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Orchard Hill Country Inn ( 760-765-0290, 800-716-7242; www.orchardhill.com; 2502 Washington St; r incl breakfast $195-325; wi-fi) This romantic, immaculately maintained B&B features a Craftsman-style main lodge and a dozen cottages on 4 wooded acres. Each designer-furnished room is different but might include Jacuzzi tub, fireplace or balcony. Full, gourmet breakfasts include house-made jams such as plum, fig or pumpkin butter.

In addition to the inns above, Julian has many small B&B’s. The Bed & Breakfast Guild ( 760-765-1555, 888-675-4333; www.julianbnbguild.com; 9am-9pm) can point you to available rooms.

Eating & Drinking

Rong Branch ( 760-765-2265; 2722 Washington St; most mains $8-27; lunch & dinner; ) Apart from buffalo burgers, it’s familiar country cookin’ (think barbecue, steaks and chili) amid country decor. The back-room Boar’s Head Saloon is the town’s only nightspot (closing hours vary, until 11pm or midnight).

Romano’s Dodge House ( 760-765-1003; 2718 B St; mains $8-19; dinner Thu-Mon; ) Home-style Italian cooking in a gold-country setting, with wood paneled walls, Franklin stove, lace curtains and Johnny Mathis piped in. Hearty main dishes (pork chops in creamy garlic sauce, zucchini parmigiana) come with a side of pasta or veggies. Pizzas also available. Reservations recommended at peak times.

Among favorite local pie bakeries, Julian Café & Bakery ( 760-765-2712; 2112 Main St; 8am-7:30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-8:30pm Sat & Sun; ), serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, Julian Pie Co ( 760-765-2449; 2225 Main St; 9am-5pm; ) makes sandwiches to go (plus cider donuts), and Mom’s ( 760-765-2472; 2119 Main St; 8am-5pm Sun-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat; ) has an open bakeshop and gourmet coffees. Pie: about $3/12 per slice/whole.

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DETOUR: SAN DIEGO WILD ANIMAL PARK

Take a walk on the wild side at this 1800-acre open-range zoo ( 760-747-8702; www.sandiegozoo.org; 15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd, Escondido; adult/child $28.50/$17.50, incl tram $33/22; 9am-9pm mid-Jun–early Sep, to 5pm early Sep–mid-Jun; ), where giraffes graze, lions laze and rhinos romp more or less freely on the valley floor. The Journey to Africa tram ferries you around the world’s second-largest continent in what feels like a half-hour safari. Elsewhere, animals are in enclosures so naturalistic it’s as if the humans are guests, and there’s a petting krall and animal shows; pick up a map and schedule. Combination tickets with the San Diego Zoo are $59/39 per adult/child.

The park is in Escondido, about 35 miles north of downtown San Diego. Take the I-15 Fwy to the Via Rancho Parkway exit, then follow the signs. Parking costs $8. For bus information contact North San Diego County Transit District ( 619-233-3004, from northern San Diego County 800-266-6883; www.gonctd.com).

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Getting There & Away

Julian sits at the junction of routes 78 and 79. It’s about 1¼ hours from San Diego (via I-8 east to Rte 79 north), North County (via Rte 78) or Temecula (Click here I-15 south to Rte 78 east). Rte 78 also leads you toward Borrego Springs (Click here 40 minutes).

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TIJUANA, MEXICO

country code 52, city code 664 / pop 2 million

Rita Hayworth was discovered here. Carlos Santana began his career here. And one of the world’s great culinary inventions, the Caesar salad, hails from nowhere other than – drum roll please – yes, Tijuana, that grubby, noisy, frenzied, but oh-so-tantalizing city of two million souls, just a hop, skip and a jump from San Diego.

During Prohibition in the 1920s, Tijuana (pronounced ‘tee-hwah-na’, or TJ for short) was the darling of the Hollywood crowd. These days, tequila and beer exert their siren song over college students, sailors and other revelers who descend upon the rollicking bars and nightclubs of Av Revolución (La Revo), once notorious, now merely one of the wildest streets in North America. Its curio stores overflow with kitschy souvenirs, while touts bark at every passerby from liquor stores, low-priced