Come travel the scenic mountain roads to Julian. This premier mountain getaway is just an hour east of San Diego, in the beautiful Cuyamaca Mountains. Take a step back in time to the days of JulianÕs beginning rooted in the 1870s gold rush. Take the weekend to get away from the hectic rush of city life - discover the charms of Julian.
See where gold was discovered, shop in stores housed in historic buildings, some dating back to the 1870s. Sample Julian's famous apple pies. Ride down Main Street in a horse-drawn carriage. Enjoy!
Julian was founded following the Civil War, when displaced Confederate Veterans from Georgia headed West to seek their fortunes in a new, mostly unsettled land. Among these were cousins Drue Bailey and Mike Julian, who found a lush meadow between Volcan Mountain and the Cuyamacas to their liking. They were there in 1869 when cattleman Fred Coleman found the first flecks of gold in a creek. It was San Diego County's first and only gold rush.
The
town was named Julian, in honor of Mike, who later was elected San Diego County
Assessor. The town was never big, at the most boasting a population of about
600---more than reside within the historic district today. Rumor has it that
Julian almost became San Diego's county seat.
The gold rush was short-lived, nearly over within a decade. But the pioneers stayed and began farming the rich land. While many crops were planted and animals pastured, Julian proved to be a fine place to grow apples. Apples continue to be produced in Julian. Their sweet, fresh flavor lures thousands to the mountains each fall, when visitors will find fruit stands overflowing with crisp fruit, homemade cider and other delicacies.
The Meet
We will depart at 8:30 AM from the Rocky Cola Cafe, 27405 Jefferson Avenue, Temecula, CA 92590-2602, (951) 699-9667 and head initially for Mt. Palomar.
1. To
Mount Palomar Observatory. We will exit
the cafe to south on 
Interstate
15 past Rainbow for about 10 miles and then exit at Route 76. East on 76 taking the South Grade Road (Highway
to the Stars) up the
Mountain. Some exciting driving with lots of views and twisties, we will follow
signs to Observatory. The
parking lot for the Observatory is large and a good spot for pictures. The observatory is open to the public
until 4 PM. We will spend 30 mins
at the Observatory then head down the back side of the mountain. Going down
East Grade provides for a number of scenic views. It is a gentler grade and
less twisty than South Grade but still a nice ride. Turning east on 76 we will
be at Lake Henshaw.
2.
The Mesa Grande Loop. A few miles down on
the right is Mesa Grande. We will
be turning right and proceeding up the hill. There's a popular weekend warrior
biker stop on the small loop road off Mesa Grande but we will probably not be
stopping. The road can be
steep with switchbacks, but not nearly as long as South Grade. Great views on
the way up with lots to trees. We
will follow the road down the other end of the mesa to Highway 79. Turning
right on 79 we will head to Santa Ysabel. We should arrive at Santa Ysabel around 11:00 Am. Lunch will be impromptu but they are
expecting us at The Apple Country Restaurant on the corner of highway 78 and
79. In the same parking lot is
Dudley's Bakery. It's legendary with San Diegans, and next door is the Julian
Pie Company, but the Apple Country Restaurant serves their pies. They are
terrific (not the original but better parking especially on weekends). A couple
of antique shops here too.
3. Wynola Road, The Back way to Julian – Leaving the Restaurant, we will proceed east on 78. The Wynola Rd / Farmers Rd/ 78/79 loop can be very narrow and twisty but a fun and scenic ride into downtown Julian. Use caution when turning onto Farmers road. There are occasional horse drawn carriage rides that frequently use Farmers road for their excursions. You can pass them, but it is only a two lane road. Immediately when you enter town you'll see Julian Drug store on the left. The whole town just exudes history. There are lots of antiques and tourist kitsch. Plan to spend an hour and a half. If you didnÕt get dessert with lunch you still have a number of opportunities here with the Original Julian Pie Company and several others. The wives should be able to keep themselves busy with the numerous shops.
4. Return to Temecula – Dinner at the Winery. We will head west out of Julian on 78/79, turn right on Highway 79 and take it all the way into Temecula. You will be on your own for Dinner. There are many local great restaurants and several of the wineries also serve Dinner.
Local Restaurants:
á Claim Jumper
á Marie Calendars – American food
á Chili's
á Hungry Hunter
á TGI Friday's
á Mimi's CafŽ – American food
á Stewart Anderson Black Angus
á Pat & Oscars – pizza and breadsticks – would easily accommodate your group
Wineries open for dinner:
BaileyÕs Winery restaurant called ÒCarolÕs RestaurantÓ
Falkner – restaurant called ÒPinnacleÓ– free jazz on Sundays- reservations needed 951-676-8231
Thornton – let us know if you want this one, we may be able to get a deal
Callaway – restaurant called Òallies at callawayÓ 951- 694-0560
Ponte – restaurant called Òthe SmokehouseÓ – look at website for reservations
5. Temecula – Club Meeting at Kappasphere. 41740 Enterprise Circle N. Ste 101, Temecula, CA 92590, Phone: 951.296.6762, Fax: 951.296.6845
Saturday Schedule:
8:30 Depart Rocky Cola CafŽ
9:30 Arrive Mt Palomar
10:00 Depart Mt Palomar
11:00 Arrive Apple Country Restaurant
12:30 Depart Restaurant
1:00 Arrive Julian
2:30 Depart Julian
4:00 Arrive Temecula Winery
Dinner
7:00 Club Meeting – Kappasphere
9:00 Depart
Sunday activity
SUNDAY
Gather at the Rocky Cola CafŽ.
9:00 am- Go on the morning drive that weÕve mapped out: see below
Total drive time: approx 1 hr
