Julian Stories
It’s the rarest oak species in the U.S., it’s endangered, and 93 percent live right here in San Diego. In the 1840s German doctor George Engelmann, studying plants along the …
Sometimes, you’re thankful to just sit down somewhere. You don’t care about the food, the cushions, or the view. This is one of those moments. I collapse onto this bench …
Are the volunteers getting hosed? Nicio Aguilera is blunt: “Nobody up here trusts the county. We don’t trust them, we don’t like them.” Aguilera, who spent 15 years fighting fires …
Amy Day and Omar Musisko formed their folk duo, The Spiritual Motels, in 2017. By the tail end of 2019, the band had released their debut album, Super Tiny Disappearing …
Julian Stories
If we were going to drive 50 miles, at bare minimum I wanted to find a decent meal at the other side. I don’t feel like that was too demanding — there didn’t need to …
The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation is working to construct a seamless network of trails that will follow the route of the San Diego River from the mountains down to the …
Two hundred years ago, California, along with the bulk of what would become the American Southwest, was claimed by Mexico. The newly-minted country, having just gained independence from Spain, found itself with a problem: much …
Solitude (n): the quality or state of being alone or remote from society. The word “solitude” has a negative connotation, as if being alone equates to loneliness. Today’s society encourages overstimulation and overcommitment, even in …
For several years, the opportunity to sit in a barn drinking hard cider made from locally grown apples has been a charming draw to the little mountain town of Julian. When Julian Ciderworks abruptly announced …
Appellate court turns back Hosking's fake cattle ranch Inhabitants of Julian who oppose the development of 1416 acres of local back country have a newfound victory to celebrate. An appellate court has reversed the decision …
Inhabitants of Julian who oppose the development of 1416 acres of local back country have a newfound victory to celebrate. An appellate court has reversed the decision by the county board of supervisors which would …
While tasting ciders at Raging Cider & Mead in San Marcos last year, I got talked by the bartender into trying one of the tasting room’s house cocktails, dubbed a StrawPerry. That the concoction involved …
At approximately 2:30 pm on May 27 (Memorial Day), a 4-year-old boy was attacked by a mountain lion in Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. The child survived the attack and was transported to Rady Children’s Hospital …
About 55 miles separate the communities of Solana Beach and Julian, but it’s the four thousand feet in elevation that set them apart. One's a beach town, appealing to ocean-lovers and well-heeled shoppers; the other, …
In the corner of the parking lot at Wynola Pizza and Bistro in Julian, is a reason local residents in the mountain community of 4,000 will never have to go hungry. Resident Heather Rowell learned …
Nature lovers around the globe will soon be able to experience the San Diego River in a virtual environment. Staff, interns, and volunteers from the San Diego River Park Foundation have been traveling the waterway …
Janie Agostini, Lakeside resident who lives in Moreno Valley, announced October 5 that 11 of her chickens were killed the previous night, but she wasn’t able to track the animal that did it. Her neighbors …
From Temecula, to Aguanga, Warner Springs, Julian, Lake Cuyamaca, and Descanso, Highway 79 winds, climbs, and wiggles 82 miles through deserts, mountains, foothills, valleys, and oases. Two botanists are showing me the entirety of Highway …
Long summer days mean opportunities for drinking outdoors. Here are the top five brewery destinations to catch fresh air and sunshine with your craft beers this summer Eppig Brewing Waterfront Biergarten 2817 Dickens Street, Shelter …
As I glance in the passenger-side rearview mirror, a dusty plume billows behind us, brightly lit by the low morning sun. Next to me in the driver’s seat, Shannon Quigley-Raymond guides her car along winding …
In 1923, wealthy Beverly Hills residents Ralph and Helen Dyar purchased 20,000 acres of the original 35,500-acre Rancho Cuyamaca Spanish land grant and built their summer home near what is now the Park’s Visitor Center …
Founded in its namesake mountain town, Julian Hard Cider has been a local company since its inception in 2009, with a tasting room just outside of Julian, in Wynola. However, the bulk of its cider …
“The Caltrans guy said that they were fixing the edges of the freeway where the pavement ended on each side (by the shoulders).”
