APPLE PIES AND WOLVES AT JULIAN - SAN DIEGO STAY

 From Anza Borrego desert state park we went to Julian a small mountain community in Southern California on the way back home in San Diego.

Julian is an official Historical landmark for San Diego county in California, it has surprisingly very limited population of 1768 as per the latest census 

The town is known for its apple pie and its annual Julian Apple Days Festival, which began in 1949

As we drove back and were passing between the north end of the Cuyamaca Range and the south slope of Volcan Mountain, the brown terrain started acquiring vibrant green colors, we began to see oak trees and pine forests. 

The history of the town itself is very interesting to know, it was first settled by the three brothers Drury, Frank and J.O. Bailey with their cousins, Mike and Webb Julian. They were passing through this region from San Bernardino en route to Arizona in 1869, in the wake of the American Civil War. 

Enthralled by the beauty of the Julian area, Drury Bailey interrupted the group’s travel plans and chose instead to settle here and  surprisingly named the settlement “Julian” after Mike Julian because  he felt “Mike was better looking” than all the other members of the Bailey family.

 Shortly after, A.E. “Fred” Coleman, a former slave, crossed over a creek 4 miles west of Julian and saw a glint of gold in the water and quickly set up Coleman Mining District .In time eager gold miners flocked to Julian to stake their claims.

At first Julian had a tent city followed by more permanent structures as it was clear to all that gold mining in Julian would persist for some time to come. Later Victorian-style structures were constructed 

Unlike other such camps, Julian survived even after the mines played out due to its climate, rich soil and proximity to San Diego which I felt that it is still its biggest advantage. 

While the miners were sweating deep down in the mines to extract the gold from the earth, an enterprising person named James Madison brought a wagon load of young apple trees into these mountains. The fruit trees flourished in the clear, fresh air and Lo! a flourishing business was born ,apples are still a big product in Julian, many of which are used for making the world-famous Julian apple pies ,visitors can go around the many orchards picking up apples when they are ripe

As we parked our car and stepped out there was a sudden chilly nip in the air, the entire town looked like a model early California frontier town with its time frozen in early 19th century ,all the trees around us were prettily dressed in their fall colors.

The stores are all dated with guided tours arranged to see the historic sites. Tourism is Julian's largest industry, followed by cattle raising.

In 1976, Julian approved a plan that required the exteriors of any buildings on Main Street to be no younger in age than 1913.We found that, in fact many structures had a Victorian architecture that looked much older than 1913.

 Julian Historic Walking Tour map was available for self-tour at the Chamber office located at the Town Hall on the corner of Main & Washington Streets. 

There were plaques placed on historic buildings on several streets which revealed history of the town from Gold Rush times to the 1920s.

The entire town can be covered within an hour or two, there was no honking nor people talking loudly, it was totally all chilled out and peaceful and serene

Julian experiences more extreme temperatures and greater precipitation than much of southern California. It also receives snow annually, more in February and March. This attracts people from San Diego and other coastal cities, where snow hardly occurs. Many affluent people from California and San Diego prefer to own vacation homes here and spend their vacations

 All Julian apples are sold locally as apple pies, apple cider or whole fruit. In October, apparently nearly 10,000 apple pies a week are baked in Julian, when Southern California tourists flock here for the fall colors, cool breezes, frontier atmosphere and its famous Apple Festival.

Julian apples have won many blue ribbons at famous places. The first Julian apple celebration was held in 1909 , and later after a long gap in 1949 and is being carried out regularly since then

There were many cute shops selling apple pies, pot pies, cidar and souvenirs ,we could see the fresh pies getting prepared  and the friendly banter of the people working inside ,the window dressings were pretty and innovative 

Many art galleries were spread around, I especially liked the name of one  shop named Pistols & Petticoats, on the Main Street  where one can get items reminiscent of old saloon days 

We of course bought and ate an apple pie at Julian Apple Pie Company which we did sitting in the outdoor on benches and we took some pies home too ,I liked the taste of the pie 

I particularly was fascinated by the California Wolf Center - Nature Store. This store was being run by a young man who graciously consented when I asked him if I could take some pics 

There were many gifts, key chains , magnets and clothes all based on theme of the wolf .There were exhibits on wolf biology and ecology along with film shows arranged in a parlor. 

While checking out I saw gift parcels of wolf poop which was indeed amusing !

