the airport check-in, I’m like a 10-year-old boy, raising my hand when the airline counter agent calls out my name, with my passport in hand. It took some time for me to accept my non-leadership role on these trips since that burden was mine for many decades. But what a joy to simply show up. I used to care about making decisions, but that bravado has long been silenced. There are 16 of us, our immediate family, with seven little kids ages six and under (and two more on their way) and the fewer opinions put forth, the better. Though I might desperately want to go to a certain restaurant in downtown Cabo, I keep my mouth shut. And when the bickering starts, I walk away. I just don’t have the patience for it anymore. My children seem to do just fine without my opinions. We always go to the same place, a name that my brain simply refuses to remember, but is one of a multitude of lovely resorts on the water, with multiple swimming pools, several restaurants and hundreds of beach cabanas facing the ocean. Whoever gets up earliest goes down to commandeer enough space for our family. On this trip, like others, once we are comfortably ensconced in our cabanas and looking out at the ocean, one of the more difficult challenges of the trip stares me in the face: men and women—outside of the resort’s boundaries—trying to sell us something. This year, the selection included horses to ride, tropical wide-brimmed hats, jewelry, 10 feet away more tropical wide-brimmed hats, hair-braiding, bracelets, NFLpainted mini surfboards, shirts, ponchos and massages. These earnest people are working hard and long hours, and they’re almost certainly not getting the support available in the United States if you are low-income. What they make is likely what they eat. I feel for these men and women as I lounge in my luxurious beachfront resort cabana. I sit there hoping for fellow resort guests to go over and buy something from them. I’m optimistic when a woman draped in a wrap approaches one of the hat guys, and I’m thrilled when I see that she actually buys one. But then I vacation uplift
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 17 FEBRUARY + 28 DAYS + STILL CHILLY + OUR 79TH ISSUE {quickpunch} Start Up + Head over to New Orleans for an exciting Super Bowl on Sunday, February 9. + Go beyond chocolates and candles to deliver some real love on February 14. + Celebrate the birthday of Founding Father George on Presidents Day, February 22. + Late in the month, to our annual surprise, fruit trees are bursting with blooms. Venture Out + SWEETEN your afternoon with chocolate tastings and seminars at the Valentine’s Choco-Stroll in downtown Los Altos on February 8. downtownlosaltos.org + HEAT things up this Valentine’s Day by kneading artisanal bread with your paramour at Devil’s Canyon Brewing in San Carlos on February 14 at 6PM. grainbakers.com + LOOK through the artist’s lens at Second Nature: Photography in the Age of Anthropocene. The Cantor Museum’s latest exhibition opens February 26 at Stanford University. stanford.edu Here we are, settling into another year, and while the date has changed, our lives carry on unabated. The phrase “Where did the time go” has an answer, and that is: “In the past.” Time is like a relentlessly speeding bullet ferociously pushing forward with no way to pause it. It begs: Does the present really exist? We can “see” the future ahead, even though it might change in an instant. The past is there for us to uncover, but the present is a glimpse, a microsecond of time, that swiftly disappears. “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.” — LUCILLE BALL welcome back
18 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} Dash to Dine + LORETTA—Pop into the swanky brand-new cocktail bar, sister of next-door Bistro Vida, for an exceptional time—639 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park + BENIHANA—Still delivering a fun, tableside experience with lively chefs—1496 Old Bayshore Highway, Burlingame + ELIA—Authentic Greek dining with live music and wonderful ambiance—727 Laurel Street, San Carlos Carpe Diem + LACE UP your hiking boots for a half-mile hike along the Eagle Trail, an up-and-down dirt path near Alpine Road in Portola Valley. Part of Windy Hill Open Space Preserve, the trail follows Corte Madera Creek, which really gets flowing after a good winter rain. Diehard hikers continue on to Hamms Gulch Trail, while those preferring to stop and sip chardonnay can reserve a tasting flight at nearby Thomas Fogarty Winery. + TREAT YOURSELF to a spa day in Palo Alto at Watercourse Way, a serene bathhouse to rejuvenate both body and mind. Choose from its unique and elegantly designed private hot tub rooms, like one with wave-etched glass paneling and stained glass koi or a dome with fabricated starlight. After a soak and a cold plunge, enjoy a deep-tissue massage. Book your spot at the spa in advance, and unwind in peaceful solitude. We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich— Beautifully written account of Rich’s life deep in the Maine woods during the 1930s. