Bill Gaus is a walking archive of stories, many involving celebrity guests at the Hanalei Inn, which he manages on Kauai, Hawaii’s oldest island.
The 47-year-old, calm in speech and nature, readily shares the tales without a hint of exaggeration. His favorite involves a hike with David Lee Roth to an ancient Hawaiian heiau, or sacred spot, in a nearby state park. Roth, who stayed at the inn’s beach house on more than one occasion, left a peach as an offering.
According to Gaus, Roth was seeking peace and quiet, something Kauai offers in plenty.
Make no mistake, Kauai’s assets are its natural resources “” its coastline, mountains, canyons and evergreen. The rest is a distraction at best.
The island’s ubiquitous green is one of many signs that it is teeming with life. Schools of colorful fish share the crystal-clear waters with transient whales, fresh air fills the lungs with a pacifying tonic and moody skies speak to a temperamental relationship with Mother Nature.
Also called the Garden Island, Kauai is the fourth largest landmass of the Hawaiian archipelago’s 137 islands and atolls, according to www.hawaii.gov. Of the seven inhabited islands, Kauai seems to provide a middle ground between well-known tourist destinations such as Maui and the traditional living of lesser-known isles.

A mere 25 miles wide and 33 miles long, the island boasts a number of towns but not a single city. One highway horseshoes the coast, with a gap known to man by foot and air alone.
After mere days on Kauai, it becomes apparent that residents take simplicity seriously. While resorts, helicopter tours, dining and beaches accommodate visitors, there is a sense that the island as a whole does not cater to tourism and its promise of bigger roads and buildings.
A case in point: Hanalei Bay on Kauai’s north shore, one of the last stops before the road runs out. A series of one-lane bridges, whose construction date as far back as 1912, pepper the thoroughfare and demand patience of locals in four-wheel-drive trucks and tourists in rented sedans. The 11 bridges “” some wooden, others paved “” are also insurance against overcrowding.
Since the mid-’70s, residents, local officials and preservationist groups have worked to maintain the historic structures, specifically the Hanalei Bridge on the edge of town.

It is there in Hanalei that Gaus manages the modest inn and two nearby rental properties owned by Point Loma residents Michele Kaiser and her husband, Parnell. The couple bought the plot in 1993 following Category 4 Hurricane Iniki, which hit the island on Sept. 11, 1992.
Kaiser said she purchased the land and the inn with instruction from its previous owners to keep it “aloha.” She has been successful.
The Hanalei Inn is just miles from the resorts of neighboring Princeville but is worlds apart in terms of ambiance. A wooden sign by the road is all that distinguishes the four-unit hotel from adjacent homes, and, once on the property, there is a sense that vacationers at luxury retreats are missing out on the quiet and ease of island living.
Even the inn’s check-in is down-to-earth. Guests sign their name on a board in the reception area “” an outdoor pavilion shrouded in vegetation “” and leave their money on the nightstand by 7 p.m.
While Kaiser has seen the island evolve from plantations to mansions, she notes that skyscrapers remain conspicuously absent. It still feels like old Hawaii, she said.
Kaiser now keeps tabs on the inn and handles all reservations from Point Loma, but she and her family spent a solid ten years there running the business before returning to Southern California in 2003. She and her husband now entrust the day-to-day upkeep to Gaus, who lives in a small unit on the property.
“I’m working for my vacation,” he said of the job.
And a perennial vacation it is. Kauai, and Hanalei in particular, are known for their archetypal island beauty. In fact, the locales have produced some of the most iconic images of the state.
More than 50 movies have been filmed in the vicinity, from “Blue Hawaii” in 1961 to “Jurassic Park” in 1993. Perhaps the most recent flick to film on location near the tiny beach town is 2005’s “King Kong” remake, though Gaus says “Honeymoon in Vegas” offers the most authentic portrayal.
But he could be biased “” he was an extra in the film as a pilot.
Currently, the Hanalei Inn is offering a special of $99 per night to San Diego visitors through March 31. The regular rates aren’t that bad, either. In fact, Gaus says they are some of the cheapest on the island, at $59 to $119 depending on the room and number of people.
According to Gaus and Kaiser, Hanalei is best suited to campers, hikers, surfers and kayakers who enjoy the countless beaches, powerful surf, challenging hikes and jaw-dropping views.
To be sure, active days and restful evenings provide the most rewarding visit.
For more information on the inn, visit www.hanaleiinn.com or call Kaiser at (619) 224-4168.