PLACES UNDERRATED / TIMES STAFF

They get no respect. At least, that’s what the Travel staff thinks about these destinations. So much the better for the crafty traveler who can find a little slice of heaven away from the throngs.

Carpinteria, Calif.

Why people ignore it: A low-profile beach town, Carpinteria lives in the shadow of Santa Barbara, its glamorous big sister, just 12 miles up the coast.

Why you shouldn’t: It’s a charming, affordable family getaway, where everyone can find something fun to do, less than 100 miles from Los Angeles.

The best place to start is a picnic table at the end of Linden Avenue, amid the dunes of Carpinteria State Beach. (Note: Tables under the two covered patios are often reserved for groups, so check with a ranger before you settle in.) Bring a picnic basket, fire up a grill or buy take-out cheeseburgers and shakes from the Spot, a longtime favorite.

Spend the day at the beach, where you can sunbathe, jog, build sand castles, gawk at sea lions (bring binoculars), collect shells, scan tide pools for sea anemones and starfish, boogie-board on gentle surf or just do nothing. You can also hike the bluffs.

Walk a few blocks into town, and you’ll find coffee shops, restaurants and stores selling surfing gear, gifts and more, plus a small history museum. Or bicycle the back roads into nearby Summerland for some antique browsing. At night, head for family places such as the Palms, where you can grill your own steaks.

Carpinteria makes an easy day trip from Los Angeles by car or by Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner train, which stops in town.

You can also overnight in a tent or RV at the state beach or at one of the handful of reasonably priced (but not always cheap on summer weekends) hotels, such as the Best Western Carpinteria Inn and Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites. State campsites book up months ahead, especially for summer, so reserve early.

For a splurge, try Prufrock’s Garden Inn, a B&B; in a century-old house not far from the beach.

Info: California State Parks, (805) 968-1033 (Channel Coast District), www.parks.ca.gov; City of Carpinteria, www.carpinteria.ca.us.

-- Jane Engle

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Disneyland Resort/Walt Disney Studio Park, Paris

Why people ignore it: EuroDisney, as it was called when it opened in 1992, came in for a lot of criticism, especially in France, where the advent of an American-style theme park was seen as cultural imperialism. For its first 10 years, the park was in financial trouble.

Why you shouldn’t: Now Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studio Park (which opened in 2002) are the biggest tourist attractions in Europe, drawing 15.3 million visitors last year with such rides as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, starring Aerosmith, Space Mountain Mission 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean, many more modern than the versions at Disney parks in the U.S. There are seven places to stay (including Disney’s New York and Cheyenne hotels), the Disney Village shopping and entertainment center, and an 18-hole golf course.

A couple of days at Disneyland Paris might be a much-appreciated reward for little ones after being dragged through European museums and historical sites. Some Americans like it better than the Disneys in Florida and California because of its relative newness.

The pair of Disney parks is in Marne-la-Vallee just east of Paris, linked to the city by the RER suburban train. Air France and Eurostar (from London) offer all-inclusive packages, as do the hotels in the park. Look for low-season rates mid-April to mid-July, mid-September to early December, and mid-January to late March.

Info: www.disneylandparis.co.uk/index.xhtml

-- Susan Spano

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Sacramento

Why people ignore it: Just 80 miles from the breezy, self-consciously quaint tourist magnet of San Francisco, Sacramento is anything but. Saddled with hot summers, a dysfunctional legislature and, earlier this year, a Depression-style tent camp, California’s capital hardly seems like a weekend getaway.

Why you shouldn’t: History, history, history. Sacramento is the real deal: a living museum of 19th century architecture.

Old Sacramento, a 28-acre state park along the riverfront, is said to contain the greatest concentration of historic buildings in California.

Not far away, the Capitol, a splendid 19th century edifice replete with elaborate mosaics, has been lovingly restored and can be toured for free.

More than a dozen museums, historic parks and memorials dot the city. They include Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, with a reconstruction of John Sutter’s 1839 adobe; the incomparable California State Railroad Museum, housing 20 locomotives dating as far back as the 1860s; the eclectic Crocker Art Museum; the old Governor’s Mansion; and the new California Hall of Fame.