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman—A whimsical and deeply empathetic novel about a botched bank robbery and a group of the worst hostages ever. Adventure Journal—Created to share the joy and exhilaration of a life spent outdoors. adventure-journal.com WHO KNEW? Mission Santa Clara de Asis, established by Padre Junipero Serra, was the eighth Franciscan mission in the chain of 21. Founded some 250 years ago, over time the property fell into serious decay and in 1850, its leaders approached a Jesuit priest, Fr. John Nobili, about turning the parish into the first college of higher learning in the new state of California. We know it today as Santa Clara University. Well Read Unscramble TSDRESNEIP YAD Finally, some half-baked advice: If someone insults you, say, “Exactly!” and confuse them.
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20 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} How would you describe Mavericks? Mavericks is a surf spot, located a half-mile out, off Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay. The reef structure underwater shapes large ocean swells into a very large, rideable wave. Mavericks is known throughout the world as one of the biggest surfable waves on the planet. Tell us about the first time you surfed there? On that winter day in 1975, I caught five waves. After the first successful attempt, all I could think was, “I want another one of those!” What was a close call you’ve had at Mavericks? In 2004, there was a giant swell. I was pulled into a monster only to find out that there was no way I could make it. I turned up the face of the wave and punched through the roof and out the back. My tow partner and driver missed the pickup and a 60-foot wave caught all of us … One of the worst situations I’ve ever been in. Any advice you’d give to novice surfers? Start small and work your way up in wave size in a very calculated way. Just remember that one man’s ceiling is another man’s floor. What was your first job and what did you learn from it? At nine years old, I was scraping floor tiles in a commercial building remodel in Oakland, and I got a dollar a day. THE Q & A JEFF CLARK I learned how to work, and I learned it was something that I didn’t want to do for the rest of my life. How do you make your living these days? I started shaping surfboards in my early teens, and now I build and design my own line of surfboards. They are all made specific to whatever is needed for the water conditions and tailored to the rider. What can you tell us about your experience as a camera boat driver for Chasing Mavericks? It’s a film about Jay Moriarty, whom I helped teach how to surf Mavericks. I am not sure that anyone else could do the job they were asking. I was able to put that boat in places that many thought were impossible because I know Mavericks like the back of my hand. How do you get the confidence to take on such big waves? When people run from the ocean is when I am interested in going in it. Being in the moment, with a power that is constantly trying to kill you, is key to your survival. Being so immersed in the ocean that you become a part of it. Feeling every small movement and all the nuances and energy. I pray before I go in. Growing up, what was your favorite book? Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The only limits are the ones you create. Half Moon Bay’s famous big-wave surfer and co-founder of the Mavericks Surf Contest spills about daring feats, close calls and being in tune with the ocean. IMAGE: ANNIE BARNETT
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INTERVIEW star struck words by JENNIFER JORY • photography by GINO DE GRANDIS PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 23 {punchline} PENINSULA CULTURE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: GREG RAKOZY EORB
24 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} From there, they ultimately made their way to New York. “I didn’t speak a word of English,” Andrew recalls. “My mother had the idea of using comic books to teach English to me, and I particularly loved space comics.” He soon graduated to science fiction, and when it came time to choose what to study in college, astronomy was his first choice. “Eventually, I realized I could do space stuff for a living,” he beams. Andrew’s excitement builds as he discusses the latest astronomical discoveries. “It looks like Star Trek was right,” he says with a smile. “There really are planets around other stars.” In 1995, the common perception was that there were just a few planets outside of our own galaxy, Andrew explains. “Now we know there are other suns and 5,000 planets orbiting those suns or stars.” Recent breakthroughs and advances in astronomy are thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. “This is the biggest telescope we have ever had in space, allowing us to look back to the beginning of time,” he marvels. While light travels swiftly, the incredible distances mean that the images show stars as they appeared a very long time ago. “We are now seeing things 13.4 billion years old that are very close to the big bang,” Andrew