38 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: VISIT PLACER / VISIT RANCHO CORDOVA I’m not sure if the inhabitants of California’s Gold Country are unusually friendly or if the exquisite peaches from Twin Peaks Orchards should get all the credit. It might be a little of both. Early into our four-day road trip through Rancho Cordova, Auburn, Nevada City and Grass Valley, my husband and I come away from a tour of Twin Peaks’ organic farm with a large box of perfectly ripe peaches, plus a dozen heirloom apricots. We can’t possibly eat all {due west} of them ourselves so, like a couple of Johnny Appleseeds, we hand out peaches to people we meet along the way. It proves to be an excellent ice-breaker. Our first stop is Rancho Cordova. We stroll around Soil Born Farm, a sprawling urban agriculture project hosting a weekly farmers market, lively outdoor cafe and community hub. It’s a great way to start off a lazy Saturday but our visit happens to coincide with the annual California Mermaid Convention, just across the street at Hagan Park’s community pool. The convention is one of the most joyfully eccentric scenes I’ve ever encountered. Colorful tails are laid out along the pool deck like fileted fish while their owners take a break and talk shop with fellow merfolk. In the sunlit water, several sirens glide beneath the surface while another sits halfsubmerged on a step, strumming a ukulele and singing sweetly while fluttering her tail. Back on the road, we pass through Rancho Cordova’s Barrel District, stopping at cool, cavernous Movement Brewing Co. for a frosty fruited sour. Dinnertime finds us in Auburn at Restaurant Josephine, the perfect intro to what becomes a culinary theme to this trip: creative farm-to-table cuisine, adeptly prepared and absolutely delicious.
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