SPIRIT OF THE PENINSULA JULY 25 Picture-Perfect Storybook Tudor Scaling Up Seven Peaks Wave Riding Hydrofoiling A Deep Dive into Crystal Springs Reservoir Safari West: Close Encounters with Wildlife PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM sunsational
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10 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} Peninsula Culture 25 Peak Professional 32 Perfect Shot 34 Diary of a Dog: Palouse {due west} Travel & Wellness 39 Wine Country Wildlife 46 Water Wings IN EVERY ISSUE 14 Editor’s Note 16 Sloane Citron 19 QuickPUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: PAULETTE PHLIPOT / AGNIESZKA JAKUBOWICZ / ANNIE BARNETT / WHITNEY ALYSSA {food coloring} Eats, Drinks & Scoops 55 Sushi Love 60 Cheese Whiz 64 The Beat on Your Eats {home & design} Style and Substance 67 Once Upon a Design 72 California Seaming {punchout} Features 90 A Deep Dive into Crystal Springs {landmark} 98 The Cardinal Hotel {july 2025} contents 67 55 72 25
12 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM “One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation evermore.” —OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES 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 Kate Daly Loureen Murphy Sheryl Nonnenberg Elaine Wu EDITORIAL INTERN Margaret Koenig ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Sally Randall Georgina Fox SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE David Fenton CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Airiel Mulvaney ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Alexa Randall 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, COMPLETE CALENDAR, INSIDE SCOOPS & MORE: 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 ©2025 by 36 Media, LLC Members Sloane Citron, David Arfin hello@punchmonthly.com punchmagazine.com PUNCH® is a registered trademark of 36 Media, LLC
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14 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM of Molly Ringwald’s character in Pretty in Pink, you’re not alone. (I see you, my fellow Gen X-ers.) (Page 72) You’ve driven past Crystal Springs Reservoir and maybe even strolled its banks on the Sawyer Camp Trail, but how well do you really know the glistening man-made lakes along Interstate 280 in San Mateo County? From wildlife to water wars, Spanish explorers to stagecoaches and circus horses, we delve into the history and ecology of the Peninsula’s key water source. (Page 90) You won’t find circus horses at Safari West’s Wine Country wildlife experience, but you’ll encounter a lot of uncaged exotic beasts, like big-horned Watusi, curious ostriches, giraffes, elands and more. Find out what it’s like to spend the day—and the night—at this unique Santa Rosa getaway. (Page 39) If adventure is your style, meet David Wells and Chris Radkowski, two guys who can send you soaring above the surface of the Bay on a sleek hydrofoil (Page 46) or let Portola Valley’s Heidi Richards give you the inside scoop on what it takes to summit the highest peaks on seven continents. (Page 25) Also in this month’s issue of PUNCH, we pay a visit to chef Brandon Wu, who puts a little love into each expertly prepared dish at Sushi Ai, the highly regarded Redwood City omakase restaurant. (Page 55) If you’ve ever longed for a house straight from the pages of a fairytale, designer Bynn Esmond tells us how she transfigured the beastly interior layout of a San Carlos storybook Tudor into a place of beauty where a family can live happily ever after. (Page 67) July is here, summer is in full swing and we’re ready to soak up some sunshine. Grab your issue of PUNCH and enjoy all that the Peninsula has to offer this month! Andrea Gemmet andrea@punchmonthly.com {editor’s note} austerity of post-war Italy, the high price of fuel and the ongoing challenge of navigating narrow streets in ancient cities. The cleverly designed trucks offer an efficient and incredibly versatile solution. Selling food out of a specially outfitted Ape isn’t an uncommon sight in Italy, but here on the Peninsula, it’s pretty eye-catching. Georgette Nelson takes Large Marge, Kitchen Table Travel’s adorable customized Ape, to events to peddle cheeses and other delicacies. Georgette is a chef, Italy aficionado and tour guide who loves to share her passion for food while demystifying dairy creations both imported and domestic. I came away with tips on cheeses to try (among them: Red Dragon, an English cheddar; and Lenora, a soft-ripened Spanish goat cheese) along with the names of some good streaming shows for practicing my Italian. Georgette also created a wickedly decadent dessert recipe especially for PUNCH readers. (Page 60) In our July issue, we’ll introduce you to another creative Peninsulan, artist Whitney Alyssa, whose career evolved from designing wedding gowns to creating mixedmedia landscapes celebrating California scenery. Whitney got her start reconstructing thrift store finds and making her own prom dresses—if that makes you think The baffling-looking vehicle probably wouldn’t have made the Top 10 list of strange and wonderful things I discovered on the streets of Italy as a