If the pressures of the ‘90s are...

If the pressures of the ‘90s are bearing down, keep heart. In Alaska, McCarthy Wilderness B&B; welcomes vacationers in search of peace. (Just don’t expect luxury.) No television, no electricity, no telephones, no running water, outdoor plumbing. Mail is delivered by bush plane once a week. But Bob and Babbie Jacobs promise vacationers the opportunity to turn back the clock 100 years at Wrangell/St. Elias National Park (about eight hours by car outside Anchorage). Guests bathe in a wood-fired log sauna. Communication with the outside world is via a message system played daily over a radio station. (In this northern wilderness, the sun never sets between June and August.) The McCarthy B&B; accommodates 10 persons in a log cabin. Other rooms overlook a creek. Rates: $55 double B&B.; McCarthy is accessible by road from Anchorage.

Besides their B&B;, Bob and Babbie Jacobs operate St. Elias Guides, providing rafting, glacier exploration, fishing, hiking, mountaineering.

McCarthy Wilderness B&B; and St. Elias Alpine Guides, Box 111241, Anchorage, Alaska 99511. Telephone (907) 277-6867.

More on Alaska: In Alaska, Jean Parsons operates a B&B; reservation service she calls “Stay With A Friend.” Accommodations in Anchorage and other Alaskan communities. Suggestions for sightseeing trips, fishing, hiking, biking, touring. Says Parsons: “We take pride in placing guests in compatible arrangements.” Accommodations for both smokers/nonsmokers. Dozens of choices. (In Anchorage, Parsons will book you into a split-level family home with a mountain view for $40/$65.) Contact Jean Parsons, c/o Stay With A Friend, 3605 Arctic Blvd., No. 173, Anchorage, Alaska 99503. Telephone (907) 344-4006.

Vermont’s Green Mountains: Ex-Californian Nicholas Newton and his wife Joyce are hosting guests at an ancient inn in central Vermont. A two-story farmhouse featuring period furniture, antiques, crystal/Venetian chandeliers. A river flows through the 52-acre property, and there’s a swimming hole for hot summer days. The inn is surrounded by Vermont’s Green Mountains. Only minutes from the historic village of Waitsfield. Rooms with private baths, fresh flowers, European down quilts, Victorian wallpaper. The Newtons promise an “epicurean” breakfast. Rates: $75/$95 double (subtract $10 for singles).

Newton’s 1824 House Inn, Route 100, Box 159, Waitsfield, Vt. 05673. Call (802) 496-7555.

Australia Guide: Australia’s Tourist Commission reminds readers that the Commission is still mailing copies of the 1990 “Destination Australia” book. A surprising giveaway (128-pages) that’s packed with details on beaches, air/bus service, motoring, rail journeys, camping, adventure holidays, accommodations. Covers Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, Alice Springs, Perth, Tasmania. Maps, tips on tours throughout Australia. Other facts on the Great Barrier Reef, wildlife parks, alpine regions, shopping, resorts, fishing, car rentals, farm holidays.

Copies from the Australian Tourist Commission, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1200, Los Angeles 90067, toll-free (800) 678-8022.

British Columbia: Californians focusing on Canada are booking passage on British Columbia ferries in record numbers. Thirty-eight vessels call at 42 ports along the B.C. coast. Journeys to the Gulf and Charlotte Islands, the Inside Passage. Frequent service. (These vessels also carry cars, RVs.) Cafeterias, snack bars, gift shops on board.

For a free copy of the 1990 B.C. ferry schedule, write to B.C. Ferries, 1112 Fort St., Victoria, B.C. Canada V8V 4V2, or see your travel agent.