adds, referring to the theory of the universe’s origin 13.8 billion years ago. “The earliest stars and structures are so far away and so long ago, they are amazing.” Educated at Harvard University and UC Berkeley, Andrew’s career as an astronomer took off in 1992 when he was hired as the executive director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Working 80 hours a week at his job and newly Andrew Fraknoi is a man on a mission—a space mission, that is. For decades, he’s inspired and educated both students and the public on the wonders of astronomy, from Foothill and Cañada colleges to the University of California at San Francisco. “This is the golden age of astronomy,” Andrew declares. From radio stations and local TV to The Today Show, he’s become the Bay Area’s go-to astronomer for explaining celestial phenomena in down-toearth terms. “My focus right now is to interpret the complex and abstract things we are learning about the universe so that people can understand them,” he says. Born in Hungary, Andrew and his family fled during the 1956 revolution against communist rule, and ended up in an Austrian refugee camp. COPYRIGHT © 2024
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26 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} achievements by naming Asteroid 4859 “Asteroid Fraknoi.” While teaching at Foothill, Andrew saw an opportunity to make astronomy education more widely available by creating a lecture series in the college’s 950-seat theater. Called Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures, it featured Nobel Prize winners and best-selling authors. NASA took an interest in the program and offered to sponsor it. “Foothill College administrators were so enthusiastic they allowed us to use the theater for free,” Andrew recounts. Soon Andrew began making the scientific talks available on YouTube so that anyone interested in space could hear from experts. “These nerdy lectures have received 4.1 million views,” he grins. “The astronomer Alex Filippenko’s videos explain the James Webb telescope, and it is like watching Columbus get his ships ready.” Andrew’s other focus centers on the search for life on other planets, which he pursues enmarried to his wife Lola, he realized the pace was unsustainable. In search of a less intense job, he applied for a teaching position at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, where he was quickly hired and began a lifelong devotion to teaching space education. “It was a very good fit,” he notes. “They have a lovely observatory run by an astronomy hobbyist and it was a job where I could have a life. I was there for 25 years and we grew the program significantly.” Andrew also taught at Cañada College in Woodside, where the enthusiastic public affairs officer connected him with KGO radio. He soon became a regular, and could also be found sharing his astronomical insights on KQED TV. “I was a cheap imitation of Carl Segan,” Andrew says humbly. The scientific community thought otherwise and the International Astronomical Union recognized his
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28 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} thusiastically as a board member of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI), headquartered in Mountain View. “This is the most exciting unsolved mystery in the universe,” he says. “I want to find creatures to talk with about philosophy. I have been able to put this organization on the map as we search for life and messages. This has been offers classes like “If There Are Planets Everywhere, Where Are the Aliens?” and one on simplifying the theory of relativity without math called “Einstein Without Tears.” His commitment to communicating scientific concepts in layman’s terms has culminated in his free, online astronomy textbook that has become the most widely used volume on the subject. Andrew doesn’t just write textbooks, he’s also tried his hand at science fiction. His childhood passion for the genre of the fantastic and intergalactic is still burning bright all these years later. “I have been keeping a notebook of ideas for decades,” he confesses. Despite what he calls “rejection slips from all over,” eight of his sci-fi stories have been published. Andrew now pays it forward to the next generation of future astronomers by writing the kinds of stories that captured his imagination as a young immigrant—a little inspiration for anyone else who wants to reach for the stars. a gratifying part of my career.” He also wants to set the record straight when it comes to unidentified flying objects. “There is not a shred of evidence of UFOs.” In the search for intelligent life on other planets, Andrew cites Artificial Intelligence as a gamechanging technology when it comes to listening for messages. “You have to look through many stars, through many channels, over a long period of time,” he describes. “With AI, computers and telescopes can work together, while the astronomer sleeps. AI can search for pattern recognition, which is key to searching for messages from space.” Andrew’s passion to teach the marvels of the universe keeps him on the lecture circuit promoting space education for all. He currently teaches at San Francisco State University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and
