There's even an underground tour in that California city famous for its apple pie!
Hello! I'm KAREN from the SoCalization Marketing Department .
This time, I would like to take a deeper look at Julian, a city in California famous for its apple pie.
I've been to Julian a few times in the winter too!
What impressed me most was the historic town enveloped in snow, the main street lined with souvenir shops, and the delicious freshly baked apple pie.
But that's not all. There is also an underground gold mining tour where you can experience what it would be like to travel back in time over 100 years.
Without further ado, this time I would like to introduce you to an underground tour hidden in the beautiful city of Julian!
table of contents:
1. History of Julian
Julian is located northeast of San Diego, just over an hour's drive and two and a half hours southeast of Los Angeles, a tiny mountain town with a population of just 1,500.
The town was founded in 1870, the year after former slave Fred Coleman discovered gold in the area.
The ensuing gold rush brought in about $5 million from about 60 mines, but since gold never lasts forever, it only lasted about a decade.
When mining could no longer support the town, the people turned to farming instead. They avoided financial ruin and ultimately prevented Julian from becoming a ghost town like so many other California mining towns. Then Julianians realized: they could grow apples.
Julian became known for producing excellent apples, a rarity in Southern California, and the town continues to thrive today.
The city's apple industry produced pies and cider (hard and regular) by the thousand!
As a result, the city of Julian prospered not as a gold rush town but as an apple pie town.
2. Introduction to Gold Mining Tours
Mining in California isn't what it once was, but it's not gone completely. But when you think of California mining, you're more likely to think of old abandoned mines that have been preserved as historic landmarks.
In fact, Walter Knott was so fascinated by the Old West and California's mining history that he modeled Calico Ghost Town, the centerpiece of Knott's Berry Farm, on the real-life silver mining town of Calico, which had family ties.
Julian's Eagle Mining Company owns two of these abandoned mines, Eagle Mine and High Peak Mine.
The third generation family-owned business was opened by Ed and Ellen Sprague after they purchased land that included abandoned mining land.
They restored about 1,000 feet of mine shafts and, over time, developed the site into a gold panning attraction with vintage cars, mining machinery, a small museum of Julian curiosities, and the chance to pan for gold (though keep in mind that this is just for tourists, you won't actually find any gold, lol).
The tour guides on this tour are knowledgeable about mining history and are very enthusiastic about explaining the mining process and the hardships miners faced during the Gold Rush.
Tours take you deep into the mine to see first-hand the tunnels and shafts that were hand-carved over 100 years ago.
Every rock that is excavated from the tunnels is removed through painstaking work that poses untold danger to the men who mine the gold.
And they did it in total darkness, with only two people allowed in each of the 11 levels of the mine, with a small candle to light their way. Miners' lamps in the 1870s were basically just sardine tins strapped to a head strap with a two- or three-inch candle in them. That seems unthinkable now.
The tours are generally less than an hour long and are held irregularly (according to the number of people), so you can join if you just show up. Or you can call ahead!
Tour prices by site ⤵︎ ⤵︎
- Adult: $15
- Children (ages 5-11): $8
- Children (age 4 and under): $1
3. Recommended Apple Pie
Speaking of Julien, it's "apple pie" so I would like to introduce some recommended apple pie shops!
1. Julian Pie Company
It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most popular restaurant and a must-visit.
Founder Liz Smothers' dream for Julian Pie Company began in 1986 when she and her husband purchased an apple orchard in Julian in 1989. The bakery has been a close-knit family business for several generations, with Liz still helping out with the pies and her son and granddaughter running the bakery's two locations (Julian and Santa Isabel) and the orchard.
This pie is not too sweet and is made with the natural sweetness of apples.
You can also order cold ice cream to go with your warm pie!
Click here for the official website!
2. Mom's Pie House
Established in 1984, this traditional bakery was started by Anita Nichols, a mother of four and passionate baker.
She has been honing her apple pie skills for over 35 years, and you can still feel her mother's love in each and every pie.
What stands out here is the sheer variety!
There are many varieties of apple pie alone, but there are also strawberry, blueberry, cherry, pecan, rhubarb, chocolate, pumpkin, and more!
Click here for the official website!
3. Julian Cafe & Bakery
This shop is an apple pie shop and restaurant.
It is the oldest of Julian's bakeries and is known as "home of the famous Julian apple pie."
This cafe restaurant serves up hearty traditional Western fare, making it the perfect addition to any trip to Julian - just make sure you save room for the apple pie!
Click here for the official website !
What did you think?
Julian is a city that exudes history. I hope this article has given you at least a little bit of a desire to visit.
Touring towns that still retain the vestiges of good old America, eating delicious apple pie, shopping in cute stores, and experiencing California's mining history is sure to leave you with fond memories, so be sure to check it out!
Feel free to plan your trip with a beer or wine from SoCalization in hand.