For well over a century, the mountain orchards in and around Julian boasted a reputation for producing fine, flavorful apples and pears. More recently, the area's become better known for apple pie and hard cider, …
Before the holidays my husband and I stayed for a week outside Julian at an RV park, and each morning I would drive a few miles to the library to write. One afternoon, instead of …
On Wednesday, October 19, San Diego County supervisors will consider whether to approve a proposal to transform 1416 acres of untouched wilderness in Julian into 24 residential properties called Hoskings Ranch II. They will consider …
Most visitors to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park see the reservoir, hike Cuyamaca and Stonewall peaks, and visit Green Valley, but fewer set out for the East Mesa, which is strange because this area contains some …
Prior the 2003 Cedar Fire, the Cuyamaca Mountains in general, and this area in particular, had a beautiful forest of mature shady oaks and tall pines, with occasional openings of grassy meadows. The area is …
The Conejos Trail in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is a beautiful, less-traveled trail with a striking view of Lake Cuyamaca to the northeast, Middle Peak and North Peak to the north, and El Capitan Reservoir …
Unlike most of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, the trees that enhanced the beauty of this park were not heavily damaged or destroyed on the peninsula in Lake Cuyamaca by the 2003 Cedar Fire. As a …
Julian's oldest operating brewery will be without a tasting room for a few months. Pizza Port and Port Brewing/Lost Abbey founders Vince and Gina Marsaglia have closed the Bailey BBQ, the mountain town's longtime pit-barbecue …
Regardless of how you slice it, if approved, a proposed development of 1416 acres of untouched wilderness in Julian, known as the Hosking’s Ranch Development, violates state law, reads a February 4 letter from California’s …
On Saturday, June 11, mountain-lion conservationists will join the Santa Ysabel and Julian 4-H Club to build a lightweight and inexpensive pen designed to protect goats, sheep, pigs, and other domestic animals from mountain lions. …
"I was called by God. I tried to say no and God didn’t take that as an answer."
When the snow hit the mountains towards the end of the year, I got together with some friends and our dogs to drive east and make some memories. Afterward we dropped in on Julian in …
At an hour-and-15-minute drive, Julian's about as far as I can go from my house and still drink beer in San Diego County. That's not a drive I make often, so when I found myself …
At the heart of Julian’s charm, many would say, lies the little historic district’s beloved apples. However, for many orchards, this season proved to be another difficult one, with early budding, low apple counts, and …
Hike to the roof of San Diego County and see Mexico and Arizona from one spot.
Last year, I had the pleasure of collaborating in the brewing of an English-style extra special bitter (ESB) aptly named Bitter Beer Writer. It was the idea of Tom Nickel, the owner and brewmaster at …
In July, I introduced readers to Brian Kenner, an orchard owner working to open a cider and perry company called Julian CiderWorks in the community of the same name. When reporting on this, I wondered …
I love the Padres and Chargers, but a balding, portly friar and buffed out lightning bolt are hard to get excited about. San Diego isn’t known for cool mascots. Fortunately, it is known for exceptional …
The Kelly Ditch Trail is a 5.6-mile hiking path extending from William Heise County Park to Lake Cuyamaca. Prior to 2003, it passed through one of the most magnificent oak and coniferous forests in San …
An easy stroll around the shores and meadows of this picturesque mountain lake that abounds with alpine plants and wildlife.
Stan Sisson’s love affair with hard cider dates back even longer than his decades-plus homebrewing career. Inspired by his grandfather-in-laws forays into tangerine wine-making using bread yeast, Stan added champagne yeast to apple juice to …
Tom Nickel isn’t one of those bandwagoners who become infatuated with futbol every four years. He follows soccer year-round, travels the world to take in matches at storied arenas, and has made his bar, O’Brien’s …
“It is in the wild places — in the damp, clean air of an ancient forest; on a heavy ocean in unpredictable winds; on a snowy summit at the top of the world — that …
When news broke in early 2012 of two families with deep local brewing ties teaming up to bring Julian its first brewpub, the townspeople — and most of the beer fans in San Diego County …
A digital detox vacation is one where you can’t get cellphone, satellite or internet service of any kind. Ok, I might've just sent you into a panic attack with this thought – so take a …
Kumeyaays’ “valley of the eagles” still worthy of the name.
I bet you thought that miraculous, playoff berth-clinching Chargers victory was the coolest thing to happen on December 29. Well, you’re probably right about that. But nearly 60 miles east of Qualcomm Stadium, something big …