In 1981 I wrote this item from...

In 1981 I wrote this item from Hawaii: “For rent, room with bath . . . midway between Hanalea and Waimea Canyons: $19 a night double.”

The owners of this B&B; were a couple of ex-Mainland educators, Evie Warner and Al Davis, who’d run off to Hawaii to discover their contentment. After this they began listing accommodations on all the islands--Kauai, Maui, Oahu, the Big Island. The lineup has grown to more than 130 properties. And prices are still reasonable. Now Warner and Davis have published a directory/guide listing each location. Runs 176 pages, describes the various B&Bs;, tells about transportation, weather, sightseeing, restaurants, golf, beaches. Not your usual run-of-the-mill B&B; book. This one’s a peach.

You can get a copy by joining the Warner/Davis B&B; Club. Costs $10 plus a buck for postage. Write to Bed & Breakfast Hawaii, Box 449, Kapaa, Hawaii 86746. Or call (808) 822-7771.

Warner/Davis came up with the B&B; idea after moving to Kauai from the Bay Area. They’d fallen in love with Hawaii while vacationing, bought a home and sent their regrets to friends on the Mainland: “Have fun--we’ve found our paradise.”

That elusive treasure, contentment, was theirs. Only one thing bothered them. Could they afford it? That’s when they came up with the B&B; idea. If you’re on a budget, this could be your ticket to a memorable vacation.

Bali Hai

This is an item for the vacationer who’s searching for a destination with snob appeal. Someplace beyond the Twilight Zone. A spot without crowds, cars or cares. I think I’ve found the answer on a private island in Fiji. One with a single three-bedroom guest house overlooking a beautiful lagoon.

The island is 2 1/2 miles long, three-quarters of a mile wide. Several beaches. Lots of coconut trees. The island lies 139 miles northeast of Viti Levu, which is the main island of Fiji and close to another private island owned by Malcolm Forbes.

Jay Johnson is asking $1,400 per couple for two couples spending a week out there where the trade winds blow and not one damn thing mars the horizon save for an occasional cloud. The price includes a cook and a housekeeper and there are a couple of fishing/sailing boats. If all this sounds appealing, contact Johnson, 3225 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale 91208 or telephone (818) 248-0304.

Week’s Best Buy

Here’s an opportunity for two vacationers to do a river trip for the price of one on a space-available basis. These are white-water rafting experiences on the Salmon River in Idaho--five days, four nights. You leave from the town of Salmon, wind up in Boise. Transportation is provided to the launch site. Price: $750 for the two of you. Contact Jamie Ross and Anne McKee c/o Wild Rivers Idaho, P.O. Box 2599, Sun Valley, Ida. 83353 or telephone (208) 726-8097.

Cattle Ranch

A cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon will take you back to the days of the buckboard and covered wagon. This is a working ranch. Covers 150,000 acres. “Spend six days where you live the life of the Old West,” says the boss man. Sleep in a bunkhouse. Ride with the ranch hands. Herd cattle, rope, brand, mend fences. Not my kind of vacation but if it sounds like yours, write to Griffin Marketing Inc., P.O. Box 30177, Portland, Ore. 97230. Or you can reach them by calling (503) 666-3440. “All you need,” says the boss man, “is a pair of cowboy boots and a hat.” They supply everything else.

Oregon

Vacationers traveling to Oregon can obtain a 40-page color guide and brochures describing leading attractions. A total of 40 maps of recreation areas along the coast, a description of sights bordering U.S. 101, details on 75 Oregon state parks. Send $2 for postage and handling to the Oregon Coast Assn., 660 High St. N.E., Salem, Ore. 97301.

Trail Ride

Dana and John Vurden are preparing for their annual trail ride in Arizona. A five-day, four-night adventure with camping in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. This is on the Arizona-Utah border, Sept. 23-27. The $395 price tag includes meals, camps with hot showers, hay for your horse. The Navajos entertain at night. The Vurdens also do trips into Canyon de Chelly, the Superstition Mountains, Grand Canyon, etc. Write to Adventure Trails of the West, P.O. Box 1494-J, Wickenburg, Ariz. 85358 or telephone (602) 684-3106.

Reader Recommendations

Germany--Beverly and Joe Saunders, Van Nuys: “Just returned from a three-month trip to Europe. Would like to share the name of the hotel that was far and away the outstanding stop on our long trip. It is Hotel Fohr at Albrechstrasse 73, 7990 Friedrichshafen, Germany. It’s on the German side of Lake Constance, near the Austrian border. Family-owned, operated. Our room for two was $40 including breakfast.”

Arizona--Allen and Karen Howell, Cerritos: “Recommend Graham’s Bed & Breakfast Inn, P.O. Box 912, Sedona, Ariz. 86336. Rooms $65/$75 a night. Swimming pool, spa, Jacuzzi tubs in two of the rooms. No warmer, friendlier atmosphere to be found anywhere.”

Mission San Luis Rey, Calif.--Mrs. C. Riddle, Canoga Park: “Enjoyed Mission San Luis Rey. Serene and restful. The charge per couple is $125 for four nights which includes room, plus two meals each day. Probably the cheapest vacation in the United States. Address: Mission San Luis Rey, P.O. Box 409, San Luis Rey, Calif. 92068. Telephone (714) 757-3659.

England--Joyce McKissick, Fullerton: “. . . A restaurant just three miles outside Stratford-on-Avon on the Evesham Road called The Four Alls Inn. Overlooks the Avon River. Dinner for two with drinks and wine is about 20 pounds.”

England--Mrs. Margaret Redding, Palos Verdes Estates: Recommends the Royle House Hotel, Mount Boone, Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 9HZ, England. “Situated on the River Dart about 50 miles north of Plymouth--center of a royal community of beautiful coastal and moorland scenery, the best of both worlds. South Devon is overlooked as a tourist attraction, but for beauty, history and tranquillity it has no equal. There’s only one prerequisite for a marvelous vacation: It’s absolutely no use being in a great hurry. Time is not important here. Rates: 23 single, 42 double.”

England--Charles T. G. Rogers, Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.--:”A favorite Bloomsbury restaurant in London: Il Fornello, 150 Southampton Row near Russell Square and not far from the Heathrow Airbus stop. Good food, moderate rates.”

England--Mrs. A. L. Bishop, Westlake Village: Enjoyed three wonderful days at Harrop Fold Country Hotel, Bolton-by-Bowland, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 4PJ. Located on a 260-acre working farm. Amenities include gourmet cuisine, comfortable rooms (some four-poster beds), hair dryers, bath salts, mending kits, etc. Bed, breakfast and afternoon tea were an incredible 16 for a single and 27 for a double including VAT and service. They also have special Christmas, New Year’s and Dickensian weekend packages. We can’t wait to get back there.”

England--Beverly McLendon, Westlake Village: Enjoyed Brackenrigg Country House (a B&B;) at Thirlnere, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4TF, England. Rate was $17.50 per person and with dinner $24 per person.”

England--Norma Freeman, Los Angeles: Praise for the Grey Friar Lodge in England’s Lake District (one mile from Ambleside and Lake Windermere). “Price, $30 for two, including a room with a private bath, huge English breakfast and five-course dinner. They packed us a lunch for the return train journey to London, which fed us for two days!” Grey Friar Lodge, Brathay, Ambleside, Cumbria, England.

Readers: Your recommendations should contain the addresses of hotels, inns, restaurants, as well as prices whenever possible. (Please print or type.)