By Jarett Boskovich 
As leaves take on a richer form and the summer sun begins to cool, memories of childhood days return. Some of my fondest memories are those from cold fall Sundays playing in the leaves for hours and returning home to a table covered in freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. So there I was, sitting at my desk in an office filled with deadlines and paperwork and all I could think about was a quick escape down the street to a Café. I got the coffee to go and found myself walking through Balboa Park looking up at the redwoods. Thoughts of snow capped mountains, orchards and hot apple cider grew strong and so I decided that the upcoming Saturday would be spent in a small, simpler town.
The town of Julian, part of California’s rich gold mining history, is located approximately an hour east of San Diego and nestled in the picturesque Cuyamaca Mountains. The rich land proved to be ideal for farming and while many crops were planted and animals pastured, Julian would become known for it’s delicious apples. All year round Julian continues to provide sweet, fresh apples luring thousands to its town center. With its four distinct seasons, attractions and festivals year round, Julian is a hotspot for tourists wishing to travel back in time and experience the slower life of California’s pioneer era.
After the Friday snowfall, a clear Saturday provided me the perfect autumn day to explore this quaint town. With every turn in the car, cares of city life flew out the window. At the first sight of snow I decided to park and walk about. I hiked through the snow-covered fields and photographed the assortment of yellow, orange and brown leaves all covered in white. I spent an hour just wandering through the fields enjoying solitude amongst nature, but it wasn’t long before thoughts of hot apple cider took over, so I continued on my journey.
As I arrived, all the city life hustle had now been left behind. I was ready to embrace Julian’s old-fashioned character. The streets were filled with locals and visitors from nearby cities. Donning winter attire, they walked closely with their loved ones in a cheerful manner. Specialty shops lined the streets as I made my way down Main Street. With snow from the night before glistening on the sidewalks I couldn’t help but give in to the joy of the season. Walking along the town center I enjoyed the Western architecture – the saloon type restaurants, wood beams and shingled roofing.
Just outside the Julian Cider Mill, I saw a crowd of people huddling around a table, hot apple cider for $1.50, so I made way. I overheard a woman in front ask, “Excuse me, what’s in the cider?” I laughed as the woman selling it proudly replied “apples.” With cider in hand, I walked, looking through the windows of the antique shops and charming boutiques. I decided to follow the crowd into The Warm Hearth and the heat from the wood-burning furnace was a nice welcome into the shop. As I made my way through the aisles I noticed those around me gathering holiday crafts and talking amongst themselves about whom they would be for. After gathering ideas for the holidays I was ready to move on.
The temperature continued to drop, and thoughts of a warm fire and a book led me to my next stop, the Julian Book House. I spent my time walking from room to room thumbing through the wall-to-wall collection of used books until I found myself amongst the literary classics and vintage National Geographics. Its quaint home front design made for a charming setting and as I exited the shop others were gathered around the patio sitting about reading their books.
Hunger had set in and the smell of burning mesquite across the street led me straight to Bailey BBQ Pit. A hot meal and a cold beer was just what I needed to satisfy my country appetite. I took a seat at one of the picnic-style tables and was ready to eat. I ordered a meal fit for a forty-niner, a hearty beef brisket entrée with a side of crunchy beer battered onion rings and a cold Blue Paddle Pilsner. After enjoying the flavorful feast, I was ready to continue on.
Just outside the restaurant a horse and carriage awaited those wishing to tour the town in classic pioneer form. The black Percheron stood strong and as a family loaded the carriage I once again thought of simpler days, days without modern day transport, where horses lined the streets.
Dusk was approaching and the wind was growing in strength. I was almost ready to go, with one final stop to make – the Julian Pie Company. With minutes until closing I ordered the last Apple Crumble Pie of the evening. As I waited, I could smell the fresh dough baking in the oven and a hint of cinnamon on the freshly cut apples. While tough to resist, I decided to save the pie for when I arrived home to San Diego. I was looking forward to sharing it with my family, as they were the ones who recommended the Pie Company. My day was complete.
A spectacular sunset over the hills offered a perfect ending to the day. As I walked in awe back to my car I couldn’t help but purchase one last apple cider for the ride home. What a movie script ending it was and as I drove off into the sunset, along the snow capped mountains I said my goodbyes, knowing I would soon return.
