While there is no shortage of homey cafes to refuel on heaping
plates of comfort food and linger over endless refills of coffee, Julian is a
pie town—apple pie town to be specific. The ruddy log cabin exterior of Mom’s
Pie House lures the hungry from either end of Main Street to watch the bakers
perform their magic in the big front windows. It is a particularly cruel tactic
when combined with the aroma of the freshly de-ovened discs drifting through the
doorway. No self-respecting gourmand stands a chance.Fed and fueled, I continued my loop down out of Julian on
Highway 79. Providing more frequent and compact bends than the 78, the road
south winds through twisted oaks, a brook-lined pine forest and arcs around
shimmering Lake Cuyamaca. The descent proved an exacting test of the Road King’s
handling characteristics and four-piston front brakes. A more adept mountaineer
than the Moto Guzzi, the Road King is remarkably at ease with the tighter
confines at speed. The comfortable 27-inch seat height makes for a more embedded
riding position, which complements the bike’s agility.
 Photograph by Cordero Studios/ www.corderostudios.com (Click image to enlarge)
Stopping just past Descanso, where Highway 79 connects with
Interstate 8, I came across a bleak indicator of time and place. Several plastic
zip ties used by the Border Patrol to detain suspected illegal immigrants lay
slashed and scattered by the side of the road. Leaving that dispiriting bit of
reality behind, I wound the Road King up, dropped it into 6th and rumbled west
to meet Holly and Hank at our next destination. Coastal
Classic
Situated atop La Jolla Cove, La Valencia Hotel has been the place to see and
be seen since opening in 1926. Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo and Groucho Marx
were among Hollywood’s golden age luminaries who relied on the hotel’s
discretion, fine service and romantic lobby to create the perfect escape. La
Valencia’s present day decor is an eclectic mélange of antiques—many donated by
generous patrons over the years. It is an atmosphere that fits our lifestyle
like a leather glove. Our spacious corner suite at La Valencia included an elegant
bar stocked with top shelf adult beverages and our own full service butler who
offered to walk Hank after mixing us a chilled martini. While they took the
evening air, we sipped our way through the suite’s numerous amenities: a full
kitchen, dining and living areas, indoor/outdoor fireplace, an ocean-view
terrace, separate bedroom, and, to Mike’s endless delight, a Mr. Steam. After a
nightcap on the balcony, we drifted off to sleep as breakers battered the nearby
cliffs.
 Photograph by Cordero Studios/ www.corderostudios.com (Click image to enlarge)
The next morning, I discovered superb galleries and shopping
just a stone’s throw from the hotel. Since we were celebrating an anniversary,
it was my mission to find a special gift for Mike. Two shops caught my eye on a
stroll with Hank—My Own Space, a unique furnishings and gift store and Neroli
Lingerie purveyors of fine undergarments. A rare Ball Chair by Eero Aarnio will
be delivered when we return home, and I discovered a smaller, more intimate gift
at Neroli. Mike had one final surprise of his own that required a sunset
ride over the Coronado Bridge. Located behind Loews Coronado Bay Resort, the
Gondola Company offers private rides through the twinkling canals of the
Coronado Cays. The excursion is made all the more dreamy by chilled champagne
and antipasto compliments of Mistral, the hotel’s Mediterranean-inspired
restaurant. As the sun dipped behind us, Giuseppe the gondolier serenaded us
with a selection of Verdi as we toasted our exceptional good fortune and
fabulous vacation.
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