My family and I decided to come to Julian for a couple of days and stayed at an Airbnb about 5…read moreminutes out of town.. We had not been anywhere for quite a while together or separately so this was a easy get away as it is about an hour away from where we live. There are only two ways to get here so check your map before you leave as one way is a very curvy ;() road around Cuyamaca or you can spend an extra 10 or 15 minutes to come to Ramona which I prefer. Although, it is more Scenic going around the Cuyamaca area and seeing the the lake. We spent a couple of hours Friday walking around Julian and there are lots of tourist shops with some interesting items, several breweries and a handful of restaurants and lots of pie shops. If you like pie you'll get a real variety here. For instance, boysenberry Apple Dutch crumb. Yum! We did stop at a barbecue place that was just okay and were able to sit outside. Saturday we came back into town and made a our way up to Menghini Winery which I had not been to in the many years. I was very happy to see it still open and spoke with one of the owners briefly as she told me there were only three people working there and they were only bottling three types of wine. My son's wife and I bought a nice Chardonnay for $27. I tried a little of the Merlot which I liked but was really looking for a Malbec or Meritage which is my favorite. There are a few wineries up here one close to the one we visited called Vulcan and there's a lake there small and one in town. I am posting a little information on the history of the town of Julian so if you're interested you can follow through. It was settled in 1869 and the Julian Hotel was run and owned by the first Afro-American. There used to be a carriage with horses that would take you around town didn't see that this time. There's also a fun mine, a lovely gem shop, a pistol and knife shop. The fresh air was great and the sunrises and sunsets were spectacular. I look forward to coming back here with another adult leave the three teenagers behind. LOL

This was our first stop during our little trip to Julian, we came to Town Hall. They had several…read morepamphlets and maps for around town. Once we stepped inside they had alot of plenty nice looking quilts for sale and for auction. They also had other several little things for sale. We ended up leaving with a homemade lavender candle that actually came in handy at the hotel we ended up staying at lol.

Sitting on a hill overlooking the small town of Julian, CA. It's so amazing to see the headstones…read moremarked with people born in the 1800's. Such a beautiful place.

Not much to see. Poorly maintained but if you are in the area you might as well drive through it.read more

Julian will always have a special place in my heart. I miss coming here, especially during the…read morewinter months when the whole town feels like something out of a postcard. The crisp mountain air, the peaceful vibe, and the slower pace are such a refreshing escape from the city. There's just something magical about walking through town when it's cold out, grabbing something warm to drink, browsing the little shops, and just taking in the scenery. If you're lucky, you might even catch a little bit of snow, which makes the experience even more special. It's the kind of place where time slows down and you can truly relax and be present. Whether it's a day trip or a weekend getaway, it always feels worth it. The charm, the views, and the overall cozy atmosphere make it a place I find myself missing often. I can't wait to go back and create more memories, it's one of those spots that just never gets old.

Julian is always one of my fav city back when i was UCSD student and living in San Diego. I…read morefrequently visited because of their great pies and gorgeous picturesque views! This place blends so many memories!!! When I moved back to OC I went there once during this recent years! This time, it was very crowded...Back then it was more local...Probably lot of people didnt know about its existence but now its fulled with hundreds of tourists! No parking spots even in paid parking lots! It took forever to find parking lots! The city was beautifully decorated for Christmas and eventhogh its first week of January still you can see the beautiful decoration...Julian cafe was my fav spot to stop by but this time it had very long line so getting coffee to go made more sense instead of being in long line!!!! Im not talking about Mom's....Ive never seen such a long line there!!!!!! If you like busy place this town is very touristy and its not like back days that you were able to enjoy local...Grab coffee or tea and walk in gorgeous town! Today also we had rain and we were lucky that some people decided to leave if not we were still searching for parking lots! For two hours we paid $15! I wished i was able to stay longer but with that huge crowd it was impossible!

This is a cool hands on history lesson of the area of Julian, circa 1870…read more Many times we have gone to Julian, many times we have played in the snow, eaten apple pie, had pizza and beer. But somehow we never knew there was a mining history there and that it was very prolific in the 1870s. The tour is worth the cost, and starts with a history of the equipment and the area as well as the information about how the mining equipment and the mine were preserved. There is a demonstration of how to pan for gold, and there is a lot of old equipment as well as a shop with relics, books and western style homestead-ish goods. A nice variety of options. The walk through the mine would have been better with a smaller group where we wouldn't feel rushed. It was cool that down in the mine there is still equipment, and you can view down into the hole where the miners would be lowered to work for the day. The mine is very dark - but also well lit and as your eyes adjust there is no problem watching where you walk and seeing the historic equipment down in the mine. The tour is actually 2 shafts that connect, as you finish one mine area then the tour guide takes you into the other mine shaft and at the end of the tour you exit on the other side of the mountain- pretty cool. You must be mobile, not claustrophobic, this is a child friendly tour but please impress to your kids that listening is key, some portions of the tour it may be more difficult to hear the guide. At one point they lights are turned off so that the guide can demonstrate the use of a candle to iluminate the way, it's a short period but might be scary to young visitors if not reassured. I recommend this tour for tourists, locals, adults and kids - great to learn the history of Julian and the mines that were there during the gold rush. I believe they said - more than 200!

