I was recently given a copy of the FIRST ISSUE of Saturn 360 Magazine, which is published by Saturn and distributed via the dealerships (although subscriptions are available).

On the front cover, it read "SKY Owners California Road Trip" and I was delighted to open it up and an article about a "SoCal Side Trip" although since I didn't recognize the people in the photo, I assumed it was something new.  Then I read the photo caption "And yes, there is room in the trunk to take a pie home..." and I immediately thought of our great trip to Julian last year.

We have a detailed article about this trip on our website (click here), so I was interested to see what the folks at Saturn wrote about our trip.  The article started out:

"We were determined to have a great day despite the weather," Tim Peverly says, "We had a short meeting and passed out the radios.  Communication is the key to a good group ride.  About 15 of us headed north to Lake Wohlford  We pulled off at a parking area near the lake for a quick photo and to take our tops down, as the rain had stopped and there were beautiful blue skies overhead."

From Lake Wohlford, Peverly and the group continued north the Palomar Observatory. On the way, they encountered some exciting winding roads, according to Peverly.

Located within the Cleveland National Forest on Palomar Mountain at an elevation of 5,500 feet, the Palomar Observatory is one of the world's best-known astronomical observatories.  Since the 1930s, it has been -- and continues to be -- a center of astronimical research.  The observatory houses many telescopes, including the internationally renowned 200-inch Hale telescope.

"We toured the observatory and read about the history, construction and use of the telescope," Peverley says.  "It would have been cool to look through the (Hale) telescope.  However, since it was daytime and none of us were astronomers with a PhD, we just enjoyed the tour.  There was also a nice gift shop that was pretty interesting."

After takin in the sights at Palomar, Peverley and his felow roadster enthusiasts headed down the mountain and continued toward the historic gold mining town of Julian, an hour east of San Diego in the Cuyamaca Mountains.

"Julian is famous for the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, started by a former slave (Albert Robinson) and his wife (Margaret) back in the late 1800s," Peverley says.  "Julian is also known for its apple pies.  There are lots of cool little shops and restaurants to explore and quite a number of historical buildings.

"We met for lunch at Biley's Barbecue -- great food! -- and of course we had to have some apple pie.  And yes, there is room in the trunk to take a pie home."

The Bailey Woodpit Barbecue ranks as one of several dining options in this charming town.  There also are plenty of shops, numerous art galleries and nearby hiking trails.  In addition, visitors can enjoy a ride down Main Street in a horse-drawn carriage.  At 4.235 feet, Julian offers four distinct seasons -- a noteworthy trait in this area.

"Early afternoon came too soon and we said our goodbyes, as many had to head back to Phoenix and Mesa (Arizona), Los Angeles, and parts north," Peverly says.

Ready to ride?  Visit saturn.com (click on MY SATURN >> ENTHUSIASTS >> CLUBS) to find a link to the San Diego Roadsters website as well as other owner groups that may be in your area.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR A FULL PDF VERSION OF THE ARTICLE:

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