teenager. Cars didn’t have seatbelts in the backseat. (Yikes!) Welldressed senior citizens rode motor scooters! Even a bus driver on a narrow mountain road gunned the motor like a Ferrari driver. The sidewalk apparently could be a viable parking space. Stop signs were often optional. But the one sight that made me laugh out loud was a very large man in a very tiny truck with the word “APE” emblazoned across the front. His bare, beefy arm hung out the window, and I wondered if that was by choice or necessity, since the diminutive cab hardly seemed big enough to contain him. I saw those wee little threewheeled trucks all over, hauling almost anything you can imagine, from building supplies to boxes of produce. Made by Piaggio, the manufacturer of Italy’s legendary Vespa scooters, and pronounced “AH-pay” (the Italian word for bee), these sturdy vehicles could squeeze into places that a regular pickup truck couldn’t. And just like Havannah’s crumbling colonial architecture and ingeniously repaired vintage cars tell the story of life under the embargo, the Ape reveals something about the
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16 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {sloane citron} attacks. This is perhaps the most abysmal company on the face of the earth when it comes to customer service, lagging only slightly behind the Kyrgyzstan post office. The latest issue that I was trying to solve was a simple one: We used to have 150 hours of recording time and now we had 12 hours. I bravely decided to tackle this on a recent night. I was on the phone with “Shannon” for over 70 minutes. Shannon had a brightness and skill-solving ability just below that of my two older grandchildren, both age six. She continued to insist that each TV in my home had its own recording device, as if we were still using TiVo. She could not understand that everything is on the cloud and there is one “cloud” of all our TVs. I found myself asking questions like, “Have you ever helped anyone before or am I your first customer?” While being transferred to another agent, the line went dead. I think Shannon had had enough of me. It took me 45 minutes and an episode of Loudermilk to calm down enough so that I could even think about going to sleep. I decided that I might have better luck if I just went to the Comcast store in Palo Alto and was able to look a human in the eye. Shortly before I closed down for the night, I received a text from Comcast/Xfinity telling me that since I have been a customer for 29 years, I could get a free phone and service for a year, powered by Comcast. The irony struck me. If I had an Xfinity phone, which certainly would not work well because it is from them—and this is the kind of customer service I’d have to rely on—my family would be doomed to a cold hot tub and no music. But at least I might be able to get the washer running. I like a simple life with basic things. I drive a 13-year-old Range Rover with buttons and switches—intuitive functions. As opposed to some of my friends with new one-panel display operating systems in their cars, I actually know how to turn on the air conditioning or change a radio station without getting annoyed. It stands to reason, then, that I’m also not a phone guy. I am not very good at it, and I don’t care to change that. My family is constantly haranguing me because I don’t see their texts, or their messages or their WhatsApp calls or their emails. There are just way too many ways to communicate. Which brings me to our home that has been freshly renovated. After some considerable time away from it, we have moved back in. The remodeled home is a stunning testament to my wife and daughter’s abilities, but for a person who likes simplicity and constancy, there is a lot of modern complexity. The electronics guy came by to show me how to operate the home (and, apparently, my entire life). We started on music. Do I have Sonos? Nope. Do I have Spotify? Nope. Do I have Pandora? Nope. He looked at me as though I was from Mars. He put Sonos and Amazon music on my phone (he also hooked up my treasured CD player) and then tried to show me, mostly in vain, how to turn on each speaker, adjust its volume, choose a music source, select CD, hit play and hold my breath to see if it worked. If I wanted to listen to music before, I put in the CD I wanted and pressed play. It worked perfectly. Now, I have to find my phone, find the app, control the speakers, find the app for playing my CD player and I still have to put in the CD! Then maybe I’ll have music. I’m doubtful. The electronics guy then wanted to show me how to use the security system. Apparently, we have 30 cameras in every location. (I looked for one when I first used the bathroom, but thankfully, they skipped that room.) But I told him that I had enough for the day and that if someone wanted to come steal all my stuff, that would be fine with me. Next, the pool guy came by to explain that, rather than the easy-to-use keypad housed in a closet in our “old” home, the controls are now all on my phone and in the cloud. He spent hours getting it to work, but the truth is that since I don’t use it a lot, I’ll never remember how it works and will have to call the guy to explain it to me each time I want to adjust the pool temperature or turn on the hot tub. I already envision the stress I will be under when a bunch of the grandchildren show up to hop in the hot tub and I can’t get anything to work, and the pool guy is unreachable in Bucharest. There is good news though: I can now operate most of our appliances—washer, dryer, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher—with my phone. There’s an exciting opportunity. Xfinity or Comcast (What is its name?) promised to move all of our services from our temporary digs at the rental house back to our regular home. The process that I have gone through to accomplish this task (still unresolved) has brought me to the brink of several heart the un-simple life
