As you’d probably expect from someone who wears suits and ties all the time, my idea of a vacation tends to lean metropolitan. I’m talkin’ tall buildings, spying street style at cafes, interesting shops (of new and second-hand goods), and a hearty helping of museums. This applies particularly for family trips as well as when I go solo (ahem, New York). The progenitor of this attitude is my mother, and since she’s the leader of my family, she naturally has made big cities the destinations of numerous family trips:  London, Paris, Tokyo, and all throughout Italy. Nature, unfortunately, was seldom undertaken but still welcome (and leisure-focused), such as my childhood trips to Mexico and the Bahamas, and includes last year’s trip to Hawaii. 

That’s why I was surprised when my mom brought up Alaska. I’ve always been told that it was a gorgeous place but it wasn’t really on my radar for a vacation, let alone one for a family trip. My interest was certainly piqued, especially the photographer in me simply because I’ve started perusing (and collecting) mid-century landscape photobooks. You may have noticed that I’ve upped my pseudo-photojournalism game and I wanted to extend that to nature, all to be more of a “real” photographer. This Alaska trip was sure to deliver as well as be a new experience for me! 

My interest was then exponentially increased when my mom revealed our method of travel: a cruise. A Disney cruise to be specific. Now this made sense. A wholesome, delightfully nerdy/cringe/Millennial vacation to visit a new locale? I was in. I hadn’t been on the Disney Cruise since I was eight years old and from what I remember, I had an incredible time. If nostalgia has been the theme of my blog/life as of late, it made sense to make a return to the Disney Cruise and see what it had to offer a near-30-year-old who would be traveling with his family (two couples: mom+stepdad, brother + boyfriend). I was also excited to have some time to explore Vancouver (our departure port), as we were able to add a few extra days post-cruise to jaunt around. 

I was already excited to see the vistas and culture that Alaska (and Vancouver) would have to offer, knowing that I was going to come back with incredible photos. Nature would certainly be a new subject for me and a respite from the various “men in suits smoking cigs” that I’ve been doing lately. I wanted some variety. I wanted a real break and being on a wholesome cruise to the Northwest was going to give it to me! But what would I wear for such an Occasion? 

The more I thought about packing, the more I realized that previous trips may been a bit lacking in terms of my attire. Though to be honest, that’s mainly because most my trips have been in summer. I still think I’ve been able to have banger fits (even ones with full suits and ties) but they were still born from overt utilitarianism: a lot of tee shirts (or crewnecks) with jeans or fatigues. These were always the easiest to pack and rewear/remix as needed, especially when I try to fit everything into a carry-on, even when the trip is longer than a week. Again, it’s not that these fits aren’t good (I’ve always enjoyed wearing tees), but it’s that I always felt like I could have done more button-ups or pushed myself to wear more tailoring. I’m more than just tees! After all, my everyday attire typically involves ties, a tailored jacket, and trousers. And when I’m casual, there’s still a lot going on; it’s seldom simple. And so I decided to change that, especially since an Alaskan trip was not going to be cold (even in May).

Vacations are a break from work… but not from going full send. I reminded myself that even on my recent trip to Hawaii with my family (which obviously leaned leisurely), I challenged myself to wear fits that I would do here on the mainland; it just leaned into the “Hawaiian vacation vibe” that much more. Why should an Alaskan cruise be any different?  I then decided that my attire for this trip would be centered on leaning into these two Occasions/Themes, as disparate as they are: a week-long cruise and [extremely light] adventuring in Alaskan port towns and country.

Again, it’s not that tees/crewneck sweaters (or a 70s hoodie) and trousers/jeans aren’t a good look, but that’s not something I wear on a trip; that’s how I show up to flea markets or when I intentionally want to look rugged. In my mind, Alaska called for chunky sweaters, rugged footwear, and of course, a leather jacket for the Americana vibe. Cruise Ethan aims for a blazer and trousers at the least and perhaps a tie if you’re feeling jaunty (and I always am). [If only this was a tropical cruise!]