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30 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} PERFECT SHOT into the woods Is there anything quite as poetic as the view from a coastal cliff? Photographer Jennifer Fraser shows us a beautifully brooding day at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. “Most of the visitors head for the tide pools to see anemones, starfish and the seals lazing on the nearby beach,” reflects Jennifer. “My favorite locale is the adjacent path up the cliffside, wandering among the cypress groves. The light in late afternoon is magical and a bit like a fairytale— Red Riding Hood might be around any corner.” jenniferfraser.zenfolio.com
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 31 Calling all shutterbugs: If you’ve captured a unique perspective of the Peninsula, we’d love to see your Perfect Shot. Email us at hello@punchmonthly.com to be considered for publication. calling all shutterbugs
32 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} calling all dogs If you’ve got quirky habits or a funny tale (or tail) to tell, email hello@punchmonthly.com for a chance to share a page from your Diary of a Dog in PUNCH. romeo DIARY OF A DOG photography by ROBB MOST I’m Romeo, and while I may be named after Shakespeare’s star-crossed lover, my life in Menlo Park is anything but tragic. This labradoodle’s got a very good thing going with Caroline and her three kids, Maxwell, Madeline and Curtis, who brought me home on Valentine’s Day 10 years ago. We go on frequent trips to Town & Country and Stanford shopping centers, where I collect goodies from all the businesses. Sunny days often find us at the beach in Half Moon Bay, where I like to bury balls in the sand to dig up and play with later. And in the evenings, we go visit my favorite dogs and their treatsharing humans at La Entrada School. I haven’t romanced any Capulets but I’m a little like my namesake in some ways—I love giving kisses! I just can’t get enough petting and snuggling, and I hate to sleep alone. I have so much love to give that Caroline signed me up with Furry Friends as a trained therapy dog. You might find me at local schools during finals week, helping stressed-out students relax, or hanging out with residents at the Vi’s skilled nursing center and the Ronald McDonald House. If ol’ Will had only had an affectionate dog like me, maybe he would have been inspired to write Romeo and Juliet a happier ending.
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 37 GETAWAY magical morro bay {due west} words by ANDREA GEMMET TRAVEL & WELLNESS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: VISIT MORRO BAY
38 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: VISIT SLO CAL / VISIT MORRO BAY ers skims silently through the placid water. Nearby, a sleek sea otter floats on its back. Breaking a shell with a rock and gulping down the critter inside, it executes a neat barrel roll and dives in search of more tasty morsels. We got into town 10 minutes ago and already we’re entranced. One of a string of Central California beach towns in San Luis Obispo County, Morro Bay’s laidback, small-town charm might be best experienced during the off-season. While summertime vacationers can crowd the stretch of shops, eateries and small hotels along the Embarcadero, on a warm winter day there’s plenty of activity but also plenty of elbow room. The scenic harbor, bookended by Morro Rock on one side and a meandering estuary on the other, is so full of life that it’s hard to look away. Thanks to the long wooden walkway punctuated by benches and piers that overlook it, you seldom have to. Our spotless second-floor room at the boutique Anderson Inn boasts beachy chic decor and two balconies, one with a view of the harbor and another with a table and chairs overlooking the sidewalks of the Embarcadero. We grab binoculars from the desk and zero in on the dizzying array of sea birds and water fowl, spotting even more otters bobbing in the bay. EXPLORE While the view from the shore is lovely, we aim to experience Morro Bay from the water with a kayaking and hiking tour led by the vivacious Mandy Davidson of Wildheart Coastal Adventures. The affable expert on local flora and fauna is a longtime resident who fields all our questions with ease. We start out with a short, steep hike to a rocky promontory for an overview of the entire estuRolling into Morro Bay shortly before sunset, we get our first glimpse of the lively harbor. Squadrons of pelicans swoop along the shore and boisterous sea lions bark on a floating dock. Strolling out to a small viewing pier, we take in the scene. A novice sailor in a twoman boat struggles with the sails, an animated group floats by on a party boat and a group of kayak- {due west} ABOVE: Morro Bay is a popular spot for kayakers. TOP: Morro Rock overlooks both Morro Rock Beach and Morro Bay Harbor.
