Eight days until the launch of Spring Into Danger and I’m still thinking about my recent trip to southern California. After attending the San Diego Bouchercon convention, Will and I rented a car and drove to two locations less than two hours away. The first was Julian, a former gold mining town in the hills east of San Diego. After the mining declined, outsiders looking for an off-the-grid lifestyle moved in. Will and I had spent a night in Julian some years ago and were struck by its hippie/country vibe. The town has become locally famous for its apples and pies. A number of bakery shops and restaurants in the small town make their own apple pies and some specialty bakeries offer other varieties.

We bought an apple pie to eat during our two days there and loved it so much we bought a cherry pie to take to our next destination. In addition to eating, we enjoyed a day trip from Julian along a twisting and turning road to the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. It was too hot to hike, but we loved the scenery almost as much as our pies.