Borrego Badlands and Julian

(Borrego Springs, CA) Ken was awake very early on Tuesday morning and so decided to drive back to Font’s Point to experience the sunrise over the Borrego Badlands.

 

Ken said his only companions were the number of birds that came out to face the rising sun and sing its praises.  We hadn’t heard any birdsong the prior evening but he said at this time of the morning, the air was full of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He spent a couple of hours up there enjoying the glow all around and the differences in the scene as the shadows of the morning sun crossed the badlands.

 

 

JoAnn and Doug had been checking the weather and since we were in for a couple of cool days later in the week suggested that, if we wanted to visited the unique mountain village of Julian, CA, we might do that today since it was much cooler up on the mountain.  Of course, Ken was quick to agree having heard tale from Doug of the awesome homemade pies that make Julian famous. 

As you can see comparing Ken’s morning pictures to the next two taken on the road up to Julian, there are several highly varied landscapes within a very short distance.  For a Midwestern that can drive 500 miles and see basically the same terrain and plant life this continues to amaze!

 

We even began to see lawns and plenty of green grass as we got closer to the top of the mountain.

Julian is a gorgeous little village about 5000 feet up in the mountains.  There’s a lot of beautiful high-end clothing stores where I could have dropped a few $1000 no problem (if I still had an income that is!!!) especially on the handwoven Alpaca sweaters.  Julian is just an hour drive from San Diego and obviously caters to the city folk looking for a charming weekend mountain getaway.

There are old-fashioned covered sidewalks and interior covered patios to enjoy the lovely weather and their great baked goods and specialty coffees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to do our pie at Mom’s but when determined that they no longer had a sandwich menu first went to the Julian Cafe & Bakery to find a main course. Each couple decided to split the chicken pot pie, with garlic mashed potatoes and coleslaw.

We then decided to try Mom’s Pie House for the famous homemade pie which as the objective of this trek in to the mountains.  While the apple pie is the local trademark you can watch through the window as Mom’s bakers make any variety of other great baked goods as well.

While the town is famous for apple pies, they make a wide variety,  some with cherries, some with boysenberries or strawberries or rhubarb, some with crumb topping, some with flaky pastry topping.  And of course, a la mode is the preferred topping.   They even make that more tempting with Cinnamon ice cream.  We all savored some very good dessert here, although it was unanimous that Jo Wishnie’s homemade pie is even better!

Back at the rig, Ken and I checked in on the kids and how they were faring through what was being reported as the worst blizzard in Quincy, IL,  in many decades.  They were all fine, though snowbound.  Apparently there is two feet of snow now with five foot drifts all over our hometown, high winds, and temperatures that are to drop below zero in the next 24 hours.   While after a month on the road, I might be experiencing some twinges of homesickness, it’s certain not for the weather!

Ken and I had made some beef vegetable soup and invited JoAnn and Doug over to join us.  JoAnn brought some Ghirardelli brownie’s.  I’m going to have to upgrade to that mix – really good!

So, as the blizzard howls in our hometown, I’ll leave you with the Tuesday night sunset (thanks, JoAnn, for your better picture this evening!)

Hugs, C