Julian Horses

Share this Article

Located only an hour's car drive east from urban San Diego, the little rural town of Julian has provided a rural respite for thousands of people who visit it annually and seasonally. Some lucky San Diegans have second homes in Julian for their weekend getaways while others have made the leap and made it their permanent home. And, yes, there are the lucky few who actually grew up in the town and never left.

There are various ways to reach Julian - either by taking the circuitous route of Highway 79 or the northeastern route of Highway 67 to the 78. Here are directions to Julian

Whatever route you take, be sure to stop by Dudley's Bakery(30218 Highway 78, Santa Ysabel) on the way into Julian. Dudley's is a favorite road stop for hungry travelers who love their baked goods. For decades, they have made very good bread (cinnamon swirl, date nut, etc) and even better pastries. Like any good road stop, Dudley's offers travelers clean restrooms and a curio shop.

In Julian, just about everything happens on Main Street - from dining to shopping, from historical places to hiking trails, and best of all, apple pie. Those who do not live in San Diego or have recently moved to San Diego may not understand our insatiable demand for Julian's apple pie. It could be that going for apple pie is the stated reason but what is not said is that the journey to get the pie is the real reason. Don't get us wrong, the pies are delicious! But there is more to Julian than just the pie...

Main Street's covered walkways

Julian's Walkways

used to be wooden planks - now they are concrete sidewalks except for the area in front of the delightful dried fruit, nuts, and candy shoppe. Some of the buildings are original while others are historical reproductions. The residents and business owners of Julian have ensured that the commercial heart of the town should maintain its authenticity as much as possible. Some of the historic buildings 'resided' elsewhere and were moved to Main Street to preserve them. You can easily tell which buildings are actually historic by checking if they have a historical plaque in front of them.

Historical Places

Julian Hotel

Julian Hotel (2032 Main Street) - The most historical of the buildings is the Julian Hotel which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The renovated historic hotel has been a bed and breakfast for 20 years. The hotel is now the oldest continuously operating hotel in Southern California.

The most remarkable part of Julian and the hotel is that they were founded by free slaves in the 1880s-1890s. Albert and Margaret Robinson are officially credited with starting the hotel, then called the Robinson Hotel. Some people might ask how the hotel was able to survive in those days. The answer is quite simple - gold. A number of people came to Julian in those days to strike it rich in the surrounding mines during the 1880's. Legend has it that the name Julian actually originated with Albert Robinson who named the town after one of his nephews. Another legend associated with the Robinson's is that making apple pie came from Mrs. Robinson who was known for her baking and especially her pies.

The Old Cemetery - Julian's Cemetery is located just a couple of blocks away from the main commercial center across from the Fire Department. A wrought iron gate marks the entrance to the steps leading up to the cemetery. The beautiful part about the cemetery is that it offers gorgeous views of the little town. Being a cemetery, it is also a quiet place to catch your breath and enjoy the natural surroundings. Many of Julian's original descendents are buried here and some of the markers are still there. In case you were wondering, the Robinson's of the Julian Hotel are not buried here, they were buried back in their home state of Missouri.

The Old Julian Mine (End of C Street) - Visitors are welcome to tour the old Eagle Mine that was first put into action in 1870.

Eagle Mine Plaque

The mining operation at this site ceased sometime before WWII. The owners have actually preserved the old equipment and supplies that were once used during the decades of mining that took place, and yes, there is still gold in 'them thar hills. The gold these days in the price of admission to this living museum. Visiting the mine is an especially good idea during the warm summer days from July to September. The mine is a very cool place temperature-wise. It is a very interesting thing to do if you have time during your visit to Julian and it is certainly something that children would enjoy.

The Old Jail (Corner of C and Fourth Streets) - For some reason, folks are fascinated by the chance to visit this little jail and have their picture taken in front of the bars. Whatever the case, it brings people off Main Street and encourages them to discover other parts of the town. The jail really was a jail back in the days when the town constable needed a place to house an offender or two. The jail was actually located on his property so that he could keep watch on his 'guests.' The Gold Rush attracted enough characters to keep Julian's 10-12 saloons in business during the 1870's.

Apple Time

Calico Ranch Apple Orchard - The peak of tourism is autumn during apple harvest time. Apple harvest time ranges from the last week in September or the first week in October and lasts until Halloween weekend. A good number of folks like to combine their visit to Julian with a stop over at one of Julian's Apple Farms - Calico Ranch. The orchard is located 3 miles west of Julian on Highway 78. Unfortunately, the Calico Ranch will not be offering a U-Pick for 2008. HOWEVER, they will be selling apples at a stand in front of their ranch. So, be prepared. Get your flour, sugar, shortening, and cinammon ready for baking those fresh apple pies!

The owners of Calico Ranch are the Young Family. The Young's apple orchard features hundreds of trees - many of the varieties grown are antique apples. These heirloom apple trees were started in the 1940's and have been growing here ever since. Many of Calico Ranch's customers come back on an annual basis and buy apples by the sacks.

Calico is doing its part to the environment by using an integrated pest management system to cultivate and support their orchards. The apples that drop from the trees during the growing season are left on the ground and are used as mulch for next year's growing season.

Mom's Pie

Apple Pie Places - Our favorite pie is from Mom's Pies (2119 Main Street) - it is the place that has the line going outside the door. It is also the place that allows hungry customers the chance to see the pies actually being made through the front window.

The owners of Mom's say that the secret to their pie's success is that the apples come from Julian. Not all apple pies from Julian are actually made with Julian apples - some come from Washington State. Now, this is a highly subjective review because there are other folks who swear by the Julian Pie Company (2225 Main Street) which is located closer to the cemetery.

Julian Pie Company

As a general rule, the apple pies come with a traditional crust or a crumbly crust. Sometimes the pies are an apple berry combination which is also very good. The pie slices can come adorned with your choice of whipped cream, melted cheddar cheese, cinnamon or vanilla ice cream. We like the cinnamon ice cream as it provides a good contrast in taste and texture to the crumbly apple pie. Some of the pie companies offer their customers frozen pies so that they can take the pies home and bake them off. Pie prices usually range from $9-$11 for a whole pie and slices can go between $2.50-$3.50.

So, whatever pie place you choose, go through the doors and get yourself some pie.