Pacific Trust Real Estate is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 02014153. 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. Proud to be recognized as one of RealTrends Verified Top 1% Real Estate Teams for 2025. Nick Granoski | 650-269-8556 nick@pactrustrealestate.com DRE 00994196 David Weil | 650-823-3855 david@pactrustrealestate.com DRE 01400271
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 19 JULY 2025 + 31 DAYS + POOL TIME + OUR 84TH ISSUE {quickpunch} Start Up + See red, white and blue fireworks to celebrate our nation’s birthday, July 4. + Our largest planet, Jupiter, lines up for excellent viewing on July 13 and 14. + Watch your favorite NBA players shine at the All-Star game on July 15. + Don’t miss Filoli Family Nights every Thursday and Friday throughout July. Venture Out + DIG into spicy, satisfying bowls of beans at Palo Alto’s annual Chili Cookoff on Independence Day, July 4. paloalto.gov + DEVOUR a hearty pancake breakfast in downtown Redwood City on the Fourth of July. Continue the day’s revelries at the biggest parade in Northern California, and stay for the chalk art festival, classic car show and drone light show set to music. parade.org + SWISH, sniff and swirl at the Wine Walk in downtown Burlingame on July 31. burlingamedowntown.org How half of a year passes so swiftly makes time seem like an illusion. Yet here we are, basking in the sun and going on vacations, walking our downtowns in shorts and T-shirts and looking for opportunities to dive into refreshing swimming pools. Carnivals and art shows abound, and dining al fresco makes for more relaxed, longer conversations as we enjoy the nature around us. Take a day and go for a long hike or head to the coast and feel the refreshing spritz of the cold ocean spray. Just don’t forget the sunscreen. “July is a blind date with summer.” —HAL BORLAND welcome back
20 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} Dash to Dine + IT’S ITALIA—Lively ambiance and excellent Italian fare, plus a Tuscan-style courtyard with fireplaces and a fountain—401 Main Street, Half Moon Bay + CASCADE AT COSTANOA—Delightful California coastal cuisine featuring freshly harvested ingredients from nearby farms—2001 Rossi Road, Pescadero + THE CONSERVATORY—Beach house-inspired space offers upscale seafood and homegrown California cuisine—Ritz Carlton, 1 Miramontes Point, Half Moon Bay Carpe Diem + ENTER a whole new world at the 1001 Nights popup at the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley’s Quattro terrace, where lacy gold latticework and lantern-lit pathways evoke a Persian bazaar. Dine on creamy muhammara and moutabal dips, succulent beef kibbeh and marinated chicken touk kebabs, then end on a sweet note with a nutmeg-laced umm ali bread pudding. If you come Friday through Sunday, belly dancing performances will make it dinner and a show. Open through September 14. + AMBLE down the Bear Gulch and Alambique trails, a 4.6-mile route looping through Wunderlich County Park in Woodside. Starting where Alambique Road ends, you’ll hike through redwood, oak and madrone forests, then ascend to Wunderlich Park’s open meadows and conclude at Skyline Boulevard. The hike offers breathtaking views of the Bay Area, vibrant flora and fauna—and, most importantly, plenty of shade from the hot summer sun. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand—A stranded WWII soldier’s survival story leads to an odyssey of resilience and redemption. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel—A poetic postapocalyptic tale of life after a world-altering pandemic. Racquet—Unexpected stories of tennis, plus luxurious art that’s inspired by the sport— racquetmag.com WHO KNEW? Every once in a while, when you are out and about and least expect it, a large jackrabbit will pop up, notice you and then run with abandon. The black-tailed jackrabbit—one of North America’s largest hares—thrives on the Peninsula. They can run at speeds of more than 35 mph and disappear from view in a heartbeat—good skills if you’re being chased by a red-tailed hawk. The hares tend to stay year-round in an area as long as there is food. Perhaps the best place to see one of these speedsters is while you are on a golf course, a habitat where they are clearly thriving. Well Read Unscramble ANS EAARNSD AU L F T Finally, some half-baked advice: If you sleep until lunchtime, you can save money on breakfast.
