Located 4,200 feet above the city of San Diego, and an hour�s drive northeast, is the mountain village of Julian. Originally a frontier mining town, Julian has fast become the bed-and-breakfast capital of Southern California. It�s also a Designated Historical District with original storefronts, an old-fashioned soda fountain, tours of gold mines and the oldest continuous operating hotel in Southern California.

Although Julian's picturesque setting attracts tourists, nature lovers, and antique lovers, the town is perhaps most famous for its apple crop. The pies and cider made from the fruit have garnered great popularity for nearly 100 years. The town is often very busy on holiday weekends and during the apple harvest season (usually October).

Tourists and residents alike enjoy shopping and dining in buildings more than a century old. Art galleries, museums, and, of course � apple pies -- all find their place downtown. Here you can spend the day boating on Lake Cuyamaca; or try your hand at Santa Ysabel Resort & Casino close by. You can tour one of Julian�s original gold mines or spend an afternoon on a wine-tasting tour of local vineyards. Just be sure to reserve an evening to stargaze at the Observer�s Inn.

Julian homes range from small log cabins to newer, larger homes with full amenities set amidst several wooded acres, to homes on acreage large enough for cattle ranching � the second largest industry here, next to tourism. Median home prices average $440,000, with single-family homes beginning in the mid-to-high $200,000s and ranging upward to $2.4 million.