Star Attractions: : <i> Celebrity hangouts : </i>

As a rule of thumb, think of places you cannot afford to go and there’s a good chance that’s where the stars go when they visit North County:

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Mille Fleurs, Bertrand Hug’s pricey restaurant in Rancho Santa Fe, frequently plays host to show biz types, industry chieftains and politicos.

Recent out of towners have included Dustin Hoffman, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Lee Iacocca, Martin Short, Jerry Buss, Robert Young, and Pierce Brosnan.

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San Diego County’s two most famous health spas also get their share of famous guests.

La Costa Hotel Resort and Spa is one of Michael Jordan’s favorite vacation spots--he reportedly stays in the presidential suite and pays $2,000 per night for the privilege. Milton Berle, Billy Barty, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dick Van Patten, and Dyan Cannon have also been recent guests at La Costa.

The common areas of the resort--like the beauty salon, bars and restaurants--are open to the public.

Less accessible is the Golden Door spa near Escondido, which is open only to its registed guests--it can accommodate 39 per week. You can rub elbows, knees, and backs with celebrities, but you’ll have to pay $3,750 a week for the opportunity. If you do go, try the communal hot tub in the evening where the luminaries go to untie all the knots in their muscles they put there during the day.

An array of big shots make the trek to the Golden Door. Lee Iacocca, journalist Sally Quinn, John Denver, Teri Garr and Oprah Winfrey have checked in lately.

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One of the best place to see stars in North County can be either cheap or expensive, depending on your luck and betting habits.

Horse racing at Del Mar was begun by Bing Crosby and his pals, and the show biz connection continues. Although this year’s season is over, it’s not too soon to make your plan for all the ones still to come.

To get close to the stars, it would be best to join the Turf Club, but you’ll need more luck than winning off a 30-to-1 shot.

According to Nancy Church, who runs the club, there is a waiting list of between 100 and 125 names. Prospective members must be nominated by an existing member. The fee is $650 for a husband and wife or $425 for a single membership. Even at that you are not assured a seat on race days. There are 1,700 seats and about 2,000 members.