138 Valdeflores Drive Burlingame 4 Bed | 3.5 Bath | 3,315 SF | 12,306 SF Lot Offered at $3,998,000 A just-completed masterful transformation enhances the rich character of this circa 1929 Spanish-style home in desirable Burlingame Hills. Thoughtfully expanded and completely renovated inside and out, the home showcases timeless architecture with terra cotta tile stairs, decorative tile risers, a red tile roof, and iron accents. Inside, original hardwood and parquet floors have been beautifully refinished and extended, and the entire home features new smooth-finished walls with rounded corners. Formal rooms radiate grandeur with cathedral ceilings, exposed beams, and elegant iron lighting. The all-new kitchen is a showpiece with marble-style quartz counters, Carrara marble mosaic backsplashes, Thermador and Zephyr appliances, a walk-in pantry, and a separate breakfast room. There are 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, including a luxurious primary suite with access to a covered veranda, and an additional suite privately located near the kitchen. A newly finished lower level adds two flexible-use rooms – one with a fireplace and private outside entrance – plus a half-bath. Above the detached 2-car garage, a fully finished bonus space with Douglas fir floors and new electrical offers endless possibilities including an office, hobby area, or playroom. Outdoor living is equally refined with a covered veranda, crushed stone side terrace with covered patio, expansive lawns, and curated plantings – all in complete privacy. Behind the scenes, every system has been upgraded, including electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, plus windows, doors, and landscaping are all new. Located just minutes to Highway 280, SFO airport, and Mills Canyon Park trailheads, this home also offers access to top-rated Burlingame schools. A rare opportunity for vintage character with modern luxurious comfort and an exceptional Peninsula location. Compass is the brand name used for services provided by one or more of the Compass group of subsidiary companies. 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. John Forsyth James 650.218.4337 john@johnforsythjames.com johnforsythjames.com DRE 01138400
22 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} How did you first get interested in commercial fishing? One of my friends needed help and I needed some money. What’s your boat’s name? Bare Bones, because there was nothing on it when I got it, other than the motor. It’s a G35. Where do you dock your boat? My fishing boat is at Pillar Point Harbor. I also have a 40-foot motor yacht. I am a legal liveaboard. What’s your favorite seafood dish? Rock fish, salmon and crabs. A little butter, lemon, pepper—you can’t go wrong. What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? Bluefin tuna, right as it’s cut off of the fish. Do you collect anything? Recently, a lot of seashells. What’s your personal motto? I say what I’m going to do, and then I do what I say I’m going to do. I try to be a man of my word. Which age would you choose to be again and why? Probably high school, when I was still innocent. Where did you grow up and what was great about it? Indianapolis, Indiana. We rode our bikes everywhere. Where is your favorite go-to spot on the Coastside? Pigeon Point Lighthouse. THE Q & A KERRY B. FAVIS What’s something people are always surprised to learn about you? Evidently, I don’t look 72. What’s the most perilous situation you’ve been in? Crabbing. It’s hard, dangerous work. Do you have any phobias? Not really. Just a healthy respect for Mother Nature. What is the biggest challenge you’re facing lately? Staying up on rules. The regulations change all the time and you have to keep up on them. How do you feel about ocean conservation work? It needs to go hand-in-hand with the fishing industry. You can’t have one and not the other. What advice do you have for the next generation of fisherfolk? You could have good years and bad years. You gotta plan for both. What was your first job? Dipping ice cream at Lindner’s in Indianapolis, a store that my mom managed Saturday nights. When the Little Leaguers would come in, we would have the shake and malt machines humming. If you had to choose a different line of work, what would it be? I have done a lot of jobs. This is as good as it gets. A Half Moon Bay fisherman talks conservation, crustaceans and being at home on the water.
ADVENTURE peak professional words by KATE DALY PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 25 {punchline} PENINSULA CULTURE
26 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} How does Heidi Richards of Portola Valley describe some of her experiences as a professional mountain guide who has reached the summit of the seven highest mountains on all seven continents? “A suffer-fest.” Fortunately, Heidi is the kind of person who enjoys challenges. “The physical demand, and the simplicity of it all, is incredible,” she explains. Heidi attributes her endurance in such a challenging field—she led climbs for more than a dozen years—to being “very clever and very resourceful” and staying in great shape. As she approaches 60, Heidi’s no longer a guide but she exercises every day, hiking up and down Windy Hill Open Space Preserve and on trails in Palo Alto’s Foothills Nature Preserve with friends. You can find her surfing with her family in Santa Cruz and skiing in winter. Heidi says the “high of exercise” is something she thrives on. “I feel really lucky it makes me feel good,” she says. Of course, a mountain guide’s challenges are far from just physical. “Climbing mountains is a great opportunity to develop your mind … There’s a lot of time for reflection.” Case in point: the time Heidi spent 11 days in a tent waiting out a storm at 14,000 feet on Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, in Alaska. “You can’t get out of your tent without your skin completely covered, and those are tough times because you have to keep physically active.” If you don’t, you won’t be prepared to make it to the top at 20,310 feet, Heidi says. It pays to expect the unexpected on Denali. On one expedition, Heidi says it took 28 days to climb, due to bad weather delaying the summit until day 26. Winds could be howling at 30 mph with wind chill making the temperature drop to 10 degrees below zero. PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNIE BARNETT ABOVE: Heidi Richards makes her home in Portola Valley these days, but for years she led climbers up and down Earth’s highest peaks as a professional mountain guide.
