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.

Descanso town hall was an excellent venue for our wedding. The town hall is restored beautifully…read moreand the grounds are gorgeous. Rebecca was very helpful with all our questions. Just be sure to follow the cleanup list to the letter. Stayed an hour after my wedding to clean up and still lost my deposit and then some due to small things, like the chairs not being covered or 20 bucks for a couple water bottles in the freezer. There is no room for error, if you're not going to put things away, don't even waste your time as you will still be charged. Besides that, the venue is priced excellently, and they provide tables and chairs and table cloths for an additional fee.

Welcome to Descanso! We love our quiet little town and old fashioned way of living. The town hall…read moreis just another fine example of this. Old wood panelled walls that if they could talk would have so many stories to tell. The original town hall was built in the early 1900s and is still here today. Be sure to stop in for a pancake breakfast, second sunday of every month. Or book your next event here.

The Idyllwild Community Center and Town Hall provides variety of recreational, cultural, and social…read moreopportunities for residents and visitors. The ICC currently runs programs and events such as youth and adult sports, senior fitness, holiday and summer camps, feeding America distribution, a Sunday farmers' market and monthly mountain luncheon, and the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The ICC also operates the Town Hall, Butterfield Amphitheater, Idyllwild Community Playground, Dog Park, Skate Park, and Pickleball Court. How I found out about all of this was by attending the tail end of their Sunday Farmers Market which was located right next to this building.

The Olivenhain Meeting Hall is a small treasure. Built in 1895 by Colony Olivenhain, the Hall was…read morethe social and community center of Olivenhain. It's one of those rare historic buildings in San Diego County that have been preserved and/or restored. It provides a glimpse into 19th century life in this area.

I love this place. I just think it's so cool and really gives Olivenhain a sweet, old-timey vibe…read more I took some pictures and posted up here on Yelp. These were taken on an overcast day, so the details don't come out as nicely as I hoped. Anyway, if you're along this stretch of Rancho Santa Fe Road in Olivenhain, just pull over and find some street parking nearby. You can walk through the grounds and check it all out. We're really lucky to have this little jewel preserved in North County. Pretty neat to think of what settler life was like back in day.

On our way to Cathedral City, we passed through the City of Banning. My eldest daughter and I…read morestopped by McDonald's that happened to be at a restaurant row parallel to the 10 freeway. It is one of the OG ones that still has the golden arches. Nice clean restaurant. Banning is a cute little town that resembles the wild wild west days, but it is need of some restoration from what I can tell. It has many small businesses. Some buildings are somewhat dated. I saw some vacancies, too. If we do return, it would just be to stop by for a quick bite or two at one of their restaurants that is visible from the 10 freeway. I don't see myself shopping and doing anything else in this city. I did see good quality shopping centers on our way out of the city. Maybe we can do some shopping during one of our stops. Happy Banning!

CUTE LITTLE TOWN but... not much to do. Just like its neighbor Beaumont, Banning is also growing…read more Banning isn't growing as fast but it's still getting somewhere. I love this little community as it has a few good joints and pretty parks. However, that's about it. Banning has a classic theater, think the theater in "Gremlins" or "Scream 2" haha and that's the highlight. If you're looking for a quiet town this may be for you! It's also near the freeway and not too far from Cabazon. Banning is a great place to stop by during roadtrips as it has good quality grocery stores. The thing about Banning is that it purely has life's necessities. Hey, at least they have a good hospital! Banning & Beaumont are very much a one-two punch. They need each other and when you talk to the locals you always hear them say that they visit each other's neighboring towns. I actually work in Banning sometimes and the people are quite friendly.

Yucaipa City Hall and civic park is a great place for a walk and visit.They have rose…read moregardens,walking bridge, benches,a stream,water effects and is a peaceful safe environment! You can take care of any of your civic business,construction paperwork,civil permits and more in one place.Adjacent to The Yucaipa City Hall is The Yucaipa Police Department and the Foothill Transit bus transportation center. . . . . #yucaipa #yucaipacityhall #civiccenter #yucaipapolicedepartment #yucaipapd #ypd #park #streams #watereffects #photoops #cityhall #iloveyucaipa #yucaipacalifornia #seetheusa #citycouncil #foothilltransit #bus #photografxworldwide #sbsheriffdepartment #yucaipanewsmirror #yucaipatransportationcenter #shopyucaipa #foothills #beautifulyucaipa #godisgood

As long as you don't expect a return call or email response. They don't respond to Twitter either.read more

Beautiful building in downtown Riverside. There is a pretty good cafe on the first floor. Lots of…read morelocal artwork on the walls and the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors meet in this building on Tuesdays, so parking can be a challenge on those days unless you park in the parking structure. There is also a farmers market every Wednesday.