We voyage throughout the Arctic in mighty Russian icebreakers—tough as nails outside, but with cruise-ship-like accoutrement inside—and keep busy with onboard lectures, helicopter trips, visits to the bridge, wildlife sightings, and the drama of ice and light that makes the Arctic so fiercely compelling. We find the truth of Barry Lopez’s observation in Arctic Dreams that while tundra may “initially appear barren, [it] can open suddenly like a corona of a flower, when any intimacy with it is sought.” And if our journey takes us to the North Pole, we might even follow the example of the great photographer-writer Galen Rowell and “dance a circle through 24 time zones and drink toasts.”