What's the old saying? A watched pot never boils. Yes, dailies and HAs do kinda spoil things with the sudden jumps in exp when completing them, but I suspect that's just creating a perception of slower gains when grinding. I get about the same percentage of exp gain over a 30 minute lesson burn today as I did 20 levels ago (about 10% typically, although some level ranges and zones were particularly nice for exp). The one thing I will agree with is that the higher level hot zones just don't seem as "hot" as the lower ones. Grounds and Valley both do seem "slow". Although Old Bloodfields isn't bad at all (and I've picked up a few of those 25% purity augs along the way). No undead though
. I do seriously miss HoS. That was ridiculous exp gain for my paladin, but that's not "normal" and you can't count on that.
I also agree with just going through the expansion tasks. They can be quite fun, take your mind off the grind, and you'll find yourself gaining exp along the way. Maybe not as much as you'd get seriously grinding, but with a lot less brain numbing repetition. I'm still of a mind that the SoD expansion solo tasks are about the best in the game in terms of lore and fun. And the rewards aren't terrible either. So if you find yourself getting down bcause of boring grinds, try doing a series of tasks. Dunno. For me, it's not about zooming to the top level and then wondering what to do next. It's about having fun for my time playing. Leveling is great, of course. But it should be because it leads to new areas and adventures, not because you have a larger number on your character. New spells and abilities are kinda pointless if you don't take the time to have fun using them, right?