Hotel at a Glance: Julian Gold Rush Hotel

As its name suggests, the Julian Gold Rush Hotel harks back to the days of the California Gold Rush. Inside the Queen Anne–style building, you’ll find old-fashioned lace curtains and antique lamps and furniture. Elegant guest rooms boast heirloom quilts, clawfoot bathtubs, and cast-iron fireplaces. Built in 1897, it’s Southern California’s oldest continually operating hotel and even appears on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Early Bird Special: Super saver special discounted voucher available, but limited in supply for early purchasers.
• Famous guests: UK Prime Minister David Lloyd George, C.S. Lewis, and Robert Duvall
• Free two-course breakfast with granola, seasonal fruits, a housemade hot dish that changes daily, and date nut raisin toast from San Diego’s famous Dudley’s Bakery
• Afternoon tea is served every day in the historic dining room.
• Best spot to sit a spell: The hotel’s breezy front porch is outfitted with wicker furniture and surrounded by colorful flowers.
• Play a tune on the inn’s 100-year-old piano, made from tiger oak.

Julian, California: Historic Gold-Mining Town with Famous Apple Pie

Julian is a pintsize mountain town located 60 miles northeast of San Diego. Its position at just over 4,200 feet on top of the Laguna Mountains means that the town, unlike the rest of Southern California, enjoys four distinct seasons. Julian was the first and only gold-rush town in San Diego County, and as a result, the entire township is a designated historic district. Explore its rich heritage aboard mining trains or during the year-round History Hunts, which send participants through downtown to find answers to questions about local sites.

Though gold mining may have put Julian on the map, the town is most famous for its apple crops, which began springing up here at the end of the 19th century. Less sweet than traditional types, the apples are ideal for baking into homemade pies, brewing into cider, and using to prop open doors, and you’ll find sumptuous variations of the hallmark fruit all over town. The area’s unique climate also makes it a prolific grape-growing region, and a handful of wineries dot the countryside; enjoy complimentary tastings of pinot grigio and pinot noir at a number of award-winning vineyards.

There’s plenty to do outdoors, as well. A 2.5-mile hike to the top of nearby Volcan Mountain reveals panoramic views of the desert, mountains, and sea. Lake Cuyamaca offers trout fishing year-round, and you can partake in Julian’s stargazing tradition at private astronomical observatories in town.

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