First of the season

Kevin Sewell, of Australia, was among the passengers on the first cruise ship of the season to arrive in Wrangell. "It's nothing like anything we have," Sewell said of what he saw on his first visit to Alaska. The 530-passenger Norwegian ship, the Roald Amundsen, brought visitors to town on Thursday, May 8, starting the season that could see as many as 40,000 visitors step off several different ships large and small before the season ends Sept. 22. Sewell described Wrangell as "different, interesting and intriguing," adding that one highlight was seeing the ancient carvings at Petroglyph Beach.