The man there told us that there was a California wolf centre 4 miles outside Julian ,on prior appointment people could go and see how they are trying to protect wolves from getting extinct 

This location offers education programs for children and adults about Mexican grey wolf recovery and Alaskan wolves, conservation, and history, as well as information about their conservation partnerships that support wolf recovery in the wild, they are one of the largest breeding centers in the country for this species 

SCULPTURES AND ANZA BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK – SAN DIEGO STAY

 We had a tasty Indian breakfast at home and started our drive to Anza Borrego Desert State Park, which is famous for its camping, biking, hiking, a large variety of flowering cacti, palm groves, bighorn sheep and exotic birds like black throated sparrows, Le Conte’s thrashers ,white doves  and humming birds, our son specifically wanted us to see the sculptures in the park

 It is the largest state park in California with five hundred miles of dirt roads, extensive wild areas and many miles of hiking trails which attract visitors who flock to this place to experience the wonders of the California desert.

As it is a huge park, ideally it takes at-least 2 weeks to see all the wonders like the wind caves and,hot springs and the oasis but due to constraint of time we did only a day trip.

 The park is named after the Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word Borrego means big horn sheep that inhabit the park

 The park is one of the hottest locations in the U.S. -- Borrego Valley and Borrego Badlands where temperature in summer is said to be an average 107 degrees F and can climb as high as 125 degrees F 

The park has an exceptional fossil record which includes preserved plants, a variety of invertebrate shells, animal tracks, and an array of bones and teeth, most fossils found in the park date from six million to under a half million years in age 

Our drive took us from grass green terrains with slowly emerging gentle hills to large mountains ,the greenery gradually decreased and we started to see more of rocky dry lands and patches of defiantly cultivated fields with their produce being sold on the roadside ,we passed Ramona and Santa Ysabel ,I wondered at the similarities in the names ,Ramona and my husband’s name Ramana ,only one letter changed ,LOL ! 

We finally reached Borrego Springs, a town surrounded by the state park, we could see bustling activity and many art shops and plenty of eateries. We parked at the architecturally striking Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor centre which was built into the side of a hill and hardly visible from the road.

It had a small and cozy museum with orientation & visitor Information with interactive exhibits, park maps and various trail maps along with gift and book shops .

The park rangers were very friendly and distributed brochures readily, we sat through a 15-minute audiovisual presentation, on the bighorn sheep and on wild flowers, un fortunately we couldn’t see any wild flowers as our visit was not in the season which often begins in February and extends into April. 

The visitor’s centre had a lot of native trees and cacti including the Barrel cactus which naturally induced me to take a click of course

The special attraction of Borrego springs are the large metal sculptures more than 130 in number placed in the fields around Borrego Springs.

 Dennis Avery, landowner of Galleta Meadows Estates in Borrego Springs, California with great fore thought converted his stark desert property into a vivid canvas. He filled it with the incredible steel welded sculptures created by artist and welder Ricardo Breceda who used various sized hammers to mould bars, wires and metals to produce beautiful sculptures

From the paved road one can easily drive on dirt roads to get near each of the life-sized sculptures. The complete circuit of about 20 miles round trip offered safe places to pull off the road and some sand roads.  We are asked not to take new roads and to pay special attention to soft sand as our car may get stuck up in the sand. It was indeed a different experience to drive ,stop at one place and look at all the sculptures there and proceed

Since the surrounding landscape is so barren, it is easy to see the sculptures and some could be seen on our drive too ,we relied on the map given at the visitor centre

Galleta Meadows is unfenced and open to the public to visit,  hike, horseback riding, picnicking, photography, and bicycling  and visitors are allowed every day of the year 

The Galleta Meadows metal sculptures have different themes. The largest theme appears to be of prehistoric animals, including dinosaurs. Other themes have a connection to the desert environment in which they are located, like desert animals, including scorpions and bighorn sheep. 

There a remarkable an approximately 350-foot-long sea dragon that gives the scary illusion of it snaking into and over top the desert sand. (pic courtesy Flickr-RuggyBearLA )

We saw the Camelops an extinct genus of camel that once roamed western North America but disappeared about 10,000 years ago. The camels were majestic sculptures with unique fur and postures. Detailing was accurate even the muscles of the camel were clearly visible

Sculptures like the Giant Tortoise were looking very realistic and huge ,some looked like they would come alive at the blink of an eye. 

There were sculptures of migrant farm workers picking grapes, they were arranged in a group in a vineyard. One can see them picking grapes, carrying boxes, and building a trellis. 

One more remarkable sculpture is that of the Prospector as this area was one of the first that gold miners moved to when the rush started. 

As we couldn't cover all the sculptures this photo was downloaded (courtesy James Bremner Jr@,2017 DesertUSA.com)

An Indian head representing the Native Americans that helped play a significant role in expeditions to California in the 1770s,a priest bearing a cross and a jeep balanced precariously on a pile of stones are favorites for the tourists 

The sloths also had the unique fur of metal which must have taken a very long time to create 

The scorpion was done in a great detail and very massive. It was probably about 15 feet tall and 10 feet long.

