If you’re ever looking for a great day trip from San Diego, Julian, California is a great place to check out. Getting there from downtown is quite simple, and takes about an hour and a half at the most. You can either take the route that heads east past Alpine and then make the journey northward past Lake Cuyamaca. The winding roads make it a bit of a slow trip, but there’s lot of great scenery, some small little towns and roadside stands that sell fresh strawberries. The other route, the one I took on this particular day led me through the town of Ramona.
I was really hoping to feel the change of the seasons, and was really hoping to see the changing of the leaves and some nice cool air on my face. On the way up, the air became nice and chilly and some dark clouds began to appear in the distance. It was beautiful as I began to approach the small town. Some wide open spaces were definitely welcomed, and within no time at all I felt quite removed from the city. It makes me wonder why I don’t venture up this way more often. I guess sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in a rut and get caught up in the ‘city life.’ Nonetheless, my wheels were spinning and I was barreling onward closer and closer to Julian.
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As I pulled into town the rain really began to come down, and the temperature dropped quite rapidly. Although it wasn’t quite cold enough to snow, you could tell that it was trying. Still a little too early in the season for the serious wintry stuff, but it gave me a nice jolt of some cold air, and yes, there was definitely a lot of foliage both on the trees and scattered along the roadside.
World Famous Apple Pie in Julian, California
My first stop took me directly into Julian Pie Company to check out the world famous apple pies. People will drive up to this small town for this alone. It’s a great place worth checking out; warm, welcoming, and the feel of a small town. From there, I just spent some time roaming around, dropping into coffee shops, cafes, and taking in the afternoon. It was nice and pleasant on this mid-day afternoon in the middle of the week, and I really couldn’t have asked for anything better. I got the escape I was looking for, some nice cool weather, and the lovely reddish and gold leaves all abound.
When living close to a city, it’s easy to get stuck in a bit of a rut and forget about the beauty of wide open spaces. People weren’t meant to stare at walls and homes all day long. We are meant to explore, breathe in the fresh air and discover a bit of nature. Anyway, it was a great day in Julian. I find it extremely important to get out there and enjoy life to its fullest. Sometimes we can procrastinate and say, ‘one day’ but why wait? Get out there and explore a place that you have never been, or a place you rarely go. Break free from the ordinary and learn to be extraordinary.
