Touring the High Peak Mine is a chance to step back in time to Julian's early days as a mining boom town.

It was gold that first brought people to the mountains east of San Diego, and led to the founding of the town of Julian. Today they come for shopping, dining, relaxation and apples. The annual apple harvest draws thousands of visitors on fall weekends.

But you can still find the gold if you know where to look. April and I followed the signs on Main Street pointing to the Eagle and High Peak Mine. We were soon standing at the entrance of the mine, which looks like something off a Hollywood back lot - a dark hole in the mountain framed by rough-hewn timbers.

We joined a tour and shuffled into the hand-dug tunnel, ducking the low ceiling. It eventually expanded to a comfortable height as we moved into the sections that were opened with dynamite. With a strand of bare bulbs to light our way, we saw the progress of 70-some years of work. Starting in 1870, miners dug 3,500 feet of tunnels on 11 different levels, dodging cave-ins and dynamite blasts to be paid in gold dust.

The mine was a successful one, as evidenced by the gold flakes glittering in the exposed quartz veins on the walls of the tunnel. Exactly how successful remains a mystery. The amount of gold extracted was a closely-guarded secret. But standing amidst the old buildings and the remains of the processing equipment at the end of the tour, it wasn't hard to imagine a stage coach galloping away in a cloud of dust to deposit a load of gold bars in the nearest bank.

Main Street, and not mines, is Julian's attraction now. Visitors wander past historic storefronts, bed and breakfast inns, lines of Harleys parked along the curb, and inviting shops offering everything from antiques, to books, to hardware, to apple pies and so much more.

Unlike many tourist towns, Julian doesn't fall into the trap of making everything appear quaint. It's an easygoing, come-as-you-are place where you'll find store owners behind their counters and hear a friendly greeting when you enter.

It's also a place where you can do some serious eating. The Julian Coffee House, at the east end of Main Street, offers up a full selection of caffeinated (and otherwise) beverages to jumpstart your day, along with various baked goodies and a delectable breakfast croissant with eggs and cheese. For something heartier, like Eggs Benedict, visit Soups and Such Cafe. Chances are your waitress will be owner Lani Stuart, a Julian native who left town and later returned to start her own family.

"It's an easygoing, come-as-you-are place where you'll find store owners behind their counters and hear a FRIENDLY GREETING when you enter."

When it's time for lunch, or if you decide to skip straight to dessert, head for the Candied Apple Pastry Company. It's on 4th Street, a block south of Main. Don't let the name fool you. There are plenty of mouth-watering candied apples tempting you from the glass display case, but first try a stuffed chicken foccacia sandwich, or a spinach-and-goat-cheese salad. For dessert, you'll have to decide between apple pie, assorted cookies, macaroons, mini cheesecakes, a Kahlua-chocolate-chip bread pudding, or any number of other treats created from scratch by Chef Charles.

We took our dessert to go and headed to the vacation home we were staying in for the weekend. Dubbed the "Lovely Julian Mountain Retreat" by owner Nada Grigsby, the house sits about two miles from town. We settled in for a lazy afternoon of napping, reading, dessert-eating and staring out the window at the oaks blowing in the wind.

Dinner brought us back to town, where we were lucky to get a table at The Julian Grille without a reservation. The restaurant makes its home in a cozy cottage. We sat in what could have been the living room, near the fireplace, and enjoyed a wonderful warm brie appetizer, followed by delicious salmon and fettuccine alfredo.

We lingered over dinner and remarked at our good fortune. We found a relaxing, enjoyable weekend, and that was worth far more than a pinch of gold dust.

Getting There
Take Interstate 5 south to Interstate 210 east, then south on Interstate 15. Exit I-15 at State Route 78 and continue east to Julian.

Stay
Lovely Julian Mountain Retreat
(619) 722-1073
nada.grigsby@cox.net
www.vrbo.com/105636

See
Eagle & High Peak Mine
End of C Street
(760) 765-0036

Eat
Candied Apple Pastry Company
2128 Fourth Street
(760) 765-2655

Soups and Such Cafe
2000 Main Street
(760) 765-4761

The Julian Grille
2224 Main Street
(760) 765-0173

Julian Coffee House
1921 Main Street
(760) 765-1906

Shop
The Julian Book House
2230 Main Street
(760) 765-1989

The Birdwatcher
2775 B Street
(760) 765-1817
www.thebirdwatcher.net

Julian Hardware & Mercantile
2111 Main Street
(760) 765-0123

More Info
Julian Chamber of Commerce
760-765-1857 www.julianca.com

Eric Harnish lives in Newhall.