Fans of vintage riverboats shouldn’t miss the Delta King, a restored 1920s stern-wheeler that has been converted into a hotel, lounge and restaurant. The King, a twin to the Delta Queen, which recently suspended overnight excursions, is moored along the Sacramento River.

In this manageable city, which has less than 500,000 residents, everything is so close you can see lots on a day trip, flying round trip and walking or taking buses once you arrive. It’s a whirlwind, but fun.

For more info: Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 292-2334, www.discovergold.org.

-- Jane Engle

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Kailua, Hawaii

Why people ignore it: How does a community compete with Waikiki, which is nearly a straight shot from the airport, boasts a host of glitz and glam stores and hotels and some top-drawer restaurants? It can’t.

Why they shouldn’t: The drive alone is worth it. You take Hawaii Highway 61 out of Honolulu, climbing gently upward. Above the tunnels is the lookout, and on a clear day you can see Kaneohe and Kailua bays. On any day, you can recall the battle that Kamehameha I waged in 1795 as he fought to unify the islands; here, it’s said, about 400 of the enemy troops went over the cliffs -- the Pali -- to their death.

As you descend into Kailua town, you may be underwhelmed. It’s the anti-Waikiki. In fact, it’s so unglam that you’ll be tempted to turn around and go back.

Don’t. Drive to Kailua Beach Park and park yourself on the beach. Dip a toe or 10 into the ocean; it’s bathwater warm and the waves are generally gentle. Take a mental snapshot of the gently curving bay, the ironwood trees, the ocean lapping at the sand. It is a harmonic convergence of the senses, and as you drift off to sleep--and you will--you will know this is how Hawaii was meant to be experienced.

Info: www.kailuachamber.com.

-- Catharine Hamm

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Cape Ann, Mass.

Why people ignore it: Because, in the book of New England conventional wisdom, Cape Cod is where beautiful people go and Cape Ann is where cod fishermen come from. Because Paul Simon was thinking of Gloucester (Cape Ann’s biggest city) when he wrote “My Little Town.” (“Nothing but the dead and dying . . . “ ) Because Sebastian Junger painted such a gritty picture of the place in “The Perfect Storm.”

Why you shouldn’t: Because Cape Ann is not only a great stretch of rocky coast about 40 miles north of Boston and one of America’s oldest fishing ports (records date to 1623), it’s also a cross-section of Yankee humanity, from blue-collar Gloucester to affluent Rockport.

For the historical big picture, check out the Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant St., and don’t miss the sloop that Howard Blackburn, alone and fingerless, sailed from here to Portugal in 1901. (Better yet, go to learn the even more incredible story of how Blackburn lost his fingers in the first place. I’m not telling.)

Milton Avery, Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer and Fitz Henry Lane painted here, as did Edward Hopper. Rudyard Kipling set “Captains Courageous” here. T.S. Eliot spent many summers in the neighborhood, and from the late 1950s until his death early this year, John Updike lived for half a century in Ipswich and Beverly Farms.

For a century or so, Gloucester’s smaller northern neighbor Rockport has been the area’s prime tourist destination: a classic New England main street, with its white-steepled church, upscale shops and eateries. There are a few hotels, two dozen B&Bs;, a long-standing art colony on a finger of land called Rocky Neck, a kitschy tourist promenade on Bearskin Neck, and a handsome red shack on the wharf that’s such an inspiration for so many amateur painters that locals call it “Motif No. 1.”

My mother spent every summer of her childhood in Cape Ann, creeping around Pigeon Cove and swimming in the flooded granite quarries. Seventy-five years later, she keeps a framed nautical map of the area on her wall in Pasadena.

One more thing: The most spectacular sunrise of my life so far was witnessed from the Captain’s Bounty Motor Inn, 1 Beach St., Rockport, in the summer of 1999.

Info: www.seecapeann.com, www.rockportusa.com.

