Julian is a town of about 1,500 located an hour and a half or so east of San Diego at an elevation of 4,226 feet.  The first European settlers arrived around 1850 but the town came alive in 1869-1870 when gold was discovered.  During this gold rush era, apple trees were brought to Julian and thus began the tradition of baking delicious apple pies that still continues today.  Julian Pie Company, Mom’s, and Apple Alley (delicious gluten-free pies) are but three of the many establishments offering several varieties of pie, so grab some friends and do a pie (not pub) crawl.  For great craft brews, try Nickel Beer Co.