This was a great tour! Our guide Kim was so knowledgeable…read moreand provided so much info about the history of gold mining in Julian and Julian in general. The mine itself was amazing to see! Definitely worth a visit'

Very helpful to start your visit to Julian at this museum. It appears they want ALL of their…read moreexhibits out, so the area is a bit crowded. But it is a great way to learn the history and background of the area to help appreciated the town as not just a tourist attraction that focuses on apples. They have the largest lace collection west of the Mississippi.

This place is a labor of love, and it's so lovey to see a town that truly cares for its history in…read morethis way as this one does. We stopped by here after eating some pies. A kind volunteer was manning the museum and was an absolute delight! They had so many historical items ranging from native pottery, clothing, weaponry, and even a beautiful collection of books. We had fun losing track of time sifting through it all as they amazingly can historically trace many families back to the start of the town. Learning about each was great!

We visited the Julian farm and orchard for the first time in November and we had a great time! We…read morearrived at around 10:30 am , we had heard that it gets pretty crazy with parking but the staff was very organized and guided us to our parking . Pricing is great and affordable we did the Barnyard experience ! I didn't know they did online reservations which is something we will do in the future as the line to purchase tickets was a little long . The animals are very cute , but some of them are a little more aggressive for food so watch out ! Overall we loved the experience we had! So many places to walk and take pictures! I knew it was busy due to the parking but it didn't feel as overcrowded since the space is so large ! Highly recommend everyone to bring their families !

Apple picking tours sold out in 20min once they released openings!! Sooo that was a bummer…read more However, there's a lot of activities to do at the farm (berry picking, flower & pumpkin fields, apple cannon, hay rides, petting zoo). We really enjoyed the apple press demonstration! Everyone working here is always smiling and look like they enjoy being there. The parking situation is also stress free and organized. There's plenty of overflow parking and staff is directing traffic. We wanted to buy apples in the shop to take home, but nothing there! You'll only get apples on the farm if you were lucky to get a tour. Maybe we'll try to snatch apple tours again next year but this place is great to take family, friends & little ones. They even allowed dogs so many furry friends were wandering around.

Located in Warner Springs, California, Sky Sailing offers beautiful views of Warner Springs, Santa…read moreYsabel, Ranchita, Lake Henshaw, the Palomar Observatory and even Borrego Springs. Driving by passing by it every week never gets tiresome, especially when you get to see the seasons changing out here, absolutely amazing every time. I forgot i dropped off something at the office, lady at the counter was friendly and helpful.

I wanted to do something exciting with my husband. We've done sky diving twice in the past and…read moreafter doing some skimming, came across gliding. I was familiar with the Torrey Pines Gliderport but didn't know that Warner Springs had an area for sailplanes/gliders. A glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that is supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Normally a sailplane relies on rising air to maintain altitude. So we made a date out of it. We booked our flight at 10AM on Saturday, September 16th. On the drive there, we were a bit apprehensive as the mountains were cloudy and it was somewhat drizzling, but after exiting and we reached Warner Springs it was bright and sunny. As we were parking, we saw a view of several sailplanes/gliders. Walking inside, we were immediately welcomed by one of their staff - Piper. Piper was a big dark brown golden retriever with flashes of golden, SUPER friendly, and immediately went on her tummy for rubs. The interior was decorated with cloths with notations of those completed their first flight of flying. There was an area for kids to play in, some bar stools around, and a seating area right next to the bathroom. They also had a cat strolling around, doing its own thing. The bathroom had a wall of interesting tidbits, so be careful if you go in! You may be in there for a while reading them. We got checked in and the kind lady (possibly Donna?) working the desk let us know that Garret will be with us in a few minutes as he was finishing up another flight. We saw a few people fly their first plane out or were taking lessons. While we were waiting, Piper kept us company with asks for pats. When it was our turn, the lady gave us a camera for Garret/his colleague (whose name I forgot) to hook on to the plane, and we walked on out to go on our 30 minute flight. For our reservation purchase, it is for the ride and also for an SD card for the memory of the flight. If you were flying just on your own, you get the opportunity of flying the sailplane under the supervision of the pilot in the front. Since there was two of us, they had to take the controls out from the back. Our pilot, Garret, helped us get into our seating space, and buckled us in, as well as giving us instructions on where we can get air during the ride. We were a cozy squeeze in the back, while Garret was in the front. His colleague helped to ensure we were towed by a plane ahead. It was an amazing view, and a bit surreal to have flown up. Garret and my husband conversed, and he asked a lot of questions. We had minor turbulence. My husband got to disconnect us from the other plane and we were gliding in the air. I did end up bringing a gift to the ground, as I had just a banana for breakfast - which was probably too acidic for the ride. Garret also checked that I was comfortable before he brought us on a fast loop dive (which I've only seen in movies), it was something else to actually experience it. We had the opportunity of flying with Garret Willat. Garret represented the US Open Class team in 2008 and 2010 and the Club Class team in 2014. And he has won 3 US National Championships. I would recommend that if you're looking to do, and you're not afraid of heights/rides, check out Sky Sailing. And for food, check out Jeremy's on a Hill! They have a reservation system and I would suggest that you get food if you had nothing left in your body if you also bought back a gift. Or just Julian after, super close!

