Observer’s Inn

Observer’s Inn is so much cooler than I even thought it would be. My hopes were high that Mike’s Sky Tour using his research-​grade telescopes would be awesome, and it didn’t disappoint. Seeing Andromeda for the first time and having Mike explain to me that something had left that part of the sky 2.5 billion years ago and entered my body as light… I still get chills thinking about it.
But what surprised me was that the inn itself was absolutely lovely. I expected rustic, but instead we found two gorgeous bedrooms with lovely quilts, a spotless bathroom with all the amenities (even shampoo and body wash), and a large living room with books on astronomy and a dining room. There’s no kitchen privileges but we had bread and cheese (and chocolate) and wine that we brought, and then converted the table to hold binoculars, cameras, tripods, computers, phones and tablets.
Another surprise was relatively good Internet access.
There are a few oddities of making arrangements — there is no breakfast (so calling it a bed and breakfast is an unfortunate misunderstanding caused by Unilocal), you must pay by check or cash, there’s no online way to make reservations and you cannot show up before 4pm. Since the place is so small (just those two rooms) it makes perfect sense.
I loved this Inn, and recommend it without reservation. I wrote a blog post about the experience and how I was able to capture Star Trails for the first time with my camera:

This place is amazing. We went to the Bed and Breakfast three years ago and bought two nights of the sky tour. The first night we saw amazing things, but the second night was cloudy so we were issued a rain check. We didn’t stay at the bed and breakfast this second time, but drove up the hill from San Diego to use our rain check. Mike was the guide and extremely knowledgable, answering questions from an 8 year old kid to astronomy professors. He used to work at Meade and he has multiple telescopes that he aims at different objects in the night sky. He takes his time explaining what you are about to view and everyone gets a turn looking through the scope, while he sets up the next telescope.
On our tour we saw star clusters, a nebula, and Jupiter was the highlight. The scopes were so good you could see moons around Jupiter and he went into great detail explaining the planet so my son was really interested. I learned so much on the tour of the sky, and we were out there for half an hour.
Important points to remember:
I brought a four year old to the sky tour. He was asleep before it started, but not to worry as there was a futon in the room that he slept on the entire time.
We were there in March and it is quite chilly at night so remember to dress warm.
Bring a flashlight as you are walking from your parked car down a gravel drive to the building.
Mike is passionate about astronomy and it shows. This is such a great value and possibly the best thing to do in Julian. I’ve recommended this plan to so many of my friends.

The Observer’s Inn is fantastic! The reviews below say it all… If you are in the Julian area for the evening and have even a little interest it astronomy, you don’t want to miss the Sky Walk hosted my Mike. It is well worth your $ 25.
Mike is so passionate about the stars, there are a few elements to the overall experience that are missing. He seemed a little challenged when we asked to use the bathroom, which I assume would be a common ask. We ended up waiting until the end of the tour to use it, but it seems it would have been a pretty easy explanation to get to it during the tour.
Overall, I can’t complain. We saw some amazing things through the telescopes and Mike does a great job of educating you on what you are seeing. He even gets you to ponder some pretty deep thoughts on the universe… so much so, he made a couple of stoner hippies cry on our tour… far out man!
Again, I recommend the tour if you are in Julian!

Awesome experience over the fourth of July weekend. We had to get away from San Diego’s busy-​ness.
Juilian is a great and quaint town tucked in the parks and hills sides. The observers inn is just a mile from town and a great place to stay.
Great spread for breakfast, neely built detached building from main house, «sky watch» is included in your stay and is a MUST SEE, you’ve never seen the stars and planets through reasearch grade telescopes before I’m guessing.
They are moving locations soon. But we will be sure to look them up wherever they get set up at again.

