Unexpected...and overrated

You expect the drive north on Route 101/1 from Los Angeles to be spectacular, although the combination of mountains and sea was even more dramatic than I'd been led to believe.

You expect the San Diego Zoo to exceed even your fondest memories of Joan Embery and Johnny Carson, but a Sichuan takin? Who knew such magnificent creatures existed?

Of course, the best parts of any vacation are the unexpected pleasures, made even easier when you teenager is navigating with the GPS and locates some restaurant that only locals might have known about.

Here are a couple truly worth mentioning:

The Flying Dutchman in Morro Bay, in a down-to-earth seaside village. Superb seafood overlooking Morro Rock, a 578-foot-high volcanic plug named by Portuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo in 1542. The amusing buty tacky Web site belies some of the freshest and best seafood this side of Legal's, and about a third less expensive, too.

Casa Lupitas in Castaic, just off Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles. We filled (and I mean filled) a family of five for lunch for $44 including tax and tip. Fresh-out-of-the-fryer tortilla chips bode well for a great Mexican meal.

And one so far that's overrated:

Ghiraradelli's Soda Fountain in the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego. The fragrance seduces you. The small portions and high prices club you over the head.