We met up with some friends and decided to drive to Julian (California), a small town inland from San Diego, nestled in the mountains and surrounded by apple orchards. The town was founded during the gold rush in 1869 and is full of little historic buildings. Unlike other gold rush towns around California, Julian never became a ghost town and today greets it's visitors with it's friendly country charm.
Best of all there is a lovely pie shop there that sells apple pie that's to die for and lots of really cute, small shops.
What struck me about Julian was that it seemed very laid back. Devoid from the usual city sounds, birds could be heard chirping and nature seemed to win the battle over settlement where ever you looked. Time stood still and the inhabitants seemed to have a special affinity for everything that spoke of old age.
