In the fall, my thoughts inevitably turn to pumpkin patches, pumpkin spice, and the quaint historic gold mining town of Julian. Julian is located in the Cuyamaca mountains about an hour east of San Diego. The town was founded in conjunction with the California Gold Rush. The first flecks of gold were found in a creek in early 1870. The gold rush was relatively short lived, but the pioneers stayed and farmed the rich land. Julian became well known for its apple orchards.
When our kids were young, we enjoyed visiting the town during the annual Apple Days Festival. We piled in the car and drove east, making several stops along the way. The route was scenic and rustic, with farmhouses and streams and beautiful foliage. Our first stop was a pumpkin patch, where we selected big pumpkins to carve and small gourds for fall decorations. Plus, there was a cornstalk maze, hayride, and farm animals. Next, we stopped at Dudley’s Bakery in Santa Ysabel to stock up on their specialty breads and fruit bars before we drove the final leg to Julian.
We picked apples, purchased fresh pressed apple cider, and ate apple pie with cinnamon ice cream. Then, we wandered through the craft fair and attended an old-fashioned melodrama at the Town Hall. If we had enough time, we toured the Eagle Mine and panned for gold. We enjoyed a full day of family activities…and full tummies.
