Occasionally, a reader’s devotion to a destination...

Occasionally, a reader’s devotion to a destination is so contagious that it deserves special attention. Enter Robert Keeran of Palo Cedro, Calif., who waxes enthusiastically about Northern California’s Victorian village of Eureka. Like Keeran, I’m a booster of Eureka. Horse-drawn carriages. Wooden trolleys. Gas lamps. Boat cruises on Humboldt Bay aboard a 1910 ferry. Keeran was particularly impressed with Eureka’s gingerbread style of homes, stores, factories, shops in that area called Old Town.

Arriving in Eureka is like turning back the clock. Visitors follow the footsteps of gold miners, loggers, fishermen. (Fleets of schooners continue to operate out of Humboldt Bay.)

Keeran is particularly fond of a B&B; appropriately named An Elegant Victorian Mansion (circa 1888), operated by Doug and Lily Vierya, the ex-proprietors of Chalet de France in nearby Kneeland. Gourmet breakfasts. Old-fashioned ice cream sodas. Of an evening, Doug and Lily screen silent films, play recordings from the early 1900s. If the bustle of city life has you in a tizzy, try Eureka. Say hi to Doug and Lily.

An Elegant Victorian Mansion, 14th and C streets, Eureka 95501, (707) 444-3144. Rates: $65/$105.

Other details from the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, 2112 Broadway, Eureka 95501, (800) 356-6381.

A Secret Hideaway: A reader asks for my favorite hideaway in the San Francisco Bay Area. My vote goes to Sausalito (across the Golden Gate from San Francisco). While a bit touristy, this cliff-side village is about as near to the French Riviera as you’re likely to get without jetting off to Europe. Sunday brunch is served on the terrace of the venerable Alta Mira Hotel, with its marvelous view of San Francisco Bay. Guests sip Ramos fizzes and Bloody Marys. And on foggy days, Angel Island is a ghostly outline . . . while the Golden Gate Bridge floats in the mists. On a clear day, San Francisco looms on the horizon. Gleaming white--a scene almost too perfect to perceive as real.

The Alta Mira has provided shelter for guests since the late ‘20s. Here, the siren song of romance is played out in a setting that brings to mind Cannes and Nice and Cap Ferrat. If not the Alta Mira, try Casa Madrona, which clings to the same hillside. Sheltered by trees. Perfumed by roses. Casa Madrona’s new addition features fireplaces, sun decks, gables. The old section offers Grandma’s Room, the Fireside Room, the La Posada, with its vista of the harbor along with loads of antiques.

A third choice: the European-style Sausalito Hotel next to the ferry landing on the waterfront. A wonderful old structure that resembles a scene out of 18th-Century Britain, its rooms named for Queen Victoria, the Marquis de Queensbury, the Prince of Wales and others.

Sausalito. A place for escape on a Sunday--or any other day.

--Alta Mira, 125 Bulkley Ave., Sausalito 94966, (415) 332-1350. Rates: $70/$170.

--Casa Madrona, 801 Bridgeway, Sausalito 94965, (415) 332-0502. Rates: $90/$200.

--Sausalito Hotel, 16 El Portal, Sausalito 94965, (415) 332-4155. Rates: $75/$160.

For general information, call the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce at (415) 332-0505 (P.O. Box 566, Sausalito 94965).

In Quest of Spain: Artist Nori Green writes: “Is there a place in Spain (or any other part of Europe) where I could live for a year on about $700 a month?” Sorry to dampen your hopes, but Spain is pricey these days. In some spots you’ll pay up to $5 for a cup of coffee (and this is confirmed by a representative of Spain’s local tourist office). I keep asking myself: Whatever happened to “Europe on $5-A-Day?” In case you’re too young to remember, that was the title of Arthur Frommer’s first travel guide. I was considering suggesting to Green one of the hill towns between Marbella and Gibraltar. Unfortunately, the same tourist office guy nixed this idea, too. My advice: Consider an off-the-beaten-track village that’s never known a tourist. Might work. Don’t even consider the idea, though, unless you’re an adventurer and speak the language.

