As we close out California Tourism Month, we’re highlighting locals whose work, culture, and passion shape what makes Fresno County special. Tourism in Fresno County isn’t just about where you go—it’s about who you meet along the way. We sat down with three community members: the Director of Operations at Forestiere Underground Gardens Shera Franzman, award-winning muralist of the Choctaw Nation Bobby Von Martin, and trauma surgeon and program director of UCSF Dr. Amy Kwok trains the next generation of medical professionals within Fresno.

Shera from Forestiere Underground Gardens

What should first time visitors know before visiting the Underground Gardens?

Shera Franzman

We are by guided tour, this is a historic site, and we think that our visitors get a lot more out of their visit with us when they go through a tour with us. We recommend a reservation, we always do our best to fit walk-ins in as quickly as possible, but reservations are definitely recommended. 

Forestiere headpage

We know there is some negative perception to visiting Fresno County. How do you think the Forestiere Underground Gardens is challenging that perspective?

So, the Underground Gardens it truly is a unique place. Not just for Fresno but in the world. Even though Fresno might not seem like 'oh there's not amazing things to do' there are special things if you take the time to look for them. A perfect example would be how we look when people pull up [to our historical site]. We are in Highway City, things have developed around us, it doesn't look like much, and we have people tell us 'Oh, I don't know if I want to come in' but then they come on tour and they leave here amazed that all of this is hidden here. I like to think about it as a good example of Fresno in general. Maybe from the surface it doesn't look all that amazing but if you dig a little bit, if you do your research, and find those cool hidden spots, there's really a lot of neat things in Fresno. 

visitors looking at tree growing in an underground garden

After visiting the Underground Gardens, where do you suggest travelers check out next?

If they want to stay in the garden theme, I send them to Shinzen Friendship Garden. If they want more of a leisurely walk around, I send people to Old Town Clovis to pick up a coffee at Kuppa Joy and walk down Pollasky Avenue and just explore. If they're here on a weekend, I suggest going to the Meux Home, because I love getting a lot of local history when I travel places. Then, picking a really good restaurant--I'm a really big fan of The Local in Old town Clovis and we also have The Annex Kitchen down the street from [the gardens]. So, if they want more of an Italian vibe, I will send them that way.

Bobby Von Martin 'Walk with Your Ancestors' Mural in Downtown Fresno

Can you tell us about your mural?

mural

It was important to bring real native people to where people can see. We have Sitting Bull in the middle, Jeronimo on the left, and on the right is a representation of a missing and murdered Indigenous woman. For us, these people were hanging on our walls, all Native people know who these people are. It's a way for me to represent and to show people who our heroes are. In any other culture or any other people in Fresno, they are able to look somewhere and see representation of themselves and for Indigenous people, we never had that representation that was correct. Another beautiful thing about this mural is when I was asked to do it, my brother James Martin is also an artist, he helped me with this mural and brought his kids and my kids out to make it more like a family and community thing.

What is an important detail to this mural you want visitors to know about?

walk with your ancestors mural and muralist

What's most important about this mural is the statement that it says: Native American people are still here. A lot of the times you think of Native Americans as what is portrayed on TV or mascots. Thinking of natives as we only ride horses or wear headdresses. But that's only a small specific tribe that even wear headdresses, but we think all Native Americans wear headdresses because that's what's on these mascots that are shown. The most important part of this mural is going to be the handprint on the womans face. As a man, I need to help our Indigenous sisters and helping them speak up [about the silence within Indigenous communities regarding domestic violence against Indigenous women].

Where would you tell a traveler to go in Fresno County to experience the local art scene?

I had people from Oklahoma come out; we did visit my mural. This is one of the largest murals in California [representing] Indigenous communities and the only one in Fresno that is correctly painted. If you really want to check out art, I would strongly suggest [Fresno] Art Hop and go to Broadway Studios, Arte Americas, or just go down Fulton Street and there's artwork everywhere. 

Bobby Von Martin also includes a land acknowledgment to the Choinumni Yocuts of Fresno County during his interview.

UCSF Fresno Dr. Amy Kwok 

Where are you from and what were your first impressions of Fresno?

dr. amy kwok

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, I did most of my education in Los Angeles and out on the east coast in Boston and New York. I finished my residency in Los Angeles and at that time I was really looking for a trauma fellowship program to go to. One of the programs that I was training out of was the busiest level 1 trauma center in California and I was looking at UCSF Fresno because it's the second busiest level one trauma center in California. I came here in 2010 to start my acute trauma fellowship training at UCSF Fresno. First impressions: It was busy! I remember my first day when I came to interview, I got to scrub into one of the surgery's during my interview and it was a rib plating that we did, and it was really something that was just starting in 2009-2010. So that was how I got interested in UCSF Fresno.

What made you want to stay in Fresno after you completed your training?

ucsf fresno sign

The training here was what brought me to Fresno and the training was really what kept me here for the first 2 years. We became subsequently the busiest trauma center in California in the next couple of years, and we currently still are. So, the volume of training I got to see here was amazing. The amount of different traumas, the number of different cases I got to see was really good training. I think what really spoke to me for staying here was the people I got to take care of. We are a safety net hospital. We take care of everybody that walks through those doors, and that really spoke to my passion for this career and to be able to serve the patients. It was twofold, I got great training here and I had really enjoyed the people I got to take care of as well. Now, I'm really proud to say I've been here for 13 years as a critical care surgeon.

What are some of your favorite things to do in Fresno?

Go out and try different foods. I'm a big foodie, all the different foods available here to try on the weekends is one of my favorite things to do. The national parks, the lake systems (Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake) and the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

A special thank you to Shera Franzman, Bobby Von Martin, and Dr. Amy Kwok.

Want to know more places locals love? Get the visitor's guide:

visitors guide CTA