Driving from Denali to Seward would have been a lengthy task under the best conditions. For us, this drive was extended substantially by the McKinley Fire, which was burning on both sides of the Parks Highway for a 20-mile stretch, and road damage caused by floods. The fire had produced four-hour delays the previous day, but fortunately, we only had to halt about 45 minutes while waiting for a pilot car to take our direction of traffic through the smolder.

Despite the unwanted stops, there were still a couple stops we wanted to make. We paused at Beluga Point on the Turnagain Arm to sing “Baby Beluga” and at Alyeska Resort to take the tram to the top of Mt. Alyeska. Smoke made viewing the seven glaciers that surround Mt. Alyeska’s summit less than ideal but still possible. Past Alyeska, we hit delays again, this time because of flooding. We didn’t arrive in Seward until right before midnight. Why didn’t we just take an alternate path? The thing about Alaska is that there usually isn’t an alternate route. In fact, many locations can’t be accessed by road at all and require a boat or plane to reach. We planned our destinations for this trip based on vehicular accessibility. Expecting multiple ways to arrive at any of those destinations would have been greedy.

Our first day in Seward, we went on a six-hour boat cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park. This cruise was rather cold thanks to a constant wind. I combated that by wearing a short-sleeved shirt, long-sleeved shirt, two coats, a neck gaiter, and gloves; all those layers kept the temperatures tolerably pleasant. And our issues with smoke and blazes weren’t over. Due to Alaska’s unusually dry summer, even its temperate rainforest was in flames. The Swan Lake Fire, which had already burned about 150,000 acres on the Kenai Peninsula, was flaring up due to high winds. The resulting smog made the cliffs and headlands of Resurrection Bay nothing more than dark, jagged giants as our cruise began. That haziness decreased as the day progressed but never completely dissipated.

Despite the murk, the cruise was a beautiful experience filled with vulnerable aquatic life and nature’s dramatic sculpting. We saw a bald eagle, black-legged kittiwakes, tufted puffins, horned puffins, common murres, sea otters, Stellar sea lions, and double-crested cormorants. Out of the birds, the puffins were my favorite. They flapped their wings like crazy to stay in the air. Apparently, puffins can complete up to 400 beats per minute to keep their heavy bones airborne. Those bones are reinforced to save the birds from becoming leaky sacks when they dive up to 300 feet into water. Puffins aren’t endangered, but thanks to humans their numbers are dwindling.

Aialik Glacier was our U-turn point. This glacier is one mile wide and has cliffs 300 feet high where it meets Aialik Bay rather abruptly. Although fairly stable, it calves frequently. We witnessed some of this calving; the rumbling crackles and crashing ice were unforgettable.

Our last day in Alaska, we went to Alaska SeaLife Center as our first outing. The Alaska SeaLife Center is part museum and part aquarium. It features creatures found in Alaska’s voluminous waters. My favorite area was the seabird habitat where we watched puffins dive deep into the tank for delicious herring snacks.

After the SeaLife Center, we took the two-mile hike to the face of Exit Glacier or where the face of Exit Glacier used to be. Exit Glacier, until recently, was one of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska. You could walk up to it and touch it. However, thanks to global warming, Exit Glacier’s melt rate has accelerated dramatically in the last decades. Now, almost 300 feet are dissolving each year. The park service can’t keep up with trail extensions. Although Exit was less of a hands-on experience and more of a striking reminder of the stupidity of our species, our hike was satisfying and the glacier’s katabatic wind a bracing memento of its lingering power.

That was our trip, a spectacular and smoky tramp through distinct landscapes. When we opened our suitcases upon reaching home, the campfire odor was overpowering. Alaska is a worthy destination for oh… at least a dozen vacations. It’s size and diversity mean endless options for mind-blowing adventures.

Admittedly, this excursion reminded me that I have little patience for tourists that are inconsiderate. You know, the ones that crowd out other people on tours to try to get more than their share of too-many pictures or the ones that won’t stop talking loudly when a ranger tells everyone to be quiet so the fracturing of a glacier can be heard. Yeah, I have no tolerance for that brand of thoughtlessness. If you too find selfish sightseer syndrome immensely irritating, Alaska’s most popular destinations in the peak of the tourist season may not be for you.