Ten years ago, school teachers Evie Werner...

Ten years ago, school teachers Evie Werner and Al Davis bid goodby to their classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and headed for Hawaii to launch a B&B; reservation service aimed at the budget traveler. The idea dawned after Werner and Davis fell in love with the islands during a vacation. The couple sent their regrets to friends on the mainland: “Goodby, we’ve found our Paradise.” Only, could they afford the gamble?

Werner and Davis decided it was worth the risk, so they bought a home and put up their shingle: “Bed & Breakfast.” Just the one home in the beginning. Now Werner and Davis represent more than 150 residences on Kauai, Maui, the Big Island, Oahu, Molokai and Lanai. Rates from $30/$50 single, $35/$80 double. A choice of homes, studio apartments, private cottages. The Werner/Davis team make the rounds personally, checking out hillside homes, beach houses and shacks by the sea, signing up only the best. In addition, they’ve put together a book listing the rentals.

Write to Werner/Davis c/o Bed & Breakfast Hawaii, P.O. Box 449, Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii 96746. Telephone (808) 822-7771. Visa and MasterCard accepted.

Hawaii for Dreamers: Here’s an item for dreamers. The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii has set Dec. 20 as the opening date for five new multimillion-dollar rental homes: $2,000/$2,500 per day! Flights met by butlers with limousines. Maids on hand to pack/unpack luggage. Homes feature two bedrooms, two to three baths, his and her walk-in closets, stocked bars, whirlpool spas, private swimming pools, big-screen TVs, video/stereo systems. Irish linens, French Limoges china, Italian Buccelatti silver. Ocean/lagoon views. Twenty-four-hour room service, with hors d’oeuvres/drinks served by the butler at 5 o’clock each afternoon. (All five homes are sold out for the opening.)

For the not-so-rich, guest rooms at the Mauna Lani rent for $220 and up per night. Inquire about golf, tennis, honeymoon, family packages. Call toll-free (800) 367-2323.

Seattle’s Goodwill Games: Alaska Airlines is getting the jump on next summer’s Goodwill Games & Art Festival to be held in Seattle (July 20/Aug. 5) with packages featuring round-trip air fares, hotels, event tickets, car rentals. The airline has blocked rooms at several Seattle/Tacoma hotels (two-night minimums). Tickets are being sold for the opening ceremonies and individual sports events as well as the Bolshoi Ballet, the Grand Kabuki Theatre of Japan and other performing arts/cultural exhibits.

Call your travel agent or Alaska Airlines at toll-free (800) 468-2248.

Massachusetts: If you’re planning a trip to New England, here’s a guide you should have. Lists more than 300 B&Bs;/62 reservations services in Massachusetts. Organized by region/town. Nearly a dozen maps for easy reference. Prices from $40. Choices range from brownstones in Boston to country inns in Berkshire County. Example: The Victorian Inn in Edgartown is a classic captain’s mansion (14 rooms, canopy beds, harbor views).

For copies of the 76-page booklet, write to Bed & Breakfast Guide, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, 100 Cambridge St., 13th Floor, Boston, Mass. 02202.

Virginia City: To R.H. of Simi Valley, who asked for the name of a “reasonable” hotel or inn in Virginia City, Nev. I’ve had good luck with Edith Palmer’s Country Inn, P.O. Box 756, Virginia City, Nev. 89440. Two rooms with private bath, three with shared bath. Rates: $60/$75. Besides breakfast, hosts prepare lunch/dinner on request. This is an old-style country house. Loads of atmosphere. An 1800s wine cellar serves as the dining room. You’ll pay a bit more at the recently restored Chollar Mansion, 565 D St., Virginia City 89440. Rates: $65/$100.

Gift Ideas for Christmas: “Essentials for the International Traveler” is the title of a new catalogue that describes dozens of gift ideas for vacationers. Pocket-size water filters, headphones that filter out static on aircraft sound systems, ear plugs, currency converters, first-aid kits, luggage locks/straps/tags, maps, phrase books, inflatable pillows, electric adapters.

