Get to town before dark and walk Main Street. It takes about ten minutes, and that's the point.

Have dinner, then split a warm slice at Julian Pie Company or Mom's Pie House. Everyone has a favorite and arguing about it is part of the trip.

Step outside the lights of Main Street and look up. Julian is a certified Dark Sky Community, so the Milky Way isn't a rumor here.

Be at Volcan Valley Apple Farm when it opens at 9. The trees are trellised, so the apples hang at kid height and nobody needs a ladder. One bag covers the whole group.

Drive two minutes to the Volcan Mountain trailhead. The hike to the mid-summit is about 3 miles round trip and shows you the whole valley. Strong hikers can push on to the top, where on a clear day you can see from the ocean to the desert.

In the afternoon, take the Eagle & High Peak Mine tour back in town. It's an hour underground in hand-dug tunnels with a guide who loves telling stories, and you don't need a reservation. Bring cash.

Head south on Highway 79 to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and hike Stonewall Peak, about 4 miles round trip. Near the top there are stairs and a handrailed granite stretch, and kids talk about it for weeks.

Stop at Lake Cuyamaca on the way out, then take a bag of apples home so the trip lasts a few more days.