So that’s what I did. I packed items for each of these vibes. I knew full well that I could combine them at will (jeans are fine with a blazer, flannels work a leather jacket), but I had a feeling that I was going to keep things compartmentalized based on each day’s theme. This probably sounds like a wild way to travel, as minimalism and maxing out versatility are the name of the game, but I wanted to challenge myself to be “Ethan” and lean into it. And to my surprise, everything I wanted fit into my carry-on, apart from the chunkiest sweater and my leather jacket which I simply wore on the plane to conserve space. Here’s my packing list:

• 3 x Cotton Turtlenecks (navy, white, burgundy)
• 2 x Workshirts (green, chambray)
• Blue Reverse Stripe OCBD
• Red Plaid sport shirt
• Grey Fair Isle Sweater Vest
• Long Sleeve Fair Isle Sweater (plane)
• Navy Cotton Crewneck Sweater 
• M-43 Pants
• Grey Flannel Trousers
• Selvedge Blue Jeans (plane)
• North Face Parka 
• LHS Penny Loafers (plane)
• Wakouwa Deck Shoes
• Alden Blucher Mocs 

The items (and the resultant outfits I wore) were certainly appropriate and as versatile as needed but retained the same interest and personality that stateside Ethan has with his regular closet on a regular day. I’d even go as far as to say that these outfits helped me get further into the spirit of the trip and enjoy myself that much more! I know how silly that is, but believe me when I say that I could feel its effect on me, especially considering that a cruise and a bit more of an “outdoor focus” is a new experience for someone who typically visits metropolitan places! 

You know what? This Alaskan expedition ended up being one of the best family trips I had ever been on. You can listen to my recap on the podcast below but I suggest that you read on as well!

The Sawyer Glacier

My family and I arrived in Vancouver on Sunday evening and had a calm evening before boarding the ship the following Monday. We immediately took advantage of the ship’s amenities, but I’ll get into that later. The whole point of the cruise was to take us to Alaska!

That’s why the real beginning of the trip was “Glacier Day”, our second day at sea and covered our journey through a fjord to the Stikine Ice Cap. And boy was our journey amazing. Because we were inland the waters were incredibly calm compared to our choppy day at sea, which allowed us to take in the surrounding landscape filled with mountains, trees, and as we ventured to the Sawyer Glacier, snow.

Nature photography isn’t something I typically do as I haven’t done many outdoorsy activities (a sartorial stereotype and something I need to change), but I found myself snapping as many photos as I could. As a hobbyist photographer who fancies himself a photojournalist  I’m drawn to capturing character, and the various textures in the topography and shadows in the relief certainly provided drama and personality to each frame. This trip served as my transition from Walker Evans to Ansel Adams.

I was able to delve into this mood further while on a Glacier Excursion where we boarded a smaller boat mid-fjord, which sped up our journey to the Sawyer Glacier. The lower elevation of our nimble craft allowed us incredible views not just of random icebergs but of the Alaskan landscape, which was now exponentially more grand and expansive. I only really sat down once on our forward path; I found myself outside taking photos of everything, with my A-2, layered sweaters, beret, and cat-eye sunnies to protect me from the rain and chill. It was worth it…and I was perfectly fine (though yes, gorpcore would have been more “practical”).

Despite the flickers of shutters and “Can you please take my photo” from our compatriots, you could feel the reverence everyone had for this force of nature. Our boat lay idle, spinning every so often to ensure that everyone on board had a chance to take in the view and snap a memory.   I was impressed that we were able to stay as long as we did! According to the crew, this particular journey was the closest any boat has gotten during the season so far. God’s country indeed! 

Skagway & The Yukon

Nature Ethan continued his Alaskan Expedition in Skagway, an old and tiny mining town that seemed to be completely supported by tourists (as the population is less than 1.5K). Since I didn’t trust the weather app, I decided to wear my North Face parka this time, pairing the technical, gorp-y fabric with rugged ivy elements like my grey fair isle, M-43 pants, blucher mocs, and a beret for my head. It ended up being just a bit too warm, but I liked the combination! 

Skagway looked like it hadn’t changed from the gold rush. Wooden buildings with rustic signs stood close together, housing absurd tee shirts, jewelry (they love tanzanite), and various local carvings and delicacies. A single wide dirt street right ran through the middle of Skagway, inviting you to think about the potential duels over gold or honor that took place here over a century ago (I don’t know if anything like that occurred).  My family and I would later walk through the town on the way back to the ship, but we boarded a tour bus that took us through the town on the way to the Yukon. I liked that he pointed out some Skagway trivia: no one uses the skatepark and that the Italian-Mexican pizza place wasn’t that bad (it also serves Greek and Filipino food).

It only took us about 15 minutes to go from the town to the wilds, which were full of trees and rocks covered in differing amounts of snow. Lakes of various sizes and in disparate states of frozenness were peppered the side of the road as journeyed into the Yukon. With the mountains and fog surrounding us, it reminded me of the Glacier Expedition from the day before. 