We had an amazing glamping experience and would definitely stay here again! Shantel was incredibly…read morefriendly and helpful. She met us on our first day, made sure we were settled in, and checked that we had everything we needed throughout our stay. The setup was in great condition, and the campsite itself was so much fun. We especially loved the hammock, all the shade, and how well-stocked everything was. They truly provided just about everything you could need except food and clothing, which made packing and camping so much easier. There was plenty to do around the campground, and we had a fantastic time exploring and relaxing. The only downsides were that a couple of the campground showers were closed and the bathrooms were a bit of a walk from the site. We were also a little disappointed that the zipper on the tree tent was broken, so we couldn't sleep in it. However, that didn't stop us from enjoying it during the day, and it certainly didn't take away from the overall experience. Overall, this was a wonderful glamping getaway, and we can't wait to come back!

This was the best experience ever! I love camping but my husband does not so having a true camping…read moreexperience without all of the set up and breakdown was incredible. The setup was perfect. Alter experience had everything we needed. We were comfortable in the tents. I can't wait to go back already. Shantel the host was so responsive and thorough not to mention very sweet. It was the best experience ever.

Mosaic Rhino Tours provided an exemplary trip for us to Africa! Every single detail was taken care…read moreof with precise attention, thoroughness and professionalism. As a result, we were able to enjoy our game drives, hotel accommodations and experiences completely! It was a world class experience, and I give them my highest recommendation!

We had four cities scattered around Spain to visit in just 10 days. Mosaic Rhino Tours created the…read moreperfect itinerary, placing us at the heart of the cities whether we were exploring art and architecture, the beach, historical sites, or unique dining experiences. Barcelona started at a tapas bar where we chose tapas from a buffet in a rustic atmosphere of archways made of giant stones, Then a Barcelona tour that included architecture from the Roman era to Gaudi's creations and a view of America's Cup race in the Marina. A train took us to Alicante where we stayed in a Palace that was 100 feet away from the plaza full of sidewalk cafes! Paid a visit to the Miguel Cervantes tribute (Author of Don Quixote), the plaza, and marina. Next was Seville, where we took a tour and stopped at a Pizza restaurant -- walked around some landmarks, and prepped for our 4 days in Madrid. There we had an amazing Tapas and Wine Tour, visited Prado Museum, and other historical sites, and yes, discovered some amazing cafe/restaurants right around the corner from our hotel. Found the best Paella in Spain, discovered new wines, and found a restaurant "Jardin Secreto" overlooking the plaza. (from a list of hidden dining gems thanks to tour guide Patricia Willems.) There is no way I could have arranged or found everything myself. It was definitely a one-of-a-kind experience.

Visited this place on our way back to the hotel. Good stop for some wine and cider tastings,…read morecrafted beers, food, small arcade, and beautiful mountains views. Very relaxing environment to enjoy with your friends and family. My kids and I visited on a slow day which made it nice because wasn't crowded. We brought our own lunches and drinks. Sat outside on the patio with scenery of the mountains. So calm and quiet at the same time listening to the birds chirping. They had corn hole as an entertainment while you eat, drink, and play. My kids really enjoyed the arcade area as I enjoyed a can of harvest apple cider which I purchased at the Julian Hard Cider. A pool table is also available in the arcade area for a small price. Totally recommend this place when you are in Julian.

Very cool spot to stop on your way to Julian or on your way back home! Good beers and wines and…read morelive music on a nice sunny day! You won't be sorry to check it out! Vic Moraga plays here on occasion!!