18 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM board rider Julie Cox to create Traveler Surf Club in Pacifica, where newbies learn to shred and experienced surfers enjoy a cozy place to unwind after communing with the waves. (Page 50) Join the farm-totable movement with a trip to one of the Coastside’s small farms, whether to browse a produce stand, pick perfectly ripe berries, kick up your heels at a barn dance or volunteer to help bring in the harvest. It’s one of the best ways to nurture an appreciation for the hard work it takes to put food on your plate. (Page 98) Discover how a green thumb and a six-month stay in Paris planted the seeds for Bloomsgiving, a lush space in Redwood City that successfully grafted a flower shop onto a cafe crafting delectable drinks. (Page 64) Meet Peninsula transplant Nattacha Lerspreuk, who cultivates culinary inspiration from her native Thailand at Taste and Glory, a buzzy brunch spot in San Mateo. (Page 59) For Harumo Sato, a career as an artist proved that something beautiful can flourish even after a lifechanging setback. Meanwhile, novelist Mike Trigg reveals how the inspiration for his plot-twisting thrillers spouted from his real-life experiences as a tech exec. (Page 29) All this and more is waiting for you in this, our 72nd issue. Here’s hoping that you are enjoying it in a shady spot with a refreshing drink in hand! Andrea Gemmet andrea@punchmonthly.com {editor’s note} carefully set up the fireworks. But on July 5th, everything went back to normal and the sunny days of school-free bliss began to speed by. The long, lazy break that seemed endless in June gave way to sobering preparations for the start of a new school year. It wasn’t that I hated school, it’s just that it started much too early in the morning, and included dreary things like homework, handwriting practice and multiplication tables. As an adult, it’s hard to recapture that “school’s out for summer” feeling. Most of us don’t get to take a months-long break from our usual responsibilities, and are inclined to exhaust ourselves with an overpacked schedule when we do take a vacation. For me, one of the best ways to capture summer vibes without turning it into a major undertaking is to point the car toward the Coastside. A picnic on the beach is still an ideal way to spend a lazy summer day, even if San Mateo County’s shore tends to be chilly year-round. And the coast offers so many other delights away from the waves! Lingering over gelato and browsing shops in Half Moon Bay. Finding inspiration for dinner at farm stands and bakeries. Going for a hike. Picking strawberries or olallieberries, then spending the rest of the weekend in the kitchen, putting them to good use. In the pages of this month’s issue, you’re sure to find at least one good reason to venture west. Johanna Harlow takes you on a curated art walk exploring one of Santa Cruz’s newer attractions: 20 eye-popping ocean-themed murals. (Page 41) Find out what led star longJuly was simultaneously the best and the worst month of summer vacation when I was a child. My Redwood City neighborhood’s Fourth of July block party was pretty much the social highlight of my year. With the road closed off, barbecue grills and picnic tables migrated from backyards to the middle of the street. For one glorious day, we children ran free, with no adults yelling at us to look both ways and watch for cars. Our homemade parade of patriotically decorated bicycles and Big Wheels was a more humble affair than the city’s downtown extravaganza, but it was a lot more fun. When the sun finally set, we passed around the sparklers with fingers sticky from watermelon while a couple of neighborhood dads, a cop and a firefighter,
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