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40 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: VISIT MORRO BAY frankly, it’s hard to stop watching all the furry little otters. In almost every direction, we spy one tending to her sleek pup. We pull up our paddles to watch as one of the bigger otter pups tentatively swims away from mom and ducks its head under the water, its chubby rump still bobbing on the surface. “This phase, where they’re dog-paddling and learning to dive, it only lasts a couple of days,” Mandy marvels, adding that she’s never seen as many baby otters as she has this winter. If wielding a paddle isn’t your idea of fun, other options include hopping aboard a boat for a tour with familyowned Morro Bay Whale Watching and Sub Sea Adventures or renting an electric pontoon boat that seats up to 10 people from Estero Adventures. Morro Bay and the surrounding area also offer plenty to do on dry land. Serious birders will want to visit the Heron Rookery Natural Preserve in Morro Bay State Park, where snowy egrets, great blue herons and other impressive birds raise their young. Hikers can head two miles south of the city of Morro Bay to Los Osos Elfin Forest, which offers boardwalk and sand trails. If surfing and sunbathing is more your style, check out Morro Rock Beach’s six-mile stretch of sand. ary, from harbor to wetlands. Back at the harbor, a dockside kayaking lesson builds our confidence. Paddling out in a tandem kayak behind Mandy’s is like the difference between watching a wildlife documentary and going on a safari. Instead of observers, we’re part of this watery world. We spy a huge osprey perched atop a sailboat’s mast and lanky egrets and herons stalking prey on a sandbar. We pass through schools of tiny silvery fish, their bodies shimmering in the sunlight and close in on that big group of noisy sea lions. From the kayak, we see that they’re packed in so tightly, the dock has sunk down to the waterline. If one more blubbery fellow tries to join them, they’ll all end up underwater. The sheer range of wildlife in the harbor is breathtaking, but
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42 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: VISIT MORRO BAY / ANDERSON INN - ADAM SMTH PHOTOGRAPHY coastal charm morrobay.org Morro Bay’s harbor and historic downtown are compact and walkable if shopping and strolling is your idea of a relaxing weekend. Check out Coalesce Bookstore, which has been selling new and used books for over 50 years. The nearby Art Center Morro Bay is one of the Central Coast’s largest venues, exhibiting fine art by local artists. On Saturday afternoons, the weekly Morro Bay Farmers Market is a great place for browsing local produce, crafts, olive oil and prepared foods while enjoying live music. SAVOR Like most seaside towns, you’ll find fish and chips and clam chowder on a lot of menus. Most of Morro Bay’s harbor view restaurants specialize in seafood, but at Tognazzini’s Dockside, the owner just might be the one who brought in the catch of the day. Morro Bay native Mark Tognazzini is a commercial fisherman, and if he didn’t catch your fish, he can almost certainly tell you which local fisherman did. His boat, the Bonnie Marietta, is the star of the town’s annual Lighted Boat Parade in December. This past holiday season, he spent three full days decking her out in over 26,000 LED lights. The Galley, attached to the Anderson Inn, offers top-notch seafood “served naked,” with sauces on the side (the better to appreciate its freshness), along with produce from the chef’s family farm. For more casual dining, settle into a booth and enjoy friendly service and delicious seared ahi fish tacos at Rose’s Landing Bar and Grill. Walk-up fish markets like Lil Harbor Hut and Giovanni’s TakeOut Express let you enjoy your fish and chips on the go, while Dorn’s Breakers Cafe is a local favorite for brunch. For a pick-me-up, walk a few blocks from the harbor to Scout Coffee and try a cup of the pourover Ethiopian with one of their savory scones made in-house daily. All too soon, the weekend is over and it’s time to head back to the Peninsula. The three-and-ahalf hour drive north offers plenty of time to chart the next trip to Morro Bay. “Our best weather is in the off-season,” Mandy advises us. “Spring can be windy, but in between storms is the best weather.” Sounds like a plan.
