This was one of those lucky days. The sky curtain parted, and peaks of the Alaska Range came into view across the horizon like a string of white diamonds. The audience cheered moments later as the first burst of sunrise painted the mountaintops pink. Michael McCann, the executive chef, hurried out of the kitchen to watch. Winter wildlife Snow clouds sagged over Seward as the little tour vessel Viewfinder set a course for Kenai Fiords National Park.
Sightseeing can be an extreme sport some days.
Passengers hurried to the starboard rail. Two sea otters were back-floating like kids on holiday. A few minutes later, passengers sighted a cluster of bald eagles. Their snowball-white heads were easy to sight among the tall, dark evergreens. Nearby, Steller sea lions were lounging on rocks being pounded by winter surf.