-- Christopher Reynolds

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Singapore

Why people ignore it: This former British trading colony south of the Malaysian peninsula has a repressive reputation based on news reports that it censors movies, executes drug smugglers and even bans chewing gum. And it’s not exactly around the corner.

Why you shouldn’t: Well, for one thing, you can chew gum in Singapore if it has a higher purpose, such as teeth whitening.

But more important, for tourists at least, this international crossroads offers exotic food, lush scenery, diverse cultures, sophisticated shopping, world-class museums, an enthralling zoo and, of course, Raffles, arguably the world’s best-known hotel.

A 19th century icon of colonial history, Raffles “stands for all the fables of the exotic East,” author-guest W. Somerset Maugham once wrote.

Generations of presidents and princes have slept at the ornate hotel or slipped into its Long Bar to sip its signature Singapore sling, a sweet, pink concoction. By day, the Tiffin Room also serves a delightful tea.

But you don’t need a king’s ransom to enjoy Singapore. Street food in city enclaves such as Little India is cheap and delicious. Most costs, including transit, are reasonable.

Thanks to the country’s mix of Malaysian, Indian, British and Chinese people and cultures, local restaurants are just the ticket to a trip around the world. Be sure to sample Peranakan dishes, a blend of Chinese and Malaysian cooking.

Another don’t-miss: the lushly landscaped Singapore Zoological Gardens and, next door, the Night Safari, where a tram takes you to see prowling tigers, dangling bats and other creatures after dark.

Singapore’s people are friendly too.

Just don’t do drugs.

Info: Singapore Tourism Board, www.visitsingapore.com.

-- Jane Engle

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Cayucos, Calif.

Why people ignore it: Even though it’s right on the coast, 21 miles north of San Luis Obispo and 13 miles south of Cambria, you hardly notice it from Highway 1. Also, it’s little (population about 3,000), and it doesn’t have a university or art galleries or a hotel showcase street like Cambria’s Moonstone Beach Drive.

Why you shouldn’t: Cayucos still feels like an old-fashioned, kid-friendly beach town, a place where you’d rent bikes, or go all day without shoes. It has a pier and a broad sandy beach, and about 15 hotels, motels and B&Bs.; It also has a bunch of rental houses because for decades, people from the San Joaquin Valley (Fresno and others) have come here in summer to escape the three-digit heat.

Cayucos is within easy range of Paso Robles wine tasting, Morro Bay kayaking or Hearst Castle wealth coveting, or maybe the Thursday night farmers market in SLO. But you might just want to flop. Maybe have a casual lunch at Duckie’s Chowder House (55 Cayucos Drive, by the pier), or a fancy dinner at Hoppe’s Garden Bistro and Wine Shop (78 Ocean Ave.).

Info: www.cayucosbythesea.com.

-- Christopher Reynolds

East-Central Wisconsin

Why people ignore it: It is a relatively obscure area in what West Coasters refer to -- often derisively -- as “the heartland.” In the nation’s eye, this has always been America’s dairy land, or a giant tavern for Cheeseheads. Far from major cities, it’s not the sort of place you stumble across while traveling on business, as you might La Jolla or Laguna. The hipness factor? Next to nothing.

Why you shouldn’t: This is the Monterey of the Midwest, a sparkling getaway amid tall trees and seascapes. Here, the air is sweeter and the beer is colder. It’s what passes for “God’s Country” in this long neck of the woods.

Recreation-wise, the region pulses with options: kayaking, fishing, white-water rafting and great hiking. In fact, except for surfing, you can do anything here that you could do in California, but on 15,000 pristine lakes rather than the Pacific. Certainly, the sailing weather on Lake Michigan isn’t as reliable as in Southern California, but the scenery certainly compares.

In particular, the Door Peninsula, which juts into Lake Michigan like a thumb, should be on any traveler’s list. Once mostly a fishing destination, it now features enough shopping, dining and inn-hopping to keep this area bustling in summer with refugees from Chicago and the Twin Cities.

This particular area is a little bit Maine, a little bit Tahoe, but with far better fishing. The highways along the bay, 57 and 42, lead to fish boils, old lighthouses and fields of wildflowers. At the tip of the peninsula is heavily forested Washington Island. Stop in Egg Harbor for breakfast, then push north for a ferry ride to the island.