Mike (the owner) is amazing! He is so intelligent, kind & funny & his sky tours are the BEST!!! Seriously. He takes stargazing to the next level. My husband and I have been three times and already have our fourth sky tour booked for next month! Last fall we had the pleasure of viewing mint-​colored Uranus (among many, MANY other stars/​systems/​objects). Over New Years we were able to stare at Saturn straight on & see several of its moons as well as several very clear rings!!! It was amazing. We also saw Andromeda and much more. And on out latest visit this past Friday, we not only were able to view Saturn again (this time from an angle, as well as 7 of its moons), but we also viewed Mars (and one of its polar caps!) and our own brilliant bright full moon in AMAZING detail! And then Mike took photos of the Moon for use through one of his (3!) telescopes on both our iPad and iPhone!!! Mikes sky tours are my absolute favorite thing in the world. If I could go every day, I honestly would. If you haven’t yet gone, please please do! Best money I’ve ever spent!

I surprised my husband with a weekend visit for our Anniversary… The Observer’s Inn did not disappoint! The Guest House is cozy, breakfast was amazingly beautiful and the Sky Tour is the most wonderful experience you won’t want to miss out on — breathtaking and informative with stimulating conversation on many levels!

My husband and I stayed there last week… it was awesome… beautiful house and we attended Mike’s Astronomy tour. He is so full of knowledge… we truly enjoyed our stay!

Just a word to the wise — call and make sure they are committed to you before driving out there for the Sky Tour. My experience tells me they aren’t very conscientious at Observer’s Inn.
I called to make a reservation for a Friday night, and the lady who answered the phone said they could fit my girlfriend and I in. Once again, this was a RESERVATION. I was instructed that we needed to come by and drop off payment ($ 25 each) between 4 – 6, then return at 8:00 for the show. Friday came, and we declined the happy hour at our B&B (Orchard Hill) because we needed to drive over to Observer’s to drop off payment. We arrived at approximately 5:45 to find the property very dark. Not sure of where to go to pay the fee, I called and spoke with Mike. He stammered and asked if we could come back tomorrow night instead. He said that earlier in the day the other couples had changed their reservations to Saturday, and that it now would have been just my girlfriend and I. He added that his minimum was $ 100 (4 people) in order to do the show. I responded that we couldn’t come back Saturday since we had dinner reservations at Orchard Hill. He then offered to honor the reservation, but ONLY if we paid $ 100. Of course I declined that, on principle. I asked why they couldn’t have simply called us to inform us of the situation, but he didn’t have an answer.
I’ve heard the show itself is worthwhile, but am extremely disappointed in the lack of courtesy and professionalism Mike and Co showed in this instance. Had we known this earlier we would have enjoyed the happy hour provided at Orchard Hill, then casually walked down the hill for dinner somewhere. Instead, our night was was a big disappointment, that could have been avoided with a simple courtesy phone call from Observer’s. I doubt I will go back in the future, simply because I don’t wish to support people who don’t care about others’ time.

My girlfriend and I came here for our one year anniversary and had a fantastic time. It was a unique experience that I am not sure we could have had anywhere else.
The bed and breakfast is clean, private, and served with an excellent breakfast.
The best part of the bed and breakfast is how warm and friendly the owner’s are and Mike’s sky tours. There is definitely no where else that you can have such a mind-​stimulating evening in a peaceful and serene setting.
What you can see with Mike’s telescopes is incredible and his knowledge and commentary makes you feel lucky that you can be a part of it, just for a night.
Even though one may not agree with the greater philosophical opinions or dilemmas Mike may discuss, it is a pleasure to hear the insights from a man who has spent a great amount of time thinking and loving the sky and universe.
I highly recommend taking the opportunity to stay here! You will never forget how wonderful it was.

