See? Fall colors do exist in SoCal.
You'd be hard-pressed to find golds and reds in the palm trees during the fall in Southern California, but head one hour northeast of San Diego and you'll see plenty of leaves turning in Julian, a small old mining town.
Julian sits among the Laguna Mountains—at an elevation of 4,200 feet—making it a picturesque place to check out the foliage. It's among the few places in San Diego County that has a winter, spring, summer and fall. But Southern Californians are starved to see something other than greenery and to get some cool air, so they tend to pack the town this time of the year, which can make it seem less rustic and more touristy. You'll avoid crowds if you go during the week. ]]>