I recall when Portugal was a giveaway. Prices have risen there, too. To Green: If you refuse to give up, write to Richard Perkins, Res. Columbano, Ave. Sacadura Cabrel, 5050 Regua, Portugal. Perkins, a retired American schoolteacher, is familiar with living conditions in Spain, Portugal, the South of France. Good luck.

Winging It in France: A new self-drive trip featuring little hotels/regional cuisine in Provence is the latest offering by The French Experience. The four-night, five-day journey starts either in Marseilles or Avignon. Takes in Arles, Aix-en-Provence, the medieval town of Les Baux de Provence, the fishing ports of Saintes Maries de la Mer and Cassis and the haunting wilderness of the Camargue, with its marshes, brackish lagoons, thatched cottages, wild horses, rampaging bulls. The program calls for bicycling/riding, a photo safari (by four-wheel-drive van) in the Camargue, a boat trip. Prices start at $688, including the self-drive car (unlimited mileage), accommodations, breakfast/lunch. Other self-drive tours to Normandy, the Dordogne/Bordeaux/Burgundy/Champagne regions, the Loire Valley, Brittany, etc.

Contact The French Experience, 370 Lexington Ave., New York 10017, or see your travel agent.

Call of the Wild: Legions of Californians who once turned to Oregon/Washington to escape crowds, traffic snarls, polluted skies, are detouring to Idaho. Wide-open spaces, peaceful forests, pristine lakes. To assist vacationers, the state has published a 96-page travel guide. Divides Idaho into seven regions. An excellent centerfold map. Details on Coeur d’Alene, the River of No Return, Boise, McCall (on Payette Lake), the Snake River, Magic Valley, Pocatello, Bear Lake State Park, Ft. Hall Indian Reservation, Sun Valley/Ketchum, the Salmon River. Other sections devoted to fishing, camping, outfitters/guides, white-water rafting, accommodations (hotels, motels, guest ranches, resorts, B&Bs;).

Free copies from the Idaho Travel Council, 700 W. State St., Dept. C, Boise, Ida. 83720, (800) 635-7820.

A Letter From London: John Turner writes: “Last summer I enjoyed taking Californians around the southern counties of England. This will be my second season. We will visit Great Houses, castles and gardens only an hour or two by car from London. These are tailor-made, driver-guide tours. I shall operate within about a 100-mile radius from London (Warwick Castle, Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon, Bath, Winchester, Stonehenge and the stately homes, gardens and castles of Kent such as Leeds Castle, Sissinghurst, Bodiam, Knole, Hever and Chartwell). I shall be using a Daimler Jaguar with air conditioning and car phone, and shall be the escort throughout the trip. I will take up to three passengers for $150-$300, according to the number of hours and distance. Lunch will be taken at Wayside Inns, with the opportunity to sample the local ale.”

Contact John Turner, Garden of England Tours, 156 Turnpike Link, Croydon, Surrey CRO 5NZ, England.

Potpourri: A new booklet for air travelers with disabilities is offered by the Department of Transportation’s Consumer Information Center, Department 608-Y, Pueblo, Colo. 81009 . . . . Prices start at $205 per week for accommodations offered in England, Scotland, Wales by Heart of England Cottages, P.O. Box 878, Eufaula, Ala. 36073.

Reader Recommendations

California--Mr. and Mrs. William Wall, Fontana: “The Desert Patch Resort Motel, 73758 Shadow Mountain Drive, Palm Desert 92260, (619) 346-9161, is a small, charming inn. Rates: $52/$84.”

Canada--Harriet and David Radam, Dana Point: “Sonia’s B&B; By-The-Sea, 175 Busby, Victoria, B.C. V8S-1B5. Great breakfasts. Rates: $60/$65.”

England--John and Margaret Moffat, North Hollywood: “Found a gem of a bed and breakfast in the quaint village of Goring-on-Thames in southern England. Rates: $80. For reservations, contact Mrs. Angela Pick, 1233 6th St., No. 610, Santa Monica 90403.”

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