$ 25 per person is an incredible deal for an hour of star gazing. But you get more than that here. If the weather cooperates and you have a clear sky, you do see more stars than normal, because with the exception of a bit of light pollution from Calexico 60 miles away on the horizon, there are very few lights around Julian.
Of course, you have to pay for that «away from it all» experience with driving. Once you pass Valley Center, the last place for fast food on this journey, you still have about an hours drive on dark winding, pole position type roads. Almost everyone driving them knows them better than you, so either stick with one to know where you have to slow down to curve around mostly 30 – 40 mph curves, or be prepared to pull over and let them pass. A Lot.
Our talk began in the parking lot as we gathered. We had a small group of 6. He will do as few as 4, and limits normal groups to 15. He does larger groups when they are from a local college class or all come together.
We started, after a short restroom break (bring a flashlight or use your cell phone-​again, not many lights out here-​the walking surface is pretty good packed gravel with a few weeds, but there are animals around and you want to avoid scat).
The walk down to the observatory is short, but on an incline so wearing good shoes is a recommendation. I didn’t, and was a bit worried on the way down, especially when the light bearer went faster than me, but when my call of «light» was heard, I was rescued. Ask for what you need.
There was a ramp up to a viewing patio where you have a pretty good view mostly unobstructed by nearby trees. He has a nifty laser pointer and with it, he clearly pointed out North Star, and several constellations in view and several of the galaxies and clusters and things we would see in the telescopes.
He used to work for Meade Telescopes. They gifted him with a few and they are very good. He even had a spectrum eye piece for one that showed a rainbow stripe coming off the light of the star. We saw several galaxies and star clusters. Upon request, he showed us a planet, Neptune, as Mars and Saturn weren’t visible –he said it’s spectacular when it is.
The area around the telescopes has a futon couch and a few chairs but most people stood for the whole hour, moving from one to another telescope and then getting a second view while waiting for the next scope to change. He used 3 scopes for us. Wear warm clothes. It does cool off. He offered a blanket to those on the couch.
He turned a few red lights back on and showed us a meteorite with a lighted magnifier, it was passed around. He showed us various pictures on the wall and got a laugh with one, and serious nods of «Yes, we are very small and insignificant in the scheme of the universe,» in others.
A walk back up the little hill, a bit difficult for semi handicapped folks without handrails. Doable, but a bit uneven and dark and a bit steep. A thank you and request for this review on Unilocal and we were on our way. About a 45 minute drive on those dark and winding roads to our timeshare in San Diego Estates, past the Safari Park and downtown Ramona and then keep going.
He has a bed and breakfast on site. It’s a reasonable $ 160 a night, driving in early, in daylight, and when you’re done with the star tour, being steps away from the parking lot sounds like a good idea. There are many B&B’s in Julian 5 minutes away, but do they have a mini kitchen, living room and bookshelves full of astronomy books?
Worth a visit? Yes. Worth staying? Yes. I found a website of «Things to do in Julian» which is where I found the site
check it out. You’ll be happy you did.
If you stay over, check out the Birdcatcher store –hummingbird feeders are awesome! Also, try all the treats at the corner cottage of made in Julian stuff. Okay, not pies, but hey, those are everywhere else. Little sesame pretzel things dipped in the best creole cognac mustard. I bought 3 jars. Amazing stuff.
Next visit, maybe Saturn. Maybe a nearby Oasis Camel Dairy. Yes, seriously, look it up. Or a Wolf sanctuary. Sure, why not?

The Observer’s Inn is a really comfortable bed and breakfast with the added option of astronomy tours in their private observatory consisting of three or four high-​powered telescopes.
The owners are both very friendly and keep the B&B clean and comfortable.
The astronomy tour was an overall good experience. Owner and star guide, Mike, ran it like a well oiled machine, and many people are able to see a variety of different celestial objects through a collection of high powered telescopes.
The only draw back, which may actually deter me from actually recommending the star tour to anyone, was the odd amount of pseudo-​science and conspiracy theorizing. The talks would go from knowledgeable astronomical information to what I would describe as 8^th grade cafeteria imaginings.
Examples that stood out were: Climate change denial, connecting Sun activity to the melting of the ice caps on both Earth and Mars, which is a claim handily debunked [
] by astrophysicists.
There was an un-​easy amount of alien visitation talk, such as the claim that the pyramids of Giza could not have been built without the help of extraterrestrials, which is untrue [
]. As well as the geoglyphs of Peru, which are also not in any way an engineering mystery [
]. He even began this line of thought by citing Stonehenge, which in itself is too much of a pseudo-​science cliché to lend any credence [
] to.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t really care what kind of beliefs people have, no matter how unfounded and ridiculous they may be. The issue I have here is the amount of inaccurate and magical thinking that was presented side by side with real scientific fact. That conflict represents a lack of integrity that you would never experience at a legitimate observatory or planetarium run by actual scientists or academics.
The otherwise benign straw that broke the camel’s back, was during a talk about the influence of the moon on Earth he jumped to the unconnected claim that women’s menstrual cycles synchronize in proximity to one another, which is an urban legend [
]. Three of us in the tour (two of them women) pointed this out to him. His answer was, ‘No, it’s true’. How can you respond to that? With 2 stars.

