Historic gold mining town east of San Diego known for Apple Pies 

Taking a day trip to Julian is like stepping back in time.  Although it is still in San Diego County, it is far from the hustle and bustle of the big city.  Julian is a historic gold mining town located approximately one hour east of San Diego. It is a quaint mountain retreat with four distinct seasons: Spring brings the blossoming of many flowers including daffodils and lilacs; Summer is perfect for hiking and star-gazing; Fall is famous for the apple harvest and fall colors; while Winter brings snowfall and bright, crisp days.

Although famous for its apples and superb apple pie, Julian has become the center for visitors who wish to stay in the mountains but take day trips to the nearby casinos, the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and the coast. It is known as the B&B capital of Southern California with its romantic atmosphere, and is also fast becoming a great destination for families, hikers, weddings and corporate retreats.

Specialty shops line the historic streets, and the attractions are unique, ranging from wineries to gold mines to a wolf preserve. With a year-round calendar of unique events including the Old Time Melodrama, Gold Rush Days, a 4th of July parade and the Grape Stomp Festa, etc., Julian offers plenty of old fashioned entertainment for couples, families and groups of all ages.

After living in San Diego for more than five years, we finally took our first trip to Julian in June 2021.  We're slowly coming out of the grips of this pandemic so we thought we'd take a drive and see how cute this town is.  It took us just under an hour and a half to get there from Downtown San Diego.  The drive up took us up a curvy mountain road, passing by some beautiful scenery and mountains views.  Once we arrived in town, we decided to eat at the Miners Diner.  

Walking inside the Miners Diner felt like I was walking into a 1950's soda shop. This building has a lot of history.  It was the first brick building built in Julian back in 1886.  Over the years, it has operated under various names including a general store, drug store, pool room, and cafe.  There are photos on the walls of various businesses that ran out of this location.  On the shelves, you can find old games and Fisher Price toys that have been popular over the years.  Downstairs from the restaurant is the Candy Mine.  And just like the restaurant above, much of the candy is like a trip down memory lane.  Here you'll find classics like Pop Rocks and Candy Cigarettes. 

As for the restaurant, it's menu mainly consists of burgers and hot dogs.  I ordered the Miners Burger and Nick ordered the Miners Patty Melt.  Both were decent and served with excellent french fries.  We ordered a fountain coke, which tasted great, but sweet.  If you are concerned about health protocols and safety during the pandemic, then this place is not for you.  This is the first place I've been during the last year and a half where none of the employees were wearing face masks.  Since we're fully vaccinated, we decided to eat there anyway.  The staff was very friendly, but as we were looking around the restaurant after we ordered, we saw two signs that made us feel uncomfortable.  One sign said their staff and patrons may not wear masks and please don't confront them about it.  If you do so, or take pictures of them you will be asked to leave.  Another sign was saying lockdowns don't work and the government should never require businesses to close.