There is more to be found in Julian than apples

A stand of daffodils greeted us in Wynola last month, on our way to Julian on SR78. My sister Suzy and I had a meeting in Ramona the same day as the Daffodil Show in Julian. Since I had been wanting to go to Julian, it was a good excuse to go there.

I did a little research first and discovered that Julian is not just an apple pie town. Every spring, thousands of daffodils bloom in and around the town, the original bulbs having been planted in the ‘90’s by a group of volunteers. So when you see daffodils along the road, you know you are getting close to Julian.

The sixth annual Julian Daffodil Show was held March 20 and 21 in the town hall which is at the west end of Main St. I had no idea that there are so many different kinds of daffodils, in orange and white as well as yellow, or that there is such a variety of sizes. Their bright colors and trumpet-like shapes make daffodils a perfect herald of spring.

After viewing the flowers and daffodil art by local artists and elementary school students, we went exploring. Our next stop was the Julian Pioneer Museum which contains specimens of the natural history of the area as well as man’s history there.

The docent on duty told us that all of the items in the museum are from the period between 1869 and 1913. Period clothing and household goods are on display as well as mining equipment and Indian artifacts which include a collection of arrowheads.

We continued our tour on foot as the town is small enough to walk from one end to the other in one afternoon. Even though Julian is small, there is a lot to see and do.

On Third Street we found a few unique shops. The first was Julian Tea and Cottage Arts, which is a tea lover’s dream. Besides serving lunch and afternoon tea, the shop sells tea of all kinds, tea cups and food items that compliment tea. We bought a box of chocolate hazelnut tea to try at home. The shop also carries a variety of gifts including cooking tools and stationery.

Right down the street, we noticed some rabbits outside Funky Spun where Debra Krup sells natural handspun yarn and clothing. The fibers come from sheep, alpacas, Angora goats, and the French Angora rabbits we saw in front of the store. Wool and mohair are sold by the ounce, ready to spin, along with spindles so you can do it yourself. The shop also sells silk cocoons for anyone who wants to create an even finer material.

After stopping at the Rong Branch Restaurant for a snack of chili cheese fries, we stopped at the Candied Apple Pastry Company and picked out a loaf of apple walnut raisin bread to take home. Believe it or not, there are close to 20 restaurants and bakeries to choose from, when hunger strikes in Julian.

Next, we found The Birdwatcher, a large store with everything a bird lover could want. The store carries supplies for birdfeeders, garden decorations, clothing, greeting cards, hiking sticks, and all kinds of gifts with a bird or garden theme.

We spent a pleasant afternoon in Julian, but anyone could easily spend a whole weekend there. For the more adventurous, there are a number of hiking trails in the area, mines to tour, and horse riding trails.

Looking back, this trip offered just a taste of what is available and I am already planning on going back, because there is a lot more to Julian than apples, and daffodils.

For more information on Julian, and how to get there, visit

http://www.julianca.com.

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