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44 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM OUTDOORS big basin reawakened words by LOTUS ABRAMS {due west} Arriving at Big Basin Redwoods State Park recently with my family in tow—our first visit to the park since the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire engulfed the Santa Cruz Mountains in flames—I have to admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect. In just 24 hours, the wildfire blazed through 97% of the oldest state park in California, destroying 85 miles of trails and 100 structures, including the iconic 1930s-era campfire center and the 1911 Old Lodge, plus a brand-new nature museum that was set to open in 2021. We’re here to meet our guide for the day, Garret Hammack, a planner with California State Parks’ Santa Cruz District. As we begin our walk, I can’t help but reminisce about how different the ing their way back to the park, and new and unusual species of fungi are appearing. Most remarkably, bushy, green new growth is sprouting from the charred redwoods. “The vast majority of the old growth redwood trees survived because they can sprout directly from the trunk or any of the branches, even when they’re completely burned,” Garret tells us. Scientists have long known that redwoods are well-adapted to fire, but the mechanism of their survival wasn’t fully understood. Big Basin offered researchers from Northern Arizona University the chance to study their seemingly miraculous recovery. “What they found is that, over their lifetime, these trees store a portion of the carbon that they take from the atmosphere through photosynthesis as a kind of insurance policy, so when something like this happens, they can tap into those reserves to form new needles,” says Ben Blom, director of stewardship and restoration park looked when my husband and I took our daughters here before the fire, on one of their first camping trips. Today the majestic redwoods, some of which are over 2,000 years old, are missing their glorious crowns, their bark blackened by the fire. The Douglas firs did not survive the flames, and neither did the campsites. But despite the destruction, I start to notice that something remarkable is happening at Big Basin: The forest ecosystem is once again full of life. SIGNS OF RENEWAL The grasses and ferns are flourishing on the sunlit forest floor and in the meadows. My daughter spots a banana slug. Garret shares that bobcats, foxes, deer and birds are findPHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: MAX WHITTAKER - SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE
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46 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} at nonprofit Save the Redwoods League, which helped to fund the study. Those banked reserves give redwoods an incredible advantage over other forest flora because they can regrow much more quickly, he adds. Hiking the park’s trails provides a unique opportunity to witness the forest’s resiliency up close. Start at Big Basin’s primary day use parking lot to find the easy, accessible half-mile Redwood Loop Trail, which meanders through some of the oldest and tallest trees in the park, including the Mother and Father of the Forest. Guided hikes on the trail are offered on weekends. Or, challenge yourself with one of the longer treks, like the fourmile Ocean View Summit Loop, which rewards visitors with ridgetop views of the Pacific. While many of Big Basin’s trails are still closed, restoration work is happening at a steady clip. A team of 50-plus state park staff and conservation crew members has been camping in the backcountry year-round since the fire, working to clear and reconstruct the 18,000-acre park’s network of trails. At the park’s western coastal entrance, the new 684-squarefoot Rancho del Oso Welcome Center opened last year, featuring interpretive exhibits and an observation deck with ocean views. Open trails here include the seasonal Marsh Trail, accessible from May through October, and the Hoover Trail that’s open yearround. While the campsites in the PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: MAX WHITTAKER - SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE / LOTUS ABRAMS