French Cruise Line: A luxury cruise ship will sail the Rhone and Saone rivers in France this spring/summer/autumn. One-week journeys between Burgundy and Avignon. Departures every Saturday beginning March 31. The Arlene carries 100 passengers. All outside cabins. Large picture windows, two decks. Visits to cities, small wine villages. In Tournon passengers will board a steam train for a journey to Ardeche. Other side trips to Lyon, Vienne, Valence, Viviers and Arles, where Vincent Van Gogh created several of his celebrated masterpieces. The ship’s restaurant (listed by the illustrious “Chaine des Rotisseurs”) turns out memorable meals.

Your travel agent or French Cruise Lines, 701 Lee St., Des Plaines, Ill. 60016. Telephone toll-free (800) 222-8664.

On the Wild Side: My idea of a vacation is to download the stress circuits. I don’t want to be up at dawn boarding a bus or scaling a mountain. Give me a peaceful beach. Or a grassy meadow with the voice of the wind humming through a forest. But my particular formula doesn’t satisfy everyone. A growing number of vacationers are seeking the active life. Which is why Rock Creek Pack Station in Bishop, Calif., is busy taking reservations. The idea at Rock Creek is to track wild mustangs. A Western adventure in the Inyo National Forest. “All you need is a bed roll,” says Dave Dohnel of Rock Creek. “We supply the rest.” At Rock Creek, vacationers work as ranch hands and join annual horse drives (spring and fall). Other Rock Creek wranglers lead trail rides and pack trips during summer months into John Muir, Golden Trout and Ansel Adams Wildernesses, Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks.

Rock Creek Park Station, P.O. Box 248, Bishop, Calif. 93514. Or call Dave Dohnel at (619) 872-8331.

London Hosts: If you’re traveling to London, you might want to check out The Bulldog Club. This is an upscale B&B; group. Accommodations on quiet streets, but within minutes of London’s Underground and bus stops. Shops, restaurants nearby. Guest rooms feature flowers, color TV, coffee/tea, bottled waters. Copies of the London Times delivered daily. Guests of The Bulldog Club are given a packet of information, including a map pinpointing homes, parks. Hosts provide details on public transportation, theaters, museums, shops, antique markets.

The Bulldog Club, 35 The Chase, London SW4 0NP, or else contact the North American representative, Bev Boyle, 6 Kittridge Court, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4C 7X3. Call (416) 737-2798.

Reader Recommendations

Arizona--Pat and Dick Latimer, Claremont: “A delightful B&B;, The Little House, 341 Sonoita Ave., Patagonia, Ariz. 85624. A remodeled old adobe. Gracious hosts. Rate: $60 double, with gourmet breakfast.”

California--Julio Pasco, Fayetteville, Ark.: “On our vacation to California we stayed at Pickford House Bed & Breakfast, 255 McLeod Way, Cambria, Calif. 93428. Large bedrooms, fireplaces. Only 10 miles from Hearst Castle.”

Hawaii--Terrie Von Doymi, San Anselmo: “Recommend Ridge Rentals, a group of villas at Kapalua Bay resort on Maui. Elegantly furnished. Spectacular views of Molokai and Lanai. Rates: one-bedroom/two-bath villa, $102 a night for seven nights or more; two-bedroom/three-bath villas, $160 a night. Contact Terry Craven, 21 Ward St., Suite 1, Larkspur, Calif. 94939, toll-free (800) 869-7971.”

Washington--Michael and Bonnie Bray, Malibu: “For the couple or family looking for total privacy, contact Northwest Vacation Homes, P.O. Box 160, Clinton, Wash. 98236. Privately owned homes, complete with everything anyone could need: kitchens with microwaves, dishes, washers/dryers, TVs, VCRs. All overlook Puget Sound. I cannot tell you how peaceful it is!”

Greece--James and Lucretia Duncan, Palos Verdes Estates: “Enjoyed an ‘economical island adventure’ on Zakynthos in Greece. Friendly, sparsely populated. Found a nice beach-front apartment for $20 U.S. nightly, less weekly (April through mid-June). Write to Marinos Xenos Krioneri-Akrutiri, 29100 Zakynthos, Greece.”