For a copy of the catalogue, write to Magellan’s, Box 5485-P, Santa Barbara, Calif. 93150-5485, or call (805) 969-5235 . Outside California, dial toll-free (800) 962-4943.

North Carolina Hideaway: Norm Ross, an ex-newspaperman, traded his Chicago beat for an inn in the woods of North Carolina. With his partner, Jim Rouse, Ross converted several old tobacco barns into log cabins for guests seeking escape from the stress of city life. Rustic charm, wooded landscape, a swimming pool. A good spot to keep in mind when May rolls around and wildflowers bloom profusely in North Carolina’s mountains. Good hiking trails nearby, and the Blue Ridge Parkway leads to parks in the area.

Pilot Knob Bed & Breakfast, P.O. Box 1280, Pilot Mountain, N.C. 27041. Telephone (919) 325-2502. Rates: $85/$125 double occupancy, with a 10% discount for guests booking two nights or more. Note: Besides guest rooms, Pilot Knob has a two-bedroom cottage that rents for $120 per night.

A Ranch in the Rockies: A testimonial on behalf of Colorado ranch life from Dr. Anthony B. Sokol of Beverly Hills: “Vacationed last summer at the Drowsy Water Ranch in Granby, Colo. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Felt that the entire operation hosted by owners Ken and Randy Sue Fosha was excellent. The staff were attentive and solicitous and understood the needs of both adults and children to make the week enjoyable and safe. Guests ranged from secretaries to heads of corporations. A wonderful mix of people. We were surprised to find four separate families from England that had been returning to the ranch year after year. The accommodations, although Spartan, were just what we felt a ranch should have--that is, log cabins. The food was wholesome and plentiful. We certainly recommend Drowsy Water Ranch as a wonderful family vacation.”

For brochures, write to Ken and Randy Sue Fosha, Drowsy Water Ranch, Box 147, Granby, Colo. 80446. Telephone (303) 725-3456. Drowsy Water opens in late May, closes late in September. Rates: $800 per week single, $1,450 double. Cheaper family rates. (Deduct $120 if you don’t ride.)

Reader Recommendations

California--Don Smith, Santa Ana: “A great service for those looking for a place to stay in the Santa Barbara area called Hot Spots Accommodations, P.O. Box 687, Summerland, Calif. 93067.”

Massachusetts--Phyllis N. King, Palos Verdes Estates: “The Bernardston Inn, P.O. Box 481, Bernardston, Mass. 10337. Innkeepers Michael and Lanelle Mikolaitis are friendly, warm hosts. A full breakfast Saturday mornings and a sumptuous buffet Sundays. Rates: $49 for doubles, weekdays; $59, weekends.”

Italy--Robert Fremont, Los Angeles: “A B&B; in Assisi, $15 U.S. per person with breakfast. Dinners $11 per person. Write to Eremo Paradiso di Peppina Ceccaranti-Fraz Paradiso, O6081 Assisi (PG), Italy.”

Portugal--Edward Benstock, Northridge: “A budding master chef, Luis Rocha Alrey, Hotel Zenith, Rua Belmonte 1, Ave. Sabola, Monte Estoril, 2765 Estoril, Portugal. Prices range from $25 to $30 for two persons. The service was outstanding.”

Yugoslavia--Bill and Gloria Moser, San Diego: “Ivo Lazo, XIII Juz. Dal. Brigade 7, Yugoslavia, has a duplex bungalow overlooking the sea. Twelve minutes by bus from the Old Walled City. About $25 per person. Bus at door. Restaurants and grocery just a few steps away.”

England--Esther Savitt, Encino: “For a delightful, personalized tour of the Land of the Lakes in northwest England, contact Thelma More and John Goldsmith, The Birches, Cornbirthwaite Road, Windermere, Cumbria LA23 1DG.”

Japan--Steven Parker, Los Angeles: Enjoyed the Miyako Hotel in Tokyo. “Prices were a bit less than the typical first-class hotel (about $120 a night). A full-size indoor swimming pool and complete health club facilities.”