One notable stop was Carcross, another minute town that was originally named Caribou Crossing until confusion with another municipality forced the change. Like Skagway, Carcross contained wooden buildings straight from the Gold Rush which included the hotel, the old train station, and Watson’s General Store which had a fun station where you could stamp your passport with proof that you had been to the Yukon. The “cross” in the name also seemed to correspond to the railway that went right through the middle of town, through a picturesque bridge (that we weren’t allowed to stand on), and into the rainforest beyond. The bridge went over a wide but relatively shallow river where a few locals were fishing. There was a sleepy yet cinematic nature to this place that I hoped my photos were able to capture.

After a short lunch at Wild Adventure Yukon (where we saw sled dogs and a taxidermy museum), our bus took us to the station for the White Pass railway was housed. This train was going to be how we would traverse the valley and get back to Skagway. Luckily, our assigned car wasn’t full, so I was able to move around quickly to snap as many photos as I could during our hour-long journey; much like on Glacier Day, I spent most of my time on the car vestibule and braving the cold air to capture the picturesque scenery. The Alaskan landscape just kept on giving and giving.

Juneau

Our next stop was Juneau, the state capital and the most metropolitan place we would see on our Alaskan trip. A short bus ride from the dock let us out near the town center, where you could see stretches of quirky tourist shops, small hotels, and cafes as well as the austere concrete statue of the public library and state office building. It was quite a different vibe from Skagway. 

Because the sun was out, I left the parka at home and went with what would become my uniform for the rest of the trip: an open shirt, sweater, A-2 jacket, and flannel trousers (to keep things a bit “dressy” for the city). No beret since I didn’t think it was going to be that cold or rainy. Hell, I ended up taking off my leather jacket and sweater for a bit of the day because it was so warm! 

Because we didn’t have a planned excursion here, the family and I were free to look at whatever we wanted.  We made it a point to visit the State Museum which displayed native artifacts and Western ephemera to show Alaska and its people’s unfortunate history of being subject to imperialism and colonization. I was impressed that the museum seemed to be quite critical of the United States, which makes sense considering what the country has done to locals both before and after statehood in the name of lumber and oil.

The big part of the day was our use of the Goldbelt Tram, which took us up Mount Roberts. It’s a pretty steep climb as you can see from the photos, so I was doing my best to not look down to stave off my pseudo-vertigo. The tram let us off at a visitor center, which housed a bar and restaurant, which I promptly ignored to undertake a small trail around the grounds. Unfortunately, the clouds had hidden the sun and started to let down a bit of rain, so my family wasn’t down to walk with me. I ended up putting my sweater and leather jacket on (as well as my gloves) in order to shield myself from the relatively mild elements. 

This ended up being their loss because the trail (which was very easy and perfectly fine for blucher mocs and a leather jacket) led to incredibly beautiful views of the Alaskan countryside. It was wild to see the variety of vistas: one on end, you could see the Gastineau Channel framed by an alpine valley while on the other, you had a rocky mountainscape covered in snow and leafless trees. The overcast sky and intermittent rain helped play up the drama of the scenery. At one point, two paragliders soared overhead, inviting me to wonder how much better their view was…and how they must not have any semblance of Acrophobia. 

I would have to conquer my own symptoms of phobia during my solo journey back down (my parents left early on). The rain had become much harder and I had forgotten to bring my umbrella, so I rushed back to the dock bus with my propped collar. I was just happy to get some great photos and memories, as well as achieve proper wear on my leather jacket and prove that you can do a bit of outdoor activity with flannel trousers (though I obviously would have preferred to wear jeans or chinos). 

Ketchikan

The Alaskan adventure came to an end at Ketchikan, the state’s first city. Our ship docked right into the center of town, which like the other stops, was full of tourist shops. With how warm it was in Juneau, I kept things fairly casual, donning a flannel sport shirt, fair isle sweater vest (no need for the thick long-sleeve sweater anymore), and jeans; no beret again.  I immediately regretted this decision as I was met with wind, rain, and cold as soon as I walked off the gangplank. My assumption was that this rain would be as intermittent as it was in Juneau but I was wrong; I spent most of my day with my jacket zipped up all the way with the collar turned up.

