One of my favorite weekend getaways is Julian, tucked into the mountains approximately 50 miles east of San Diego.  Originally settled by silver miners, the town is a beautiful testament to historic preservation — and repurposing!  Enjoy these photos from a recent day trip, where I enjoyed shopping in homes turned into retail boutiques, hot apple cider, and world-famous Julian apple pies.

What are your plans for the weekend?  I hope it is filled with fun adventures and historic finds!

“Ask for Purity at the Repurposed Watertower”

On the left is the historic Julian water tower — which has been repurposed into a spiritual haven, where you can enjoy channeled readings on the weekend, along with meditation classes.  On the right, at the Oakwood Creek, one block off of Main Street, you enter into the wonderful boutique via an upcycled door handle that reads, “Ask for Purity…Milk Butter.”

The adorable Julian bookstore resides in a Craftsman home.  My favorite part is entering into the “living room,” which showcases a fantastic collection of rare, old, and first edition books.

What a timely find!  Fueling my current obsession with upcycling antique silverware, inside the cute Oakwood Creek boutique, I found old silverware pieces repurposed into elegant, re-fillable pens with matching letter openers.  This historic home was transformed into a retail shop, filled even to the hallway brim with lovely new and old treasures.

Main Street’s Miner’s Diner, which has been serving delicious malts, shakes, and sundaes since 1928, gives you quirky cards after you order, instead of table numbers.  I wish I had received the Queen of Hearts for my lunch order, but I’ll settle for Ace.