Paris? Never again

When we asked readers to talk about the places they visited but thought were overrated, the results amazed us. Can someone really dislike the Grand Canyon? Yes. In fact, two readers did. Others registered their displeasure with Italy; Santa Fe, N.M.; and Washington, D.C. For the complete list of comments, go to latimes.com/overrated. And if you agree or disagree, please leave your comments there.

Place: Napa Valley

Last visited: 2005

My perspective: Coming from Virginia, I thought wine country would be scenic. Traffic, pollution and industrial equipment are not pretty. We grow grapes in Virginia’s valleys as well. It’s nice for a day trip. Napa was not. Next time I go west, I’ll be hanging at the beach in Solana or Del Mar. Now that’s what I call California.

Suggested alternative: Solana/Del Mar

Craig Weir

Washington, D.C.

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Place: Austin, Texas

Last visited: September 2007

My perspective: Judging by the hype surrounding Austin, I thought I was embarking on a visit to the eighth wonder of the world. As Gertrude Stein said of Oakland, “There is no there there.” The same could be said of Austin. Once you’ve seen the state Capitol and a tiny strip of phony honky-tonk music dives called 6th Street, there is nothing to do. About the only thing Austin has going for it is a plethora of Tex-Mex restaurants; most are cheap, and the food is splendid. But that’s about it.

Suggested alternative: Honolulu or St. Augustine, Fla.

Christopher di Spirito

Penfield, N.Y.

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Place: Bali

Last visited: 2000

My perspective: It was the ending port of our cruise from Hong Kong to Bali. The weather was very hot and the humidity seemed near 100%. We left our patio door open about an inch while we went to dinner and came back to bugs everywhere. In daytime, mosquitoes ate us up. The hotel grounds were beautiful but couldn’t be enjoyed because of the temperatures and bugs. Outside of the hotel’s grounds, there was poverty everywhere and beggars. It was not the paradise we expected. Never again. This was the worst spot ever.

Suggested alternative: Hawaii

Janet Cross

San Dimas

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Place: Seattle

Last visited: October

My perspective: The place is just awful. Gray, one-dimensional and boring. The surrounding geography is spectacular, but the city is nothing more than an overcaffeinated shopping mall filled with upper-middle-class white people wearing backpacks. How many Starbucks and Gaps does one need? Take an hour to visit the Space Needle, Pike Place Market and the Experience Music Project -- and that’s all it takes -- and you are left wondering why you bothered.

Suggested alternative: Anywhere else

Patrick Sinclair

Alexandria, Va.

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Place: Sacramento

Last visited: May

My perspective: Heat, dust, crime. Pick anyplace in the entire area. It’s horrible.

Suggested alternative: Anywhere but Sacramento

Hugh Jorgan

Aliso Viejo

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Place: Laguna Beach

Last visited: September 2007

My perspective: Laguna Beach is overcrowded, with not much to do. There is a dearth of quality, reasonably priced restaurants, with most of the restaurants offering abysmal seafood, considering the coastal location. The downtown is hit-and-miss for shops, and the art galleries are overrated. This beach town is beautiful but disappointing.

Suggested alternative: Encinitas

Gina Varela

San Diego

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Place: Reykjavik, Iceland

Last visited: February 1999

My perspective: This was a special Valentine’s Day present from me to my wife, a three-day stay in Reykjavik. A special day was planned, riding Icelandic horses across the frozen tundra followed by a long soak in the geothermal waters of the famous Blue Lagoon. Horseback riding on a glacier in mid-February is cold, so to stave off the chill, my wife gave me some silk long underwear. Every step of the horse had me sliding in the saddle. I was chafed in areas that I never thought could get chafed. By the end, I hurt everywhere, so I was ready for the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik, a large, deep lake heated by geothermal springs. I never dreamed the changing rooms would be communal, but after recovering from the embarrassment of slipping off silk long underwear, I left for the lagoon, just 50 feet from the changing rooms. I entered, and the hot springs bubbled up through the lagoon. Here was the final insult. It was so windy that the hot water turned frigid, then hot again. People bobbed in and out of the water like fish floats. Five minutes later, I went to the hotel with its inside spa, mood music and a glass of wine. Why would we ever leave the hotel again?

Harold Roth

Venice

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Place: Jamaica

Last visited: Six times since 1992

My perspective: No explanation needed

Michael Rosenzweig

West Los Angeles