TRAVEL TALES : FUN AT CORE OF APPLE ADVENTURE.

Byline: Susanne Hopkins Daily News Travel Editor

Autumn means apple-harvest time in Julian. If you've never been to this small village (population about 500) on Highway 79 in the mountains above San Diego, now's the time to visit.

This is apple country, and just about any weekend in October or the first week in November, you can roll into town and revel in the cinnamony aroma of apple pies baking, watch cider presses at work and bring home baskets full of crunchy, juicy apples.

Fewer than a dozen growers produce more than two dozen varieties of apples - everything from winesap and red and golden Delicious to Rome beauty, Gala and Jonagolds.

``Every weekend (in fall), we can count on a lot of visitors coming up and wandering around the shops and eating a piece of pie and just enjoying being up in the mountains,'' said Bonnie Barker of the Julian Chamber of Commerce.

``You can smell the apples and the apple pies baking.''

The ambience is provided by the town, which harkens back to the 19th century when it sprouted as a base for gold miners. Many old storefronts are still intact, though they now often sport apple-related gift items rather than gold pans and picks.

You can observe apple pies being made through the window at Mom's Pies and watch cider being pressed at the Julian Cider Mill, both on Main Street. There's a quaint little museum to visit, the Julian Pioneer Museum on Washington Street, and an old mine, the Eagle and High Peak Mine, to explore on Old Miners Trail off C Street.

And from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends through October, you can take in the Julian Fall Arts and Crafts Show in Julian Town Hall on the corner of Main and Washington streets.

But if it's apples you've come for, head to some of the orchards open to the public. (Information is available from the chamber of commerce, corner of Washington and Main streets.) While most of them don't allow you to pick the apples yourself due to liability, you still can buy a vast selection and watch cider being pressed.

The apple industry started in Julian about the time the mines went bust. The first apple trees were planted in the 1870s.

``There are still a few trees left that are about 120 years old,'' said Ray Meyer of Meyer Orchard. Those trees produce such now-obscure varieties as Arkansas Black and Mammoth Blacktwig.

One of the reasons apples thrive in Julian, say growers, is the mountain weather. At an altitude of 4,235 feet, Julian gets snow during the winter.

``A lot of apples take chilling; we do get the lower temperatures here because of the higher altitude,'' said Mary Hall who, with her husband, Don, owns Apple Lane Orchard.

Those first apples were a resounding success, winning blue ribbons at such illustrious venues as the Chicago and St. Louis world fairs. They've been winning kudos ever since, nowadays from tourists who can swell the town's population to about 5,000 on a good apple-season weekend.

Apples are so popular these days that you can even rent an apple tree here. At Julian Apple Mountain Orchard, folks can rent a specific apple tree - choosing from about 600 red Delicious trees - for $50 to $85, depending on how many bushels the tree traditionally produces.

``Everything from the tree is theirs,'' said Jan LaDou who, with her husband, Lewis, manages the orchard, which also hosts such activities as apple-pie-baking classes and an end-of-season cider party. Renters can take their bushels home or press them into cider on the orchard's three antique presses. LaDou said all the trees are rented this year, but they're taking reservations for next year already.

Worming your way into Julian

Julian is located on Highway 79 in San Diego County.

For information on apple orchards and things to do in town, stop by the Julian Chamber of Commerce at Town Hall, corner of Main and Washington streets. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Information: [phone].

An Oktoberfest will be held the weekend of Oct. 11 and 12 in the bank parking lot in the middle of town (Main Street).

Apple Lane Orchard, 2641 Apple Lane, presses apples into cider early Thursday mornings. The public is invited to watch. Seven varieties of apples are also available for purchase 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Information: [phone].

Meyer Orchard, 3962 Highway 78 just before Julian, also features cider pressing on Thursday mornings. The orchard offers about several varieties of apples for sale 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Information: [phone].

To inquire about renting an apple tree, call Julian Apple Mountain Orchard, 1121 Farmer Road; [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

Photo: (1) A carriage ride through Julian conveys the ambience provided by the town, which harkens back to the 19th century when it sprouted as a base for gold miners. Many old storefronts are still intact.

(2) You can observe apple pies being made through the window at a Julian pie shop.

Box: Worming your way into Julian (See Text)