Thankfully my family and I were able to take shelter during our only planned activity in town: the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show.  The show featured a host and two teams of lumberjacks, complete with lore and banter; your seat determined which team you would root for and boy did the crowd get into it. It really felt like a variation of Medieval Times or the Joust at the Ren Faire except no murder was involved. It was incredibly entertaining to see these beefy guys undertake lumberjack-themed challenges to win the audience’s honor. I also enjoyed the fact that they each had their own spin on their “uniform” that was more than just color (a red and blue team): there were variations of sleeveless and layering, or even the type of work pant they went with (jeans, carpenter pants, cutoffs). I appreciated the personality! 

By this point, the rain was pretty consistent and I had to decide what I was going to do after lunch (I had crab obviously). The rest of my family decided to go back to the ship after a brief walk through the town, but I wasn’t going to let the inclement weather get to me– I had a leather jacket! I was getting pretty annoyed with “wet head”, so I actually bought a hat from the Lumberjack show. No, not a trapper but a coonskin hat! It’s likely from the 80s or 90s, not real fur, and made for kids but the size large seemed perfect. It kept my head warm and didn’t soak through, so it made for a practical purchase. It also looked badass when worn with my general Americana vibe. Or it was just a Skut Farkus cosplay. Either way, I loved it and it might be my favorite purchase the entire trip! 

With my newfound cap, I decided to walk around the town and take some photos. I was enticed by the docks and the various mid-century buildings (the 19th and 20th century) which all looked quite picturesque among the rain and mist. Again, these types of things aren’t my typical fare when shooting but I’m glad I did it as these are some of my favorite photographs of all time!

I decided that I had enough of the rain around 4 PM (the lumberjack show was at 12 PM and the call time for the boat was 5:45) but before I went back on, I felt the need to take one more look through the shops. This was my last chance for some Alaska mementos! The beautiful totem poles hand-carved by native artisans were tempting but were quite pricey; I also didn’t think I had shelf space in my apartment to hold them. In the end, the final Alaskan purchase was another menswear item: buffalo leather moccasins bought to be my newest house slipper. The hide was soft and textured, featuring a two-tone look accented by a yellow leather string lace. My room is definitely a bit mid-century bohemian with a lot of wood furniture, so I think these slippers fit right in. What a way to end my Alaskan adventure!

On The Cruise

Obviously, the Alaskan excursions were only half of this vacation. The other part was about being on the cruise.

It was quite an interesting experience to be on a ship. I’m too used to my travel time being mundane, relegated to economy seats and little to no entertainment while we traverse the skies to reach our destination. A cruise lets you literally travel in fun and style, and it seems that Disney leaned into it. It did help that the Disney Cruise in particular aims to have a vintage attitude, which is shown in the ship’s design, the interior decorating, and all of the staff attire, which could be found in dress whites, mess jackets, and rugby shirts with white pants (and white shoes) depending on their role. Disney likely wanted to separate itself from the party-boat atmosphere of their competitors. 

Needless to say, the whole place was elegant and wholesome. The mid deck and top deck were both perfect to relax and look at the scenery, provided that you were okay with the cold wind and sporadic rain during the days at sea. It would have been fun to try out shuffleboard or read in a chair, but I mainly kept inside inside during our voyage. The lido deck did have a pool and jacuzzi, which were only used by the bravest of passengers (though it seems that children will always find an opportunity to swim)Iit was a lot better once we reached the Alaskan shoreline and were surrounded by the gorgeous landscapes, especially on Glacier Day.

While the unlimited hot dog/burger/pizza/soft serve bar was a major highlight of the ship’s amenities, I did enjoy the ship’s entertainment. These were mainly character dance parties, either on the deck, the atrium, or during dinner at each of three restaurants: Tritons (the fancy one), Tiana’s Place (Southern Bayou themed with a live jazz band), and Animator’s Palate (a studio themed place with screens showing various clips).  In the afternoons, the entertainment staff would host drawing tutorials as well as trivia and “guess the song/quote/movie” games. They were harder than I expected and the competitiveness of Disney Adults (and their families) always made for an interesting experience; my brother and I only won one of those trivia games.

Entertainment went on through each evening and while there was always a lot of variety, it seemed that I picked the main ones people wanted to go to. This was obviously the case for the main attractions, which included three Broadway-esque shows that I was honestly impressed by; each of these singers was on the same level as what you’d expect on a mainland production. The ship also had two performances from magicians Jon Armstrong and Jonathan Burns, though the latter was more of a comedian than an actual illusionist. 

