Letters: Lots of substance in San Diego’s North County

How could Christopher Reynolds leave Claire’s on Cedros out of his article on San Diego’s North County [“More Than Just a Pretty Place,” Aug. 19]? I love that restaurant with its eco-friendly construction, its attention to patrons with food allergies, its pet-friendly back patio and its fab food.

The article didn’t mention how easy it is to get to a lot of these attractions he listed. With the Coaster (coastal rail), the Sprinter (inland rail) and the buses, you don’t need a car.

Lisa Martinez

San Pedro

::

Reynolds missed a fabulous place in Escondido that we just discovered: Deer Park Winery & Auto Museum (just off Interstate 15), which has a large collection of convertibles. My husband went nuts there seeing all the oldies but goodies from the 1950s and ‘60s.

Penni Rubin

San Diego

::

I guess I understand Reynolds’ job as a travel writer. However, I live in Carlsbad near the beach. I moved here to get away from the crowds in L.A. In recent years, and especially this summer, I, along with people I’ve spoken to here, have noticed a huge increase in the number of tourists. They take our parking spaces and beach space. They change the feel of the town (which is part of the attraction of Carlsbad).

I hope most people who read The Times’ Travel section were somewhere else and didn’t get to read Reynolds’ description of how wonderful our beaches are. Maybe in his next article, he should mention the new oceanfront power plant, which will not add anything particularly aesthetic to our scenery, or the lack of original restaurants and cafes.

Barbara Segal

Carlsbad

More finds in Australia

Janis Cooke Newman’s article on Adelaide, Australia [“The Hunt for Authenticity,” Aug. 12], did not mention the city’s famous restaurant row on Rundle Street in the city center. It’s where warehouses from the 1800s have been converted to restaurants that serve excellent food at reasonable prices. And the Barossa Valley, north of Adelaide, is not only Australia’s premier winemaking region but also has many wineries with the same excellent restaurants.

Roman Khachaturian

Pasadena

Pounds of flesh

I just returned from England and the Olympics, and here are a couple of tips:

If you plan to get a pay-as-you-go SIM card for your phone in Britain (or purchase a pay-as-you-go phone for use there), ask about an international plan, especially if you are planning to call/text the U.S. We had O2 and the plan was free — would have cost about $1.88 a minute, about 3 cents a minute less than a local call there.

A heads-up for luggage storage at major railway stations: Check first. Online we read “£3 [about $4.70] and up,” but we didn’t look into the “and up” part. We went to store six bags at Victoria station and found, to our dismay, it was $13 per item. We didn’t have a choice. Prices in London are not for the faint of heart.

Carl Addicott

Altadena