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There's a cornucopia of memorabilia available at Wynola Junction Antiques & Collectibles at 4326 Highway 78 just three miles west of downtown Julian. "This is an antique mall, about 4,000 square feet, and we have 25-plus antique dealers," said Junction owner Tracy Turner, adding there are two other antique dealers nearby, Mountaintop Antiques at 4470 Highway 78 in the Wynola Farms Marketplace, and Antique Boutique at 2626 Farmer Road in Julian. Wynola Junction's collection is extensive. "We have lots of stuff: glassware, kitchenware, yard art, primitives, toys, books, etc.," said Turner, noting what makes her antique mall so special, beyond the variety, is its diverseness. "We have two early 1900's cabins that we've turned into a little garden shop where we sell cooking herbs and vegetables in season grown on my Ramona farm, and a Lionel collector's train shop that's set up like a museum, but things in it are for sale as well," she said. The tourist business is critical to the antique mall. A good portion of its clientele - between a half and two-thirds - are out-of-towners. Call Wynola Junction at (760) 765-4758 or visit www.wynolajunction.com. __ While shopping for antiques this fall in the Julian area, a don't-miss event is the 30th annual Descanso Antique Sale to be held Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 7-8, at 25104 Viejas Blvd. in Descanso. Held in conjunction with the estate sale of longtime 97-year-old local pioneer resident Abe Baker, this year's event will feature lots of nice early furniture, small country primitives, fancy glassware and early lighting. Standout items available will include one huge kerosene store lamp from an 1880's saloon. There will also be railroad items including lanterns and padlocks plus mining items from Julian, old west cowboy and Indian relics, old tools, bottles, insulators, sun-colored glass, ghost town relics, firefighting memorabilia, country store scales, yard art, vintage clothes and household effects. Additional items will be added to the sale right up until the doors open to the public on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. For more information e-mail event organizer Jim Baird at jimmtiques@aol.com. Baird noted it's just plain relaxing to be in rural East San Diego County in the fall sampling all it has to offer - especially the antiques. "It's a good time of the year with hot cider and the bite in the air," he said, adding Descanso Mercantile at 8306 Highway 79 has a craft show/flea market running in conjunction with the annual Descanso Antique sale. "We've done this for 30 years," he said, adding "there's another back country produce/antique outlet, Raintree Market/Pam's Place at 9300 Highway 79, that is worth sampling. It sells the best seasonal local produce and several varieties of jerky as well as specialty items like hand-carved bears, bird houses and walking sticks." He concluded, "People around town thrive on keeping their crafts going." __ Besides browsing for antiques in and around Julian, there are plenty of other things to do, like stay in a cozy bed and breakfast, visit a local gold mine, sample the fruit of the vine from two local wineries and shop till you drop at local crafts, gifts and specialty shops. "If you're thinking of coming up for a few days or a weekend, there's (more than) enough to do," said Michael Menghini, president of the Julian Chamber of Commerce who also owns the Menghini Winery in town. "There are upscale bed and breakfasts that are really nice. There are two wineries offering taste testings and self-guided tours: It is a wine destination. "There's an old-time soda fountain in town, one of the best in the world," continued Menghini, "and a lot of nice restaurants. There's fishing at Cuyamaca Lake. With the fall colors, you feel like you're in Colorado." __ Ever visited a gold mine? In Julian, you've got your chance. Just one of the many novel things to do in the rural mountain hamlet is to drop in at Eagle And High Peak Mine at the end of C Street, one of Julian's original gold mines where guides lead you through the intricate path of tunnels in the hard rock mine and share tales of the life of early Julian residents. "You can pan for gold - but you can't keep it," quipped mine spokesman Gregory Stenmoe about the kid-friendly attraction which allows youths to become golddiggers, which is open seven days a week. "You actually get to see a real mine: It's neat." Stenmoe noted the guided tour traverses 11 stories and 1,000 feet running through two gold mines which operated between 1870 and World War II. "You can see all the gold and iron veins, the rock drill and the hoist machine," he said about the mine tour which draws locals and lots of out-of-towners including international travelers. The gold mine tour costs $10 for adults age 13 and above, $5 for ages 5 to 12 and $1 for ages 5 and under. Tours run 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekends. For more information call (760) 765-0036. __ There's also a plethora of shopping opportunities in Julian which has lots of browsable, one-of-a-kind shops, like the Birdwatcher at 2775 B St., a bird lover's paradise offering everything imaginable for wild-bird enthusiasts from art, jewelry and apparel to books and cds as well as birdseed, bird feeders and other birding supplies. For more information call (760) 765-1817. The Julian Chamber of Commerce has a wealth of other information about the community, available lodging, and all the events and activities offered. Visit the chamber at 2129 Main, call them at (760) 765-1857 or visit www.julianca.com. |
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