The Big Island of Hawaii has launched...

The Big Island of Hawaii has launched a campaign to attract new waves of tourists. A lineup of locals calling themselves BIG (stands for Big Island Group) has installed an 800 hot line. Callers get a 16-page brochure containing background on accommodations, beaches, sightseeing, tips on visiting Kilauea (the island’s still-smoldering volcano). Updates on the Kohala Coast, the peaceful Waipio Valley with its little five-room inn, Kona, Hilo and Kamuela, the up-country village overlooking the Kohala Coast that resembles a frontier town out of a John Wayne flick.

Besides hotels/resorts, the Big Island is heavy into bed and breakfast businesses. Barbara Campbell, a familiar figure for years at the Big Island’s popular Kona Village, will put you into B&Bs; at dozens of locations. Besides the Big Island, Campbell reps 60 B&Bs; on Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Molokai. Campbell personally inspects each property. And she’s fussy. Next door to her own home on the Big Island at Kamuela, Campbell operates a charming B&B; in a cottage featuring two units ($90/$95) with their own individual kitchen facilities.

Barbara Campbell’s Best B&Bs;, P.O. Box 563, Kamuela, Hawaii 96743, (800) 262-9912.

In the same general area, ex-Los Angeles newspaper reporter Dee Dickson features full breakfasts at her Morningstar Meadows B&B; (“Lots of fruits, fresh-made oatmeal scones, Portuguese sausage plus low-cholesterol, low-fat meals without being dull”). Rates: $60/$75.

Morningstar Meadows, P.O. Box 2396, (808) 885-7674.

Rentals: Hometours International has a new lineup of apartment/villa rentals in Italy, France, Switzerland, Portugal. Other accommodations in Israel. B&Bs; in England. In Paris, you’ll pay $210 a day for an apartment with a large living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, bath. Another Paris apartment (living room, bath, kitchen, washing machine) rents for the same price. Or there’s a studio near the Musee d’Orsay (shower, small kitchen) for $98 per day.

In Portugal, Hometours will put you up in a two-bedroom villa along the Algarve (Portugal’s Riviera) for as little as $690 a week (maximum four guests) or in a three-bedroom villa ($730) or four-bedroom villa ($800). Rates include maid service. Activities: riding, golf, tennis, surfing, hiking. Other rentals from $65/$110 a day (depending on the season).

A good range of choices in Italy--Rome, Capri, Sorrento, Venice, Florence, Siena, Perugia and Spoleto (between Tuscany and Rome). A total of 300 villas, apartments, farmhouses, castle accommodations in Italy.

Hometours International, 1170 Broadway, New York 10001, (800) 367-4668.

Washington Merry-Go-Round: If you’re looking for bargain accommodations in Washington, D.C., check out the Windsor Inn or the Embassy Inn. Both on historic 16th Street. These aren’t four-star properties, but the rates are hard to beat: $69/$79. Suites for $105 at the Windsor Inn (queen beds, mini-refrigerators). The Windsor with 46 rooms, the Embassy with 38 rooms are in a neighborhood of restored townhouses. Private baths, TV, air conditioning. One drawback: no elevators. Rates include a continental breakfast, daily newspaper. Sherry is served each evening in the lobby. The staff provides maps, tips on restaurants, sightseeing. The hotels are about a 15-minute taxi ride from the White House.

The Windsor Inn, 1842 16th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, (202) 667-0300.

The Embassy Inn, 1627 16th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, (202) 234-7800. The toll-free number for both hotels: (800) 423-9111.