28 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM Guides typically carry 30 to 40 pounds of supplies—from long underwear and insulating layers for rain, snow, extreme heat and sun, to rescue gear, first aid kits, freezedried food and white-gas fueled stoves to melt snow. On Denali, mountain guides pull sleds to and from base camps, adding to the hardships. Heidi says the key quality needed in an expedition leader is a “mental edge.” “Not only are you stronger than your clients, you’re a million times more ef- {punchline} school and in 1994, when she was in her 20s, she switched to mountain guiding for Rainier Mountaineering Inc. There, she met her future husband, Tap Richards, and over the years, they often worked together. Heidi started guiding international trips in 1997. In 2001, an American client hired a team that included Heidi and Tap with the goal of climbing the seven summits in five years. “He was a tough guy, mentally very tough; we had to climb yearround to keep his goal and stay in shape,” Heidi says. He made it to the top on six of the climbs, but on his last try at age 53, he did not complete the seventh summit in the Himalayas. Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world at 29,032 feet, “just proved to be too much,” she says. Heidi estimates the whole trip— including helicopters, Sherpas and yaks—cost about $400,000. Heidi recalls the group spent two and a half months on that expedition in 2006, starting with a two-week-long walk to Everest’s south-side base camp at 17,500 feet. The team worked its way up to Camp III and Camp IV, before attempting to summit via ABOVE: (clockwise from top) Heidi and husband Tap celebrate back at base camp after reaching the summit of Mount Everest in 2006; Heidi on Mount Everest; Tap and Heidi raise their arms in triumph on the way down from the summit. ficient in everything that you do because you have so much experience,” she observes. One of her mountain-guide hacks? Heidi prestuffs her coat with snacks, so there’s no delay when she needs to eat and no disrobing needed to get to the food. “We don’t let ourselves get cold or too hot, but if we do, we can handle it because our tolerance is so high for physical discomfort,” she says of mountain guides. Heidi grew up in Tacoma, Washington, on a ranchette where hard physical work came with the territory. After high school she went to massage PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: HEIDI RICHARDS
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30 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} the spot and recovered some artifacts. Since summiting Everest, Heidi has climbed Mount Rainier several more times, adding to her total of guiding more than 100 trips there. After leaving the professional mountain guide life behind, Heidi was a real estate agent in Seattle until the couple moved to the Peninsula 10 years ago. Currently, Heidi is a personal assistant for a local family and offers massage therapy for a small group of clients. After all that time in the Pacific Northwest, Heidi and Tap are enjoying the Bay Area’s fair weather and love that so many of their friends and neighbors are outdoorsy and game to go camping. Their daughter is a rising high school senior who has done some climbing in Yosemite. “She does seem interested, and is a very strong athlete,” Heidi says. But it’s a bit too soon to tell if she will follow in her parents’ adventure-filled footsteps. the South Col route. The client made it as far as Camp III before having to turn around. Heidi, her husband Tap and two others made it all the way to the top. The couple spent about 15 minutes up there, took photos and used a satellite phone to share the news with their dads before making the difficult descent. A photo taken of the group at base camp the day after they summited captures “one of the happiest days of my life,” Heidi says. She was 39 and ran into a friend along the route who told her that after this Everest trip, she was going to start a family. Me too, Heidi replied. In 2008, she and Tap welcomed their daughter on the same day that mountaineering legend Sir Edmund Hillary died. Back in 1953, the New Zealander and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit of Everest. Heidi and Tap considered the date to be a good omen. Almost a decade earlier, the couple had a brush with another famous mountaineer on Everest. In 1999, they were involved in a research expedition to locate the body of English climber George Mallory. He and Sandy Irvine died on the mountain in 1924 while attempting to summit the north side, and it is still unknown whether the pair of Brits ever succeeded in making it to the top. The team found a frozen body and Tap spied the nametag on its shirt: G. Mallory. The group performed a burial ceremony on ABOVE: Heidi and Tap on Mount Everest. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: HEIDI RICHARDS
1661 UNIVERSITY AVE, PALO ALTO 4 BEDS | 4 BATHS | 2 HALF BATHS | 4,527 SF LIVING | 15,000 SF LOT Nestled on a gorgeous and private lot in one of Palo Alto’s most coveted neighborhoods, this luxurious Crescent Park home offers exceptional design, impeccable craftsmanship, and resort-like living. A spectacular great room boasts beamed & vaulted ceilings, 10 skylights, a stunning fireplace, and a Chef’s kitchen with all the bells and whistles. Formal rooms include an elegant dining room and a handsome living room with coved ceiling and fireplace. The primary bedroom suite wows with vaulted high ceilings, double doors to the central courtyard with fire pit, and custom metal barn doors to the beautiful spa-like bathroom and grand walk-in closet. The first floor also holds a second en suite bedroom and an elegant half bath. The second floor has two generous carpeted bedrooms and two bathrooms; one bedroom is en suite with two walk-in closets. The large professionally landscaped lot is both peaceful and exhilarating, offering multiple spaces for outdoor activities such as a custom regulation-size bocce court, pool and hot tub with waterfall and a wonderful Ipe lounging deck, and outdoor kitchen and al fresco dining in the incredible pavilion that includes a fireplace, radiant heat, TV and half bath. Additional features include a mudroom, a fabulous laundry room, a charming breakfast nook with built-ins, and an oversized 2-car attached garage. A stellar location close to vibrant downtown and Stanford University, and exceptional public schools (Duveneck Elementary, Greene Middle, Palo Alto High) complete the appeal of this magnificent gem. brianchancellor.com | 650.303.5511 brianc@sereno.com | DRE 01174998 The information contained herein has been obtained from third party sources deemed reliable but its accuracy is not guaranteed. Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno has not and will not verify the information and assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. Buyer should verify and investigate all information to Buyer’s satisfaction. If your home is currently listed with another agent, please disregard this marketing material. 1661UNIVERSITY.COM SERENO OFFERED AT $8,750,000 | 1661UNIVERSITY.COM | BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
