SAN DIEGO – Maybe you’ve always suspected that there was more to San Diego’s North County than beach towns, rolling hills, expat giraffes and a walled kingdom of brightly colored plastic. But frankly, they had me at beach towns.

I always figured the rest – even the two marquee attractions, Legoland in Carlsbad and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park near Escondido – was just gravy. Or icing on the cake. Or maybe, given San Diego’s love of beer, the chaser after the pint.

But now I’ve spent several days on and off the beaches, and it looks as if you’re right: San Diego County’s northern reaches, beginning above La Jolla and ending at Camp Pendleton, deserve more attention than they get.