Vermont Dining: With the “leaf-peepers” out in force in New England beginning this month, Hemingway’s in Killington, Vt., has a fire blazing in the hearth and a menu that’s gained this unusual restaurant a four-star award from Mobil, four diamonds from AAA. If the fall-foliage spectacle draws you to Vermont, try for a meal at Hemingway’s. The restaurant has received raves from crowds of satisfied patrons. The a la carte menu runs $19/$26 and a four-course dinner figures out to $38 ($55 with a selection of wines). Entrees range from grilled Norwegian salmon with roast shallots to pheasant served with poached pear and Sauternes. A warm atmosphere, fine cuisine. The restaurant occupies an 1866 structure that served earlier as a stagecoach stop. Set at the foot of Killington Mountain, Vermont’s largest ski resort. Only 15 minutes from picturesque Woodstock. Three cozy dining areas: the wine cellar, the formal dining room (vaulted ceilings/chandeliers) and the garden room with its brick floor and crackling fire for those chilly New England nights. Other menu choices: cream of garlic soup with Vermont ham, homemade pasta with wild mushrooms/herbs/olive oil, loin of lamb roasted in vine leaves. Hemingway’s is operated by Ted and Linda Fondulas, both graduates of Syracuse University.

Hemingway’s, State Route 4, Killington, Vt. 05751, (802) 422-3886.

On the Road: A new publication for RV owners combines travel/tourist information with camping facts sought by the RV crowd. Called “On the RV Road,” it provides details on visitor attractions in addition to camping destinations that are profiled in each issue. The latest covers the Great Smokies, Blue Ridge Parkway, Greensboro, N.C. Coming up: Texas’ South Padre Island, Tennessee River parks, Civil War battlefields, camping at a space center, Ozarks touring/camping, Tombstone/Bisbee, Ariz., Colorado Springs, Dodge City, Carlsbad Caverns, Chattanooga. States the publisher: “Mostly, ‘On the RV Road’ will feature the people and places that intrigue us as we travel the back roads (never the interstates) of the U.S., Canada, Mexico.” RV subscribers are encouraged to share their adventures by writing to the publication. This is a small (22 pages) periodical that appears six times a year.

For details, write to John and Anita Bowen, On the RV Road, P.O. Box 1265, Grapevine, Tex. 76051, (817) 488-2033.

San Diego’s North County: A new lodging/facilities guide pinpointing north San Diego County has been published by the visitor bureaus of Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos and Vista. Profiles 50 area hotels, 10 communities. Lists addresses/telephone numbers of hotels together with an accompanying chart providing facts on swimming pools/spas, nonsmoking rooms, access for the handicapped, restaurants/coffee shops. The guide represents a total of 4,500 rooms. Features Borrego Springs, Bonsall, Del Mar, Fallbrook, Julian, Rancho Santa Fe, Ramona, in addition to those already named. Contains a map, contacts for the five participating visitor bureaus, with information on racing, tennis, golf, beaches, the Carlsbad Triathlon, deep-sea fishing, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Palomar Observatory, Camp Pendleton, the Lawrence Welk Resort and the one-time mining town of Julian (now known for its apples).

Free copies from Lodging & Facilities Guide, P.O. Box 1246, Carlsbad 92008.

Reader Recommendations

California--Myrna Coughlin, Woodland Hills: “Wainwright Inn, 43113 Moonridge Road, Big Bear Lake. Rates: $75/$145.”

California--Irene and Fran Peterson, San Juan Capistrano: “PineStone Inn By The Sea, 221 Weymouth St., Cambria 93428. Rates: $85. Very special.”

Colorado--Anthony Sokol, Beverly Hills: Enjoyed Wilderness Trails Ranch, 23486 County Road 501, Bayfield 81122. “Set in a beautiful open valley approximately one hour east of Durango. A wonderful teen and children’s program. Rates: $840 per week for adults, $460/$710 for children.”

Maine--Gigi Orlowski, Van Nuys: “The Jewelled Turret Inn, 16 Pearl St., Belfast, Me. 04915. Private baths. Incredible breakfasts. Rates: $50/$75.”

England--John P. Shelton, Los Angeles: “Gregildry Hotel, Gillan, Manaccan, England TR12 6H6. Bed and breakfast, about $55.”

We regret that only a select few recommendations can be used. They must be brief (typewritten or printed). Only one recommendation per reader, please. Note: Recommendations will not be used unless prices and addresses are included.