32 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} PERFECT SHOT having a blast For a peak patriotic display, this red-white-and-blue starburst fits the bill. PUNCH photographer Gino De Grandis captured this ethereal Independence Day display at Foster City’s Fourth of July fireworks show. Gino prefers a high vantage point for the view of the inky blue Bay in the background. Image by Gino De Grandis / luiphotography.com
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 33 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
34 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. Hello there! I’m Palouse—an unusual name for a dog, but in my case, a very fitting one. I was found in the Palouse region in eastern Washington, an area known for its rolling hills of wheat. In mid-summer before the harvest, the hills perfectly match the color of my coat. As a terrier mix with expressive eyebrows, fiery brown eyes and a tufted beard, people often say I closely resemble the Fantastic Mr. Fox from the Wes Anderson film. In 2020, when I was six months old, Callan adopted me from Adam’s County Pet Rescue in Othello, Washington, and we only recently moved palouse DIARY OF A DOG as told to MARGARET KOENIG photography by ROBB MOST to Menlo Park. While I miss the snow in Washington, I’ve found that when it comes to the great outdoors, the Peninsula has an awful lot to offer. I’m an avid hiker, swimmer, kayaker and chaser who’s always up for an adventure— a recent favorite is hiking Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. Callan says I’m incredibly sweet and loving, but I do have a bit of a naughty streak: I’m an opportunistic countersurfer who once managed to steal an entire steak. And I’ll admit, I do find it amusing to dry myself off on the nearest human after I go for a swim. Let’s just say that with me around, life is never dull!
Zen-Inspired Close-in Retreat on 5.4 Acres Organic ambiance in a beautiful country setting | Approx. 5.4 acres (235,171 sf) | One level with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths Lower-level wine cellar with outside entrance | Detached studio/office | Approx. 4,055 total square feet Large sauna and outdoor spa for wellness | 2-car attached garage plus 2-car carport | Portola Valley schools REAL ESTATE SERVICES 650.740.2970 DRE# 01230766 erika@erikademma.com erikademma.com Boutique Customized Service with Strong Local and Global Presence OVER $2.5 BILLION SOLD PENINSULA #6 REALTOR WOODSIDE #1 REALTOR 19 PRESTON ROAD, WOODSIDE | PRICE UPON REQUEST | 19PRESTON.COM
OVER $2.5 BILLION SOLD PENINSULA #6 REALTOR WOODSIDE #1 REALTOR REAL ESTATE SERVICES Whole-Home Transformation & Amazing Views Almost one-half acre (~20,896 sf) with fabulous western hill views | 4 bedrooms, 2 offices, and 3.5 baths Approximately 3,715 sf | Wisteria-covered front lounge with water feature | Fabulous rear grounds with beautiful gardens Attached 2-car garage with Tesla charger | Award-winning Woodside Elementary School K-8 (buyer to confirm) 642 WOODSIDE WAY, WOODSIDE | PRICE UPON REQUEST | 642WOODSIDE.COM
REAL ESTATE SERVICES 650.740.2970 DRE# 01230766 erika@erikademma.com erikademma.com Boutique Customized Service with Strong Local and Global Presence Napa Valley-Like Vineyard Estate with Bay Views 25 OAKHILL DRIVE, WOODSIDE | PRICE UPON REQUEST | 25OAKHILLWOODSIDE.COM Dramatic renovation with sleek modern style | Approximately 3.8 acres (per survey) | 300 Pinot Noir and 300 Syrah vines 5 bedrooms and 6.5 baths on two levels | Extraordinary San Francisco Bay views | 82-foot-long pool with integrated spa
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 39 GETAWAY wine country wildlife {due west} words by JOHANNA HARLOW TRAVEL & WELLNESS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: CHERYL CROWLEY - SAFARI WEST
40 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: SARAH JANE-TARR / WILL BUCQUOY / SARAH JANE-TARR / SAFARI WEST A WILD HISTORY After watching films like George of the Jungle and Jumanji, who doesn’t hunger for a wilderness adventure? As it happens, the magical world of movie-making influenced Safari West’s origin story. Enter the preserve’s co-founder Peter Lang. As the son of a Hollywood director, Peter grew up on television sets for shows like Daktari and Sea Hunt, where he encountered wild cats, chimpanzees and other exotic animals. At 13, Peter raised lion cubs on behalf of a film company—and occasionally hopped on a bus with one of his young charges for a trip to the beach. After heading “the last working cattle ranch in Beverly Hills,” Peter imported a few African eland (an ox-sized member of the antelope family) to nibble down the surrounding shrubs. He later added white-striped kudu and hulking-horned Watusi cattle to his herd. After selling his ranch to the National Park Service, Peter purchased a large property in Santa Rosa and brought his herd north. There, he collaborated with zoos and wildlife preserves to create a conservation breeding facility, often for endangered species. Soon, Peter grew captivated by an avian biologist who later became his wife: Dr. Nancy Lang. Together, these birds of a feather decided to open their Santa Rosa facility to the public. Peter contributed his entrepreneurial spirit and flair for the artistic, while Nancy applied her background as the lead curator at the San Francisco Zoo to fortify Safari West’s wildlife education and conservation focus. Their safari sanctuary has been thriving ever since. {due west} Going on safari doesn’t require a trip to Africa—it doesn’t even require a plane ticket. With just a two-hour drive north, you can commune with giraffes, zebras and cheetahs on a wildlife preserve in Santa Rosa. Safari West, dubbed “the Serengeti of Sonoma,” is home to nearly 1,000 animals—from kookaburras to kudus, bongos to buffalo. Rather than encounter these majestic creatures behind bars, guests jump in jeeps with a guide to meet them on their own turf. After a ride through the rolling hills and oak-studded woodlands of this 400-acre property, explorers have the option to extend the adventure with an overnight stay. Ready for a walk on the wild side? Pull on your pith helmets (or your baseball caps) and away we go!
