Animal Planet (1)

The water looks like glass and a raft of sea otters seem to appreciate the calm. Some roll on the surface as if to show off, while others simply stare.

For years, I've longed to come eye to eye with Alaska's marine wildlife, and I'm finally getting the chance at Kenai Fjords National Park. Located just outside the town of Seward in south-central Alaska on the eastern edge of the Kenai Peninsula, it boasts thousands of glaciers while mammals and birds thrive in its icy waters and emerald forests.

Aboard a 150-passenger luxury catamaran with a wraparound outdoor deck, I watch as horned puffins fly by at breakneck speed and then engage in aerial acrobatics. They dive bomb each other, and then perform what seems like midair courtship. They love to perch, too, and soon land on rocks to preen and cavort like juveniles.

As we reach the Gulf of Alaska — orca territory — 3- to 4-foot swells begin to rock the boat.

"OK, everyone get ready. We have orcas approaching at 10 o'clock," our boat captain announces. I'm nearly frozen, but I've waited my entire life to see these marine predators in the Alaskan wild.

On trembling legs, I move to an open space against the railing as dorsal fins break the water's surface about 50 yards out. They dive, but they're headed this way.

When they continue under the boat, I scramble to the other side and raise my camera to my eye. As if on cue, four black fins pierce the silvery water. I fire off a half-dozen shots, and then, like phantoms of the deep, they're gone. This fleeting encounter reminds me that I am in their kingdom, and the orcas may choose either curiosity or privacy. I'm satisfied with that.

The next morning, I set out for the Harding Icefield Trail, the largest ice field in the United States. While the 8.2-mile round-trip hike doesn't seem difficult, its 3,200 feet of elevation gain proves otherwise. But it's worth it — I keep a brisk pace and patches of Sitka spruce eventually give way to a green meadow.

When I finally reach the tree line, I stop at the snow-covered trail and look back at a most inspiring sight: The rugged Kenai Mountains tower above a mostly white landscape. I travel a bit more before the trail ends at the Harding Icefield where the massive 300-square-foot sheet of ice is mesmerizing. Alyeska, I whisper. The great land does exist.

Close Encounters

Take an afternoon stroll through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park by hiking along Lake Trail, located off Truxell Road in Peninsula. The easy loop around Kendall Lake offers plenty of places for a picnic lunch. If you want more of a challenge, Salt Run Trail's moderately difficult 3.3-mile loop is easily accessible from Lake Trail's western edge. 330-657-2752, nps.gov/cuva