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48 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} heart of Big Basin remain closed, a small interim campground at Rancho del Oso offers six places to pitch your tent. WHAT’S AHEAD Looking to the future, the Reimagining Big Basin initiative outlines a plan for rebuilding visitor facilities—just not in their original locations. “Early planners weren’t expecting to get a million visitors a year coming by car from Highway 280 and Highway 17,” Garret says. “The silver lining of the fire is that now we have an opportunity to redesign the park so that it can handle that kind of visitation while also lessening the impacts on the natural resources.” Experts say that as long as there have been redwoods at Big Basin, there have been fires, but a wildfire of the magnitude of the CZU Complex hadn’t been seen for hundreds of years. One reason is that advancements in wildfire suppression have led to a buildup of overgrowth, Garret says, leaving parks like Big Basin vulnerable to extreme fire events that are intensified by climate change. Save the Redwoods League, California State Parks and a coalition of other partners are proposing a new forest stewardship plan that includes thinning and prescribed burning, techniques employed by the region’s indigenous people for thousands of years. Their hope is to help keep Big Basin’s redwood forests healthy in a warmer, drier climate. If it works, visitors will be able to appreciate the beauty of these ancient giants for generations to come. VISITING BIG BASIN Big Basin Redwoods State Park is open for limited day use. Parking reservations at the primary day use area are recommended ($6 per vehicle plus a $2 reservation fee, or $10 per vehicle without a reservation). No fees or reservations are required for day use at Rancho del Oso. Hop on a seasonal shuttle at the Saddle Mountain parking area, a pilot program that allows visitors to make a reservation and get a ride into the park, or take advantage of Santa Cruz Metro’s expanded seasonal bus route on weekends. Check parks.ca.gov/bigbasin for trail maps and updates. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY STATE PARKS
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 51 {food coloring} EATS, DRINKS & SCOOPS words by ELAINE WU • photography by PAULETTE PHLIPOT DINING dockside destination
52 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {food coloring} Every aspect of Hurrica restaurant in Redwood City, from the aquatic color scheme to the marine-themed artwork, the beautifully designed decor to the fresh local ingredients on their seasonal menu, has been carefully crafted and curated. So it’s surprising to hear that co-owner MeeSun Boice considers herself an accidental restaurateur. “I think I take on challenges in my career because it’s kind of like soul-searching. You find out who you really are and what you’re capable of,” she reflects. MeeSun’s willingness to face a challenge may stem from her childhood. She was adopted from an orphanage in South Korea when she was eight and transported to Kansas. “People used to call me names and threaten me,” she recalls. “I didn’t see another Asian face for 10 years. But you can choose whether you want to be a victim of it. I learned that if I wanted something, I had ABOVE: Hurrica co-owner MeeSun Boice stands next to the restaurant’s enormous jellyfish tank. to go out and get it for myself.” After climbing the financial corporate ladder, then switching to the world of tech, she realized she was putting in too many hours at the office without enough to show for it. “I thought to myself, ‘If I’m going to spend this much time working on something, I need to do it for myself,’” she says. A self-proclaimed foodie, MeeSun reached out to chef and restauranteur Parke Ulrich, a friend who had already seen success with his eateries Epic Steak and Waterbar in San Francisco. “I saw how hard he worked and I dined regularly at his restaurants. So we decided to build something together,” she says. After opening Mersea on Treasure Island in 2018, MeeSun and Parke started looking for another water-centric locale to open their second restaurant. Despite its out-of-the-way location, she
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