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42 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: RAY MABRY / JOHN BURGESS / RAY MABRY / SAFARI WEST giraffe habitat. Getting so close to these sky-high creatures is surreal. “Giraffes are kind of a weird animal,” Jeff says. “But I think that’s why we all like them.” As if to prove his point, a towering mammal two yards away assumes a wide-legged, tripod-like stance and strains her long neck to reach the sweet, green grass far below. Next, she raises her head to the nearby tree and, snaking out a long purple tongue, wraps it around some leaves before pulling them back to her mouth. “Their tongues are 15 to 18 inches long,” Jeff notes. “A good rule of thumb is that for every foot tall a JUMP IN THE JEEP When I arrive at the reserve, I’m linked with a khaki-clad guide named Jeff DaSilva for a threehour tour. Jeff wears a feather in his hat and boasts the kind of impressive tan earned from a life spent in the sun. He offers me a hand as I scramble aboard a hulking double-decker safari jeep, then swings nimbly into the driver’s seat. As we pull onto the dirt road, we pass a trio of warthogs (one answering to the name Pig Newton). It takes all my self-control not to burst into a song from The Lion King—and the urge only intensifies as we pull into the {due west} giraffe is, it has an inch longer tongue.” Apparently, a few lucky guests have received kisses from these gentle giants. As we drive deeper into the property and up into the winding wooded hillsides, we rumble along a rugged road that has me channeling my inner Indiana Jones. Fortunately, the jeep handles well on this bumpy terrain and we pull into a clearing to watch a small herd. The zebras among them are easily recognizable. “People sometimes think of the zebra as a horse,” Jeff says, but there’s another species they’re more closely related to. “That’s a stripey African donkey.” He identifies the other species as the common eland. “The males can get up to 2,000 pounds when they’re full-grown.” Off we go again, meeting wildebeests and cape buffalo along the way. Nearly back at the campground, an ostrich runs up and keeps pace with the jeep. Getting approached by this sixfoot-tall creature with its snakelike neck and sizable beak is intimidating, but the prehistoriclooking bird seems as curious about us as we are of him, and we leave on good terms.
Premier California Ranch & Recreational Properties More Information: www.chickeringco.com / (530) 265-5774 Terry Hundemer, Broker CalBRE#01100594 The Chickering Company, Inc. • ranches@chickeringco.com Fish Photo: johnfochettiflyfishing.com RIVERFRONT RANCH NEAR MOUNT SHASTA Fly fishing is extraordinary on this 1,155± acre cattle ranch on the Fall River. The ranch has abundant wildlife and big views of Mount Shasta. Bird hunting on the property along with some 7 miles of frontage on 3 rivers. Includes a 3 bedroom, 2 bath main home, a boathouse with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 2 enclosed boat slips, plus a large historic barn. Cattle lease provides annual income. $7.85 Million. SHOWCASE HOME ON GREAT RANCH IN SHASTA COUNTY Black Ranch is a magnificent 1,000-acre property located northeast of Redding, California. It features an extensive ranch compound with beautiful homes, a tennis court, swimming pool, stable, and expansive views of Burney Peak. Bordered on three sides by National Forest lands, Black Ranch is a remarkable wildlife habitat that provides excellent conservation and recreation opportunities. $6.95 Million.
