Julian is getting a fresh look from a local who knows the backcountry well, with recommendations for where East County residents can eat, shop, hike and explore on a day trip to the mountain town.

The San Diego Union-Tribune featured Linda Todd-Limón, co-owner of Limón Orchards, who moved to Julian with her husband after buying a retirement property that came with terraced apple and pear orchards. The couple now grows heritage apples, organic pears and crabapples for local markets, restaurants, cideries and bakeries.

Todd-Limón’s picks include Soups & Such Cafe for breakfast or lunch, Coyote Jack Art Studio for local art, Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve for a moderately strenuous hike and the Julian Library’s James Hubbell stained-glass and iron doors for public art. She also pointed visitors to the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, one of Southern California’s oldest continuously operating hotels, established in 1897.

For Santee and East County families, Julian remains one of the easiest higher-elevation escapes without leaving the county — close enough for a weekend day trip, but different enough to feel like a full change of scenery.

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune — https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/05/12/handpicked-by-locals-5-places-to-eat-drink-and-explore-in-and-around-julian/