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Keeping it Clean in Alaska
Okay, time for math class: On the average, every person on a cruise ship uses about 100 gallons of water every day. And each year, 600,000 people cruise Alaska's Inside Passage. The problem? What do the cruise ships do with all that waste water?

Until this week, they would just dump it. See, the law says that certain parts of the Inside Passage are international waters, even though they're surrounded by Alaskan coast. Which means cruise ships can just dump treated sewage and food waste.

Now, this makes the locals a little angry. But last week, the ships gave in. They said they'll stop dumping in the Inside Passage. The agreement should keep Alaskans, environmentalists and the cruise industry happy...and protect fishing waters, recreational areas and precious humpback whale habitat.

Yucky Yellowstone
Meanwhile, over at Yellowstone, no one is pleased. Skiers and snowmobilers are squaring off there over pollution. See, the national park's become a cold weather hotspot for snowmobiles. But those loud diesel engines have a big impact on the cross-country skiing scene.

Gierlich: "Well, the most noticeable is the blue haze that the snowmobiles create."

That's Marisa Gierlich. She writes about Yellowstone for Lonely Planet guidebooks.

Gierlich: "When you approach West Yellowstone and when you drive into town, it just sort of hangs in through the streets."

Now, the park rangers are trying to forge a compromise. They want to plow under the most popular route and cut down on the winter's 80,000 snowmobilers. But the skiers want them banned entirely from the park.

Got an opinion? Give the folks at Yellowstone a call. They're taking public comment until December 15th. The public can submit written comments on the plan by contacting the National Park Service:

Clifford Hawkes
National Park Service
12795 West Alameda Parkway
Lakewood, CP 80228
yell_winter_use@nps.gov
307-344-2500

The complete Draft Winter Use Plan and Environmental Impact Statement may be reviewed at http://www.nps.gov/yell/technical/planning. Printed copies of the complete document (700+ pages) or its executive summary are available by writing to Clifford Hawkes at the above-mentioned address.

Days Inn for the Disabled
Last week, hotel giant Days Inn pledged to make hundreds of their hotels more accessible to the disabled. You know, things I don't even think about, like narrow doors, or a single step in a hallway can be real barriers.

Well, Laurel Van Horn is the executive director of the Society for the Advancement of Travelers with Handicaps. She thinks about this a lot and says it's bad out there. Sometimes, hotels don't even know if their rooms can handle a wheelchair.

Van Horn: "Frankly at this point, I would not say it's getting better. It's like it's a minefield behind the guest room door for people with disabilities. Because you really do not know what you're going to find when you get into that room."

Van Horn did say that some chains, like Embassy Suites and Holiday Inn, do a good job keeping disabled travelers comfortable. But she adds to always call ahead and ask specifically about accessible rooms.

Mormons Avoid Potential Y2K Crisis
And finally, one group who won't be staying in hotels this New Year's eve are the Mormons. The Church banned travel for its 60,000 missionaries. No, not for religious reasons; they're just staying clear of Y2K.

Travel Advisory
with Cheryl Glaser