William Heise Park
Small and beautiful, this is one of the most visually stimulating, yet user-friendly parks in the county with tall pines, plenty of picnic tables, and shady areas. Interpretive trails wind around the park and take you over
gurgling brooks, up hills, and through glades.

The county park is off Pine Hills Road, just before you come into Main Street, Julian. Overnight camping is available, as are cabins. There is a small fee for day use. 4945 Heise Park Rd., Julian • 760-765-0650

Doane Pond
Many people find it an amazing experience to visit the placid Doane Pond and its serene glade at the top of Palomar Mountain. There’s trout fishing all year long because of the mile-high elevation. As twilight approaches, sometimes the only sound you hear will be the occasional splash of a rainbow trout or the cricket’s song.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - More Info
The largest state park on the West Coast, the Anza- Borrego desert can be a riot of color in the early spring when the desert blooms cut a swath across the valley floors and hills with breathtaking display, or a desert wasteland that demands our full attention when traveling here.

You can pick your spot to camp, and be surrounded by a sparkling galaxy of stars while seeing no other campers for miles. (But please don’t start a fire unless it’s in a metal container.)

This region is one of the most geologically active areas in the world. The more intrepid can venture into the dead sea beds and see the evidence of millions of years of ocean life. There are fossils and fossilized footprints of camels, mammoths, and prehistoric horses. You may also find Native American petroglyphs, motreros, and shelters. 200 Palm Canyon Dr., Borrego Springs • 760-767-4205 • 760-767-5311

Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory is the most famous observatory in the world. It hosts thousands of visitors each year, with museum exhibits, tours, and a gift shop. The awe-inspiring
dome, which is as large as the Parthenon in Athens, and the instrumentality it houses, are examples of the supreme scientific achievement of the mid-twentieth century.

Operated by Cal Tech, Palomar Observatory is a vital working astronomical instrument, used every clear night of the year. For more information on tours, including tours of the interior of the dome, go to: www.palomar-observatory.org and check times and dates to come visit with your family or group. Excellent campground facilities, both state and county, can be found nearby on the mountain for a star-studded night sky camping experience. 760-742-2119

Valley Center History Museum
A giant California Grizzly bear is the central attraction at this new museum located next to the library at 29200 Cole Grade Rd. The significance of the grizzly to Valley Center comes from the fact that the largest grizzly ever killed in California was taken in the town in 1866, giving Valley Center its original name of Bear Valley. The bear has been extinct since 1924. Visitors can also see a replica of an 1862 settler’s cabin, and learn about the early history of one of San Diego County’s oldest communities, settled in 1845.Admission is free. For info, visit : valleycenterhistory.org • 760-749-2993

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
It’s like an oasis in the normally arid San Diego County. It’s also a place where you can experience all four seasons, from spring wildflowers to autumn’s explosive colors. This 25,000 acre state park features pine and oak forests, streams, the second highest peak in the county (Cuyamaca), a deep blue lake that has trout fishing all summer long, and 13,000 acres classified as wilderness (all vehicles prohibited). There are also many habitats that give a home to a wide variety of wildlife, including over a hundred species of birds. For info, call 760-765-0755

Julian
Whether it’s the world-famous Apple Days in the fall, snow and Christmas trees in the winter, the Wildflower and Weed Festival in the spring, or the old-fashioned Fourth of July Main Street Celebration, Julian has unmistakable old-world charm to lure you.

Julian is a carefully preserved historic gold town. You will want to explore the many varied and unique shops, sample the best apple pie you’ve ever tasted, and take a relaxing carriage ride in the countryside. Forget for awhile that you are in Twenty-first Century... Julian makes it a fun and relaxing stay in the past.

The drive up into the mountains makes the perfect day trip, and many bed & breakfasts and historic hotels are available if you want to linger a bit longer.

Mount Laguna
A camping getaway for those who like their winters white. Beautiful forests of incense cedar, white fir, and several varieties of pine create mystic vistas wherever the eye wanders in this little community north of Alpine and south of Julian. You can rent cabins for a rustic week or enjoy many primitive and RV usable campsites in the area. Mount Laguna is also home to the Mount Laguna Observatory, operated by San Diego State University, and visited by several thousand people a year.

San Pasqual Battlefield
About half a mile from the Wild Animal Park, on Hwy 78, is the site of a little-known but important clash in the Mexican-American War between General Steven Kearny’s US dragoons and lance-wielding Californios: The Battle of San Pasqual. The state park museum, which is open on weekends, is on a hill overlooking the river bed where most of the tiny battle took place. Several times a year reenactment groups get together to restage the fight,which took place Dec. 6, 1846. 15808 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido 760-737-2201.

Ramona Historic Walk
“Old Town” Ramona, roughly Main Street between 8th Street and 5th Street, is the area where merchants have chosen to preserve the historic buildings of the town’s past, including the town’s oldest commercial building. Here you’ll also find one of the oldest homes in Ramona, the Verlaque House, preserved as the Guy Woodward Museum, complete with a reproduction of a Western town. Don’t miss the antique shops on Main Street!

San Diego Wild Animal Park
This adjunct to one of the finest zoos in the world displays
herds of animals from all over the world in naturallike settings, not in caged enclosures as many people are used to seeing them. It’s almost like visiting the Serengeti complete with wildebeest, lions, and rhinos, including the rare white rhino. This is also the home of the last remaining California condors, which are being brought back from the brink of extinction. Info: 760-747-8702

Santa Ysabel
Between Ramona and Julian is the small, art-oriented community of Santa Ysabel, which is near the historic Santa Ysabel Mission, established in the late 1700’s by the Spanish.

Home of famous Dudley’s Bakery, Santa Ysabel has become known in recent years as a haven for artists and craftsmen. There’s an annual art festival, and many of the region’s top artists participate, along with lots of talented amateurs.