Quote Originally Posted by cadcamslave View Post
...I was simply using the multimeter Nikon exposure.
I assume you mean "Matrix" metering? That's your best bet for evenly lit scenes, but in this case where you cover almost the whole exposure range (well beyond the latitude of your camera's sensor to record) from pure to white no near black, it's perhaps not the best choice.

As MA indicated, a little under-exposure to maintain detail in the white/bright areas is preferable. When you encounter a scene like this, try your spot-metering and meter off of the brightest areas, make an exposure, check for blown highlights (The "Blinkies") in the rear LCD and adjust accordingly.

I would also suggest reading up on High Dynamic Range Merge photography (HDR or HDR Merge), a technique where several identical images taken with different exposure values are merged with software to preserve the best aspects of each.