Julian, CA- pie and the forest of no return

Yesterday Melissa and I drove out to Julian, CA by way of the 79- through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. This area is one of my favorite landscapes of all time. When I used to do preschool photography, I got sent up to Julian to photograph a school. I remember driving through this landscape for the first time in total awe. It’s part desert meadow, part burnt out nightmare. There was a big fire here in 2003, and as a result, there are a lot of dead trees mixed in with brush and older growth. Matt and I like to call it “the forest of no return,” but I feel very peaceful here.

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You can’t go to Julian without getting a slice of pie at Mom’s.

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Today is my last day in San Diego. I leave tonight on a red eye to Miami, and thus begins my adventure from the known into the unknown. I’ll be renting a bicycle and biking from Miami Beach down to Key West and back- a total distance of around 320 miles. Did I mention that I’m not a cyclist and have never done a long distance bike trip before? Needless to say, my nerves are alive and well. But that’s part of the adventure, I suppose.