My girlfriend surprised me on my birthday with a stay at the Observer’s Inn in Julian, CA. (She’s so awesome!) It was a fascinating experience and I highly recommend it.
The Sky Tour hosted by Mike was simply an amazing, eye-​opening opportunity to see far away distant objects in the night sky, unobstructed by the glow of city lights. All of the constellations, stars and planets Mike showed us were absolutely breathtaking and it was so fun to talk about astronomy, space, time, extra terrestrial life and other interesting topics.
Like many others have mentioned, the guest house was very nice and clean and the continental breakfast was above average as far as hotel breakfasts go.
Mike is an incredibly knowledgeable and interesting tour host. If you’re an inquiring mind like myself, many of the things he shows you will lead to some fairly existential questions that really do not have a right or wrong answer. I left with a much more open mind, feeling much smaller knowing more about our vast galaxy and potentially infinite universe we live in. Unless you’re a staunch Christian Republican, I would suggest staying on topic with scientific questions rather than venturing into the world of politics.
If you’re looking for a romantic get-​a-​way, perhaps Observer’s Inn might not be the best location to stay since the common areas are accessible by staff and incoming visitors and more importantly the rooms are basically pushed up right against the house where Mike and Carol stay. However, with that said it’s right down the road from downtown Julian and definitely something worth checking out.

My husband, who was my fiancé back then, brought me here as his birthday gift last November 2012. It was the best and I loved it. The room was very clean, the food were good and the star gazing was very cool.
We had a great time and I highly recommend this place especially if you are an amateur astromer or simply love astronomy. This is the place to be.

Great tour of the skies! Mike was very accommodating and made arrangements on short notice to provide a tour. The tour was outstanding and this was our second time visiting. Both tours were different and we even saw Saturn’s rings and took a decent photo. We’ll definitely be returning next time we plan a trip to in the area.

We did not stay here (they were already booked) but we came up for the sky tour.
Mike was engaging, warm, and so so knowledgeable.
We were here during a meteor shower, and we saw stars, planets, constellations, and other galaxies!
Thank you, Mike, for a wonderful, magical, wish-​inducing evening!
Update! We came back the following summer, during the meteor shower again, and brought my teenage son and a friend. Mike was even more engaging, and we saw different celestial bodies and again, had a fantastic evening of stargazing. =)

i didn’t stay here but i did go see participate in the star gazing tours. This place is just a little south of Julian on 79. I drove by the place two times and the name got my attention. I took down the number and called to see what it was about.
5 or 6 nights a week, Mike invites people to his homemade observatory for a look into the sky. first with the naked eye, he points out the main constellations we learned about as kids. Just outside he showed me some things i never knew. Bright in the sky were Venus, Saturn & Mars. Then inside to his really cool observatory with some pretty high tech equipment.
He gave a very entertaining presentation that was just not looking through the scopes, but also educational talking about what a meteor actually is and giving us a overview of what our galaxy looks like (computer generated) and where we fit into it.
If you are interested in Astronomy or are looking for something really cool to do in Julian for an evening, call up mike and check this out. .. you won’t be disappointed.

