"You've seen eagles?" our new acquaintance asked in disbelief. "We've been cruising for four days and haven't seen any wildlife."

Bob and I were comparing vacation notes with a fellow we met at an atmospheric Juneau watering hole, a rustic pub with a sawdust-covered floor and decorated with enough deer heads and stuffed wildlife to put a few species on the endangered list.

Our experiences couldn't have been more different. We had seen so many eagles, in fact, passengers were becoming slightly jaded. "Eagle, schmeagle," one woman said as we spotted yet another one. In Alaska, eagles are as commonplace as pigeons in the city.

"Our pool isn't open," said our new acquaintance, who was cruising aboard one of the big ships plying Alaska's waters. I hoped my face didn't convey my amazement at his comment. We didn't have a pool, and no one aboard cared. Special Expeditions* had far more interesting things planned for its guests..
*Renamed, Lindblad Expeditions in 2000.

Spring/Summer 1998