Julian Pie Run

This post for the Pie Run, is dedicated to Chunk. R.I.P., my friend.

Friday, March 10, 2011. Leaving early in the bright sun, for a day of fun!

By the time we got to Brawley, California, it was time to take off clothes! The temp is on the rise.

Pelicans on patrol over the Salton sea. Lots of birds like this water. Lots of small salt water fish to munch on.

Katie is getting "brown as a berry" in the warm sunshine.

Between the two of them, I think around 800 pictures were taken today! (that's NOT an exaggeration!:-)

The time it took to ride to Salton Sea City, then down to the water was well worth the time it took.

This is the road we took to get to the end of the Jetty. Jim is liking the dirt riding!

The end of the Jetty. There was dead fish floating around in the water. Didn't look like a good place to swim.

Seagulls having morning muster.

It wasn't in our plan or time schedule to ride the 30 some miles extra to get down here, but I'm glad that we did. We made the time up heading up the mountain :-)

We went up over 4000 feet near Julian, then dropped down some, about 7 miles down the road to Santa Ysabel. Another small town with a newer and larger Julian Pie Company store. Here we waited for Teri and Diane who were riding up from the Santa Ana, CA area.

Since this is for Chunk, I hope you don't mind a few pie pictures.

1 Nice sign!

We were right across the street from the Post Office.

Yum!

This is the traditional Apple. It's a little deeper dish than some of the speciality pies.

While we were waiting, a lot of bikes came and went. This harley pulled in with stereo blasting. The lady was riding her own yellow Harley, she jumped off and joined her man for a dance in the parking lot. They were both good dancers!

The yellow Harley belonged to the dancing lady.

The people that came in on this buggy ate so much pie, they weren't able to walk out of the parking lot. They are probably still in there eating while the buggy rusts away.

One of the many varieties of California Ice Plant.

Jim and Katie just got back from visiting a weaving/kniting shop. There are many nice tourist related stores in this area. Most have interesting names.

This is Diane. She's a race car driver, and a friend of Teri Conrad, who is a Photo Journalist and Editor of Accellerate Magazine. They rode in on their Blue Ninja's.

I even got my pitchur took.

I was moderately good. Had the "No Sugar Added" Apple with cinnamon flavored Ice cream and coffee. I think that Jim and Kate's may have had a little more sugar :-)

Teri, Diane, Katie and Jim. We had a fine visit.

After pie and coffee, we all rode back up the mountain to Julian. Diane is a new rider, but, probably because of her race car experience, she's already riding like a pro! Here we stopped for a field of daffodils.

Looks like Katie is pushing Jim up hill. He was low on gas, so to save a little she pushed him a few miles (not)

Three lovely flowers, in front of a whole field of them!

We were looking for the Long Branch, but found the Rong place!

Katie with an angry bird cup.

Katie is wearing her "wedding slippers" today. Very cool looking shoes!

Julian isn't a large city, this is part of Main street. We saved a lot for another time to see. There are so many interesting places, it would take a long time to explore them all. We'll come back another time.

It was nutin', Honey!

I don't think this was the original. I think that one is in Nevada.

Apples have kept this town going, since the gold ran out of the mines up there. This is one of the most famous, along with Mom's across the street. There are others that are just as good.

This is the local grocery store.

oooooo K.

Sounds interesting!

Diane checking out the tourist goodies.

Teri deciding which place to go next!

There was an Old Tyme Photo shop in there, looks like fun. EVERYTHING here looks like fun!

It's a little hard to find your way around.

I liked this painting. Jim and Katie were looking around in here, and bought some tacky book :-)

Knives and guns..........guess from the old times. Actually, these are probably from China :-)

Another Cafe. You won't go hungry up here in Pie Country.

This was a large store, but there was a sign saying NOT to take pictures. We went in anyway.

Just had to sneak in a few shots. I didn't see that they had anything to hide anyway. Taken at waist level, while pretending to be at something on a shelf :-) I took 8 pictures in there, but most didn't turn out very good.

California has it's share of Liquor Stores! Even up in Julian.

We realized that it was getting late. We needed to go in different directions to get home, and we knew we'd not make it before dark, so it was time to leave. Without seeing most of the town.

Some history here.

Caramel Apples. I think that's what the Kate is taking a picture of here.

King Frog is on guard.

One store had about 10 different kinds of Pink Flamingos! I think I got 5 or 6 pictues of them. Love those tacky/happy birds!

A painted up rubber rain boot. Guess you can sell anything with a little imagination.

Oh No! Not another Flamingo!

Which way to go! and this is just one alley!

Buffalo Bill's! That guy got around!

Will there be more?

Not a lot of motels here, but lots of Bed and Breakfasts in town.

The birds have it!

Mounting up. A nice time, and it was fun meeting Diane. I'm sure well see her at other vroc events this summer. She's going to be a real rider.

I know. You're thinking, "enough is enough".

California has sort of expensive gas. We had to fill up here before heading down the Mountain.

We're on part of the old "Butterfield State Road" Jim is taking a picture of a now famous cactus. This is called "Box Canyon" but, we didn't go down to the bottom.

You have to be a contortionist to be a Photographer!

It was a beautiful ride down the old trail. This is California County Road S2.

I laid down on some rocks while Jim and Katie were taking pictures. This was what I saw looking up.

About half way down, we stopped at another old staqe stop that's now a small camp ground.

The Ocotillos were brighter on the other side of the mountain, but they are in bloom here, and will have more color in a few days.

Desolate country, but it does and a certain beauty. I love the Desert.

Badlands? All it needs is some water and it would be good lands.

We stopped in El Centro for gas and a little rest, our last stop before getting home. We met this self proclained Bum, but we decided to call him a Hobo. He's been riding trains all over the country and even Mexico for a lot of years. He makes these flowers out of Palm Fronds. Jim and Katie bought one. After going inside, Katie decided to buy him some food and took it out to him. She does have a very soft heart. This guy had been around..but we all liked him.

The "flower". It's almost dark now, and we have an hour to get home. The end of a wonderful ride!