I will be completely honest. I have never taken a huge interest in Astronomy, of course I think it is very interesting and admire those who study it but mainly because of poor eye sight and the fact that I can never see Orions belt, mom will tell me there is his, this and that or the big and little dipper.
WELL
Last night I went with my boyfriends class to the Observer’s Inn. I was amazed. Mike took his time explaining everything. I felt like I was back in class and loved learning about the constellations and what was even more wonderful is that he had this green laser that he would point to each constellation and show exactly how each figure was formed. I was overwhelmed and excited to be there.
All of my fears of learning about Astronomy became laughable. Mike used three different GIANT telescopes to show us amazing things like a globular cluster and what can only be described as the two tiniest and brightest rainbows I have ever seen.
Besides showing us these amazing sparkly things in the sky, Mike provided explanations, stories and background information. I had never thought about how little we are compared to the big things that sometimes go unnoticed.
Before walking down into his Astronomy lair he said this «Find what you love to do, and it becomes less work» I needed to hear that yesterday. It made me thankful that I do work hard for my job and I absolutely adore it.
Mike’s highlights also included seeing Mars like I had never seen it before and my personal favorite, he let each of us hold a meteorite. It was beautiful and dense, a perfect way to end our adventure was to make a wish on it.
Thank you Mike for sharing your love of Astronomy. I have already told my mom about it and she is beyond jealous. She doesn’t frequent Unilocal,but I will tell you she is retiring this year and I have the perfect retirement gift in mind :)
Maya Alvarez

My wife and I recently celebrated our 2^nd wedding anniversary at the Observer’s Inn, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Checking in and out is a breeze, and the guest house is exceptionally clean and comfortable. Central heating and an extra deep bathtub provided a great way to stay warm in the chill of winter. Plenty of fresh water, tea, cocoa and coffee was readily available and made us feel at home.
The sky tour was certainly the highlight of our evening. If you’re technical minded, you’ll love hearing the way telescopes work or track objects. If you appreciate astronomy, your eyes will behold amazing wonders incredibly far away, and your mind will be treated to the facts and history behind these sights. Mike’s gentle demeanor and passion for the stars is contagious. You’ll leave wanting a giant telescope in your back yard!
In the morning, we went for a short walk on a trail just outside the inn and then had a delicious breakfast prepared for us. We felt welcome and safe the entire time. Mike and Carol are excellent hosts. We’re waiting in anticipation for our next stay or sky tour!

Mike and Carol. Did you think Brady? I did! Mike and Carol own the very sparkly Observer’s Inn. This place has shimmied up the list as one of my favorite B & B experiences. You’ll soon learn why.
The Observer’s Inn rocks. I mean it shines, From the first phone call to make the arrangements to the last bite of breakfast and the goodbye. The experience, for lack of a better word, was stellar.
People like Mike are national treasures. The star tour was informative, filled with facts and entertaining anecdotes, the width and depth of his knowledge is formidable. What I learned left me breathless. Mike is able to appeal to the geeks (there were two in my group) and others like me who just enjoy seeing the handiwork of the universe up close. Each of us (my geeky friend and I) felt like Mike was speaking just to us. My time on the planet has taught me that having knowledge is one thing, being willing to share it with whomever asks is only done by the sage among us.
I got up to watch the sunrise, and walked the easy trail that surrounds the property. I saw a variety of birds and it was so quiet I could hear the upward rush of their wings in flight.
This was a wonderful experience. I met interesting people and learned a lot. I’ve added, binary star, red star and nebula to my vocabulary. I saw an ocean of a sky dotted with millions of points of light. Breathtaking.
Sometimes I think we get awful full of ourselves. We need folks to remind us to look up, and out. There’s a big Universe out there.

What a great time I had!
This 4^th of July, I was surprised with a lil weekend getaway to The Observer’s Inn. On our way, we passed the entrance, and my boyfriend said, «There it is!» I was so excited. Not only because it was a surprise but, because after seeing the star tours sign, I realized this was the place I had wanted to go to for years. I just never got around to it. But, he didn’t know that. Four Billion Mega points for him on this one!!!
The Inn is VERY clean, spacious, quiet, relaxing, cozy, inviting, and everything an inn in the mountains should be. They have many movies, books and magazines to choose from while you relax away from the city. And, no tele in the bedroom! This way, you really have to relax and chit chat, or be romantic. wink, wink.
The star gazing tour was… STELLAR!
The owner and tour guide, Mike, has vast knowledge of all things sky related. He is humble, sincere and charming. And, most importantly, able to communicate in a non-​arrogant manner to the average Joe, who may only have a slight interest in shiny things in the sky.
I highly recommend coming here. If you go just for the tour, you won’t be disappointment. But, if you stay for the inn, you REALLY won’t be disappointment. I certainly plan on heading back again soon.