Info: Wisconsin Department of Tourism, (800) 432-8747, www.tourism.state.wi.us, or Door County tourist info, www.doorcounty.com.

-- Chris Erskine

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Kansas Flint Hills

Why people ignore it: It’s Kansas, and we get excited about Kansas only during March Madness, if at all.

Why you shouldn’t: It’s a funny place, Kansas. A place people think should be driven through on the way to somewhere else, where miles and miles of wheat and milo fields are punctuated by the occasional house or barn but mostly tamped down by a whole lot of nothing.

But the Flint Hills are different. In spring, they’re undulating carpets of green that stretch from northern Kansas to the Oklahoma border.

My favorite drive southwest from Kansas City takes you almost to the heart of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve just west of Strong City. It is but 11,000 acres of what once was 140 million acres of U.S. prairie.

Millions of acres in numerous states were farmed that probably shouldn’t have been, leading to the environmental meltdown of the Dust Bowl years. But here, the land is pristine, the last stand of tallgrass in North America. You can take short hikes in the preserve and experience some of the delicious desolation.

It is more fun, I think, to drive from Emporia on U.S. 50, then to Kansas 150 and along U.S. 56 and find a safe stopping point. It is here, on a perfect spring day or a crisp autumn afternoon, that you know you have found the heart and soul of bluestem grass country. You will hear nothing but the pure strain of a meadowlark’s song or the sweep of the wind through the grass. You are alone in the quiet. It’s such a non-L.A. moment that you may wish it could last forever.

Info: www.nps.gov/tapr and www.travelks.com.

-- Catharine Hamm

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Naples, Italy

Why people ignore it: No city has such bad press as Naples, known for crime (petty and organized), toxic waste, poverty, unemployment and general dilapidation, not to mention last year’s trash crisis when months went by without garbage collection.

Why they shouldn’t: You have to be careful, selective and stoical when visiting Naples. But to give it a pass would be to miss one of Italy’s most intense cities, cleaving to the coast under Mt. Vesuvius, gazing over one of the world’s most beautiful bays.

Sights in the historic center include the incomparable Museo Archeologico Nazionale, 17th century Palazzo Reale and teeming Spagnoli Quarter, home of the classic Neapolitan fresh mozzarella cheese pizza.

Commuter trains easily reach the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and ferries ply the Bay of Naples between the city and the fabled islands of Capri and Ischia.

And you can expect rates for accommodations and meals somewhat lower than in more popular Italian destinations like Florence and Venice.

Info: www.italiantourism.com/campania.html.

-- Susan Spano

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The Mississippi River

Why people ignore it: Maybe because the Midwest and the South can get beastly hot. In summer, even some locals edge toward the coasts.

Why you shouldn’t: This river, which touches 10 states and covers about 2,550 miles, might be the single most vital artery in the American character. Depending on which stretch of the river you choose, this is where Laura Ingalls Wilder was born (Pepin, Wis.), where Mark Twain was raised (Hannibal, Mo.), where Louis Armstrong first picked up a trumpet (New Orleans). And if you make your visit in early July, you’re bound to run into summer and Independence Day fairs, festivals, fireworks and all manner of fried foods. It’s America, sweet and savory.

You could fly to Minneapolis, then drive up to Lake Itasca (headwaters of the Mississippi) or Bemidji (where statues of Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe, have stood since 1937). You could dip south to charming little Trempealeau, Wis., or browse the prosperous shops and brick buildings of Galena, Ill.

Or fly into Memphis, Tenn., pay respects at Graceland, listen to a tune on Beale Street and flock to the big old Peabody Hotel for the ritual daily procession of ducks through the lobby. Once you’ve done that, you could head south through about 400 miles of slow drawls, droopy trees and antebellum mansions, then pause for a little food and live music. You’ll be in New Orleans, a pretty good town for that.

Info: www.experiencemississippiriver.com; www.roadsideamerica.com.

-- Christopher Reynolds

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