44 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM As we disembark, I recognize the truth of a statement on the reserve’s website: “With no script and no predictable paths, every safari is a unique experience, guided by the natural rhythms of the animals themselves.” But our adventures aren’t yet at an end. Next, Jeff takes us on a walking tour of the enclosures that house the reserve’s cheetahs, hyenas and lemurs, as well as the walk-through aviary. Brilliant scarlet ibises parade past, as do African spoonbills with their utensil-shaped beaks. Jeff points adventure land safariwest.com {due west} out a hamerkop. Apparently, this bird is a compulsive nest builder, constructing multiple abodes before choosing the ideal place to start a family. “The male can’t sing, he can’t dance, so he builds her a few homes,” he jokes. SWEET SAFARI DREAMS After our tour, we get settled in our room. Safari West offers the full glamping experience with 30 luxury cabin tents imported from Botswana. Elevated on raised hardwood platforms, each “room” includes electricity, a heater, tribal decorations and a bathroom complete with a shower. The furniture was built by Peter himself. As I unpack, I fold down flaps in the canvas walls for views of bamboo and the nearby giraffe habitat. Dinner is a no-frills affair, but the 12-hour brisket, mac and cheese, smoked chicken and saffron rice is the kind of hearty meal that hits the spot after a long day. Meat is roasted over a wood-fired grill in the spirit of a South Africanstyle braai cookout. I buy a bottle of wine from the gift shop and take it back to my tent to enjoy a glass on the deck under the starry night sky. It’s a wonderfully wild way to spend the weekend. WILD NIGHTLIFE - The flamingos have a lot to say… all night long. Request a complimentary pair of ear plugs from the check-in desk or bring your own to ensure a sound night’s sleep. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: RAY MABRY / JOHN BURGESS / RAY MABRY / SAFARI WEST
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46 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} a stand-up paddleboard) and eFoiling (powered by an electric motor). His favorite is wing foiling, although David doesn’t recommend it for beginners. “You’ve got too much going on,” he explains. “Start with an eFoil. Isolate a variable, then move to the next step.” Not just flashy, this groundbreaking equipment promises a smoother, faster ride. “It’s much softer on the body because you’re flying above the water, not slapping on it,” David notes. “Your knees, your back, your everything—there’s so much less duress on your system.” It’s also breaking records left and right. Take the St. Francis Yacht Club’s SF Classic, a race that welcomes kiteboarding, wingfoiling and windsurfing. “In years prior to foiling, the windsurfers and kiteboarders would take about 90 minutes to complete the course,” Maybe you’ve been out enjoying a day by the Bay and stopped dead in your tracks at the sight of someone on a board that’s seemingly levitating above the water. This magic carpet ride is possible thanks to a hydrofoil, a slender mast below the board which extends to an underwater wing that creates lift. First used on boats at the tail end of the 1800s, the advent of hydrofoils in board sports is relatively new and was popularized by big-wave surfer Kai Lenny in 2016. Since then, “foiling” has taken the water sport world by storm. Any water sport using a board can incorporate foiling, says David Wells, owner of Redwood Water Sports. That includes wing foiling (which involves a small handheld sail), kite foiling (with a parachuteshaped kite), SUP foiling (on SPORTS water wings words by JOHANNA HARLOW says David, himself a fierce competitor in the event. “When the hydrofoil kites entered the mix, Nico Parlier did the course in just over 38 minutes!” David’s shop, with windows overlooking the pristine Port of Redwood City, has been an invaluable resource to the water sports community. But he’s had to fight to keep it alive. “Retail is under siege by Amazon,” David notes, not to mention the endless other activities that compete for people’s time and attention. “But there is a secret sauce: It’s called community.” That means water sports stores help each other out, David says. “Don’t schedule on top of me. I’ll promote your activity. You promote my activity. It’s you and PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: BRYAN MCDONALD
48 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM Winging it Hydrofoil, like any water sport, is more favorable in certain conditions. “My whole water sports philosophy is based on a Swiss Army Knife. What does the day present to you? Then use the right blade for the job,” explains David. “Windsurfing likes high winds and big choppy waters. Foiling likes medium winds and flat waters. Kite boarding can do either [condition], but it’s incredibly dangerous.” {due west} Chris, who competed in windsurfing at the 1988 Olympic Trials. “We’re experimenting with narrower, longer boards,” he says, because they require less energy for lift-off. Another critical design choice is F4 Foils’ focus on carbon fiber rather than fiberglass or aluminum. The lighter material is stiffer, making it more responsive to the rider. “You can mold carbon fiber into all kinds of shapes,” Chris adds. “That is the magic stuff.” David, who sells F4 Foils gear at his shop, wholeheartedly agrees. Once you give carbon fiber gear a try, he says, you realize that anything else feels like “running in hiking boots.” Ready to test-drive an eFoil? “Rank beginners sometimes do better than rad dude surfers,” David notes. For surfing, you need to lean back, but you lean PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: SIMONE STAFF - F4 FOILS / F4 FOILS me against the bike store!” He also offers plenty of chances for people to venture out on the water. “Moonlight paddles, races, swap meets,” David lists. “Services, services, services, lessons, rentals, storage—it’s gotta be a multi-legged stool to make the business work.” “The foiling community here in the Bay is dedicated and passionate,” says Chris Radkowski, co-founder of F4 Foils, a designer and manufacturer of top-tier watersport gear based in Woodside. His location on the Peninsula is no coincidence. “We have world-class conditions from April through October!” Not only is Chris the lead designer for F4 Foils, but he also tests the gear. “It’s rare that you get the person who’s doing the technical design also riding the equipment,” says ABOVE: (top right) Chris Radkowski (left) with his partner in F4 Foils, Memo Michailov.
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