However, I do want to shout out the nightly events that relied more on guest participation. I especially enjoyed the Dueling Piano evenings, mainly because the hosts weren’t just incredibly skilled but charismatic and engaging as well.  When I briefly talked with them later, they mentioned to me that our week was the best in terms of talent and participation; I did recognize a heavy theater kid vibe (of all ages) when I was on the ship. I also have to highlight  Dee and Nate, our delightful entertainment hosts, who ran various games like the Newlywed Game and Majority Minds (a Family Feud, “submit your answer” type game). These games were indeed wholesome, but thanks to our hosts as well as a fair bit of fun passengers, the shenanigans did spice up, or at least as much as Disney could allow. 

I obviously realize that this all sounds like summer camp for adults and that’s true— but I enjoyed it. I’m not being sarcastic or even ironic. It was quite clear to me that I am one of these people, a silly little nerd who likes being wholesome. I found everything endearing and copacetic, from the teenagers suggesting Broadway tunes for karaoke to the elderly couple who went from making dad jokes to admitting that they hooked up while at a religious retreat. The abject absurdity and a participating crowd is something I haven’t had while on a family vacation, so I’m glad I got it on that cruise. These are my people. 

That’s probably why I felt empowered to be dressed like myself during this vacation. Even though the Disney Cruise isn’t exactly what Apparel Arts had in mind, it was the closest I had to those editorials, and so I dressed accordingly. If my regular life warrants the Esquire Man, why not extend that to this holiday? Hell, on the first day at sea, I wore a blazer, tie, sweater vest, flannel trousers, and penny loafers, just to go play trivia and play those party games! Obviously, my attire shifted during the Port Adventure days but I enjoyed that I was wearing something that I felt was a banger instead of something lazy; I did swap shoes and change into my blazer each evening to lean into the Occasion of the cruise. 

If I think on it further, I do think that ensuring that I was dressed “like Ethan” without any dilution (apart from dressing for the activity and weather) emboldened me to participate in each activity and ultimately made for one of the best trips I’ve ever been on.

Vancouver

This attitude continued during my post-cruise activities in Vancouver! My last visit was very fun and I was happy to be afforded a few extra days to try a few new places, as well as return to some old ones (Granville Island, Macleod Books) and of course, see my extended family. I was particularly glad that I was able to walk down Commercial Drive, which was lined with stores selling all manner of Ethan Friendly Vintage Ephemera (books, clothes, furniture, and records) as well as fun bars, cafes, and restaurants. I was even able to eat some pretty great Pho and take a reading break at one of the fun coffee shops; both were filled with cool hipsters (I mean that affectionately), so like the cruise, I had found my people. 

One of the best days during the Canuck segment of this trip was actually not in Vancouver, but in Victoria! My mom, stepdad, and I woke up early to catch a ferry, which treated us to fantastic landscape views that were quite reminiscent of the ones we saw in Alaska (though much less grand in scale). We kept the nature views going at Butchart Gardens, a wondrous place that I think rivals (and maybe even surpasses) Pasadena’s Huntington. This was the warmest day, so I was a bit sweaty walking through the grounds while wearing flannel trousers and a tie, but it was worth it; I was chuffed to treat myself to some soft serve.

The tie and flannels (the only dress pants I brought) may seem a bit out of place for the garden (though it is quite preppy) but the combo was chosen because we were set to have high at the Empress. I tend to pick one “thing” out of my day and dress for that, even if I have other things happening. It obviously was the move, because it felt right at home to wear a blazer, grey pants, and a striped tie to have tea and sandwiches with my mom and stepdad. I was clearly third-wheeling but I enjoyed my time. We then took a short walk over to Miniature World where we got to really nerd out over history and extremely detailed dioramas. 

Like everything I do, this trip had an inherent sense of silly wholesomeness that my family and I enjoy to embrace. But despite this recurring theme, it also felt like something new to me. Perhaps it was the mixture of childlike whimsy with my age, as well as the presence of my parents. Maybe it was the fact that despite the relatively low stakes, this trip was perhaps the most “me” I’ve ever dressed (outside of my New York trips). Or maybe it’s just the fact that I’ve never experienced a cruise as an adult nor have I visited somewhere so full of nature and scenery. I wonder if a lot of that also stems from my reinvigorated love of photography and desire to use it more than just menswear content.

Perhaps nature and photography will be the theme of my 30s! Now enjoy what I think are some of the best photographs I’ve ever taken.

– end of blog post –

Glacier Day

Skagway & The Yukon

Juneau

Ketchikan

On The Ship

Vancouver

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The Podcast is produced by MJ.

Always a pleasure,

Ethan M. Wong (follow me on IG)