It appeared to be in a tough fight with a grasshopper across which was also very impressive with its wings very intricately done

There were a few mammoths probably 20 feet tall and 15 feet long and had impressive tusks. It is said that there have been a few skeletal remains found of mammoths in this area

There were sculptures of horses seen, most of which were off the road and seemed to blend into the background as if they truly belonged there

Sculptures of big horn sheep also looked very realistic (,this photo was downloaded courtesy James Bremner Jr @,2017 DesertUSA.com),

Many sculptures of dinosaurs were there and the artist has given them teeth fiery enough to scare a timid soul 

Those who visit the park in summer should carry plenty of water, hat and sunscreen as the desert is scorching hot.  And because Borrego Springs is a “Dark Sky Community” many enthusiastic tourists bring their tripods to view the starry skies.

Since we were there for a limited time only , we could see only few of the sculptures, however the ones we saw were stunning, it was as if the metal sculptures were dancing in perfect rhythm with the vivid blue sky with the silent massive mountains surrounding watching them solemnly, oblivious of the cars and the noisy tourists 

SWAMI'S BEACH AND GARDEN - SAN DIEGO STAY

 As part of our San Diego stay with our first son Nikhil, we visited Swami beach in Encinitas, a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California, it is 25 miles north of San Diego, we first went to see the SRF Golden Lotus Towers, these large lotus towers along South Coast Highway  were designed and dedicated to the world by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1948.

Swami Yogananda came from India as a representative for the international congress of religions and wanted to gift the art of meditation to Americans and in 1920, founded the Self-Realization Fellowship

Swamiji spent many years in divine communion here and his personal rooms used by him are now being preserved as a shrine.

Swami had dedicated the entire site as a world brotherhood center for people from all over the world to come, gather and learn the intricacies and ideals of Self-realization and right living

We then visited the second and latest temple constructed after the loss of Golden Lotus Temple in a tragic land slide, it is a serene and beautiful church located on a horseshoe-shaped hill overlooking the city and the sea and it was surrounded by tall eucalyptus and pine trees.

It was formerly used as an educational center known as Bishop’s School. It is now divided into apartments with an auditorium seating about 200 people. Regular services are held along with meditations, chanting of keertans, scriptural readings, commemorations, and many opportunities to serve the needy

We later went to the meditation garden which was rated the most peaceful tourist attraction in California state, it was un believable to see such a green and serene park right in the middle of the busy locality, we could luckily get a parking and as we entered we were greeted by a volunteer and were asked to keep our cell volumes low as it was a silent area

The meditation gardens are open to all, every Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are closed on major holidays and when it rains.

 The moment we entered ,it was as if we had stepped into a different time zone ,winding paths took us through the garden which had a large variety of plants including succulents preserved so beautifully

Benches were arranged for people to sit and meditate in several nooks ,the Pacific ocean stretched before us majestically and we felt as if the time stood still ,we could see a lot of Indians and Americans strolling around and talking in hushed tones ,some were seen meditating ,my husband took the opportunity and said later that the experience was surreal.

There were streams and ponds and an occasional waterfalls which had huge Koi fish swimming around merrily, in Japan these fish are symbols of good luck, prosperity, good fortune and perseverance, I remarked to my son that it looked very much like Japanese gardens

Refreshed fully, we came out and proceeded to the beach which is named after Swami. We went through the small "Swami" park at the top of the cliff, which had a water fountain, benches, picnic tables, and trees some of them very artistically molded 

There were about 160 wooden steps to get down to the ocean, view from the top was exhilarating ,on the way I saw a cute spot named Joy’s Memorial created after a surfer called Joy who died of a heart attack during surfing ,it was a touching thing to see 

In no time we got down to the beach, it was incredible experiencing the fresh air, the sand was soft with occasional stones scattered across it.

While coming down the steps and also going up again we saw many surfers carrying their heavy surfing boards effortlessly as this beach was well known for world class surfing , very talented and even professional surfers apparently come to surf here

Swami's beach is available from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m. and has lifeguard towers open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m 

Encinitas beaches, including Swami's, prohibit pet dogs, transportable barbecue grills, drinking glasses, and any sort of smoking or alcohol which I thought was a good idea to keep the beaches clean

The Swami's Reef is a protected area through the California Marine Life Protection Act, it protects nearby sea life and habitats from removal. In addition, fishing is strictly prohibited in this particular area.

It was a very good experience to visit the beach as San Diego has many beaches, each has its own quaint beauty