Tiki Central / General Tiki / Zulu Magoo's Tiki Tour of Southern California (Image Heavy)
Post #405218 by Tiki-Kate on 09/01/2008
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T
Tiki-Kate
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09/01/2008
Yesterday I finally achieved one of my silliest personal goals ever. I completed Zulu Magoo’s Tiki Tour of Southern California. Back in 2005, Mike published a list of tiki locations in and around Orange and Los Angeles Counties which he gave out at Oasis V. The list consisted of more than 50 sites. Earlier this year, I found a matchbook from the Royal Tahitian in Ontario. I thought, “What an amazing place this must have been,” and I wondered if any of the bones were left. I went home and did a TC search and found Johnnie velour’s post from 2003 stating that the building was about to be torn down. I don’t know why I felt the need to see it for myself. I swung by one day on my way home and found the building still standing. I also met an employee who told me some great old stories about the place. That seemed to have sparked something in me. I got out my copy of the Tiki Tour to see how many places I had already visited. 16. Yes. 16 out of more than 50. Lame. I’ve spent the past five months hitting the other 36 locations. I live out toward Palm Springs, so I’m over an hour away from most of these locations. This project got much tougher as the price of gas continued to rise. I really wish I had started sooner because so many of these places have disappeared. :( Here is what I did find. Aloha Arms Apartments - Pico Rivera Beautiful, but also scary and gang-ridden. Going here alone was a very bad idea. Paradise island Apartments - Pico Rivera Kapu Tiki Apartments - Pico Rivera Bahooka Restaurant - Rosemead I try to make it out to Bahooka at least once a month for my pile of ribs. I’ve been doing this for several years now, and this is the only picture I could find. We’re at Bahooka. I swear. Kahlua Apartments - Rosemead Kona Kai Apartments - San Gabriel Outrigger Apartments - Pasadena Kona Kai Apartments - Torrance Eli Kai Apartments - Torrance Tiki Apartments - Torrance Samoan Sea Apartments - San Pedro Islander Apartments - Santa Ana Hanakiki Apartments - Santa Ana Kona Luanii Apartments - Anaheim Oceanic Arts - Whittier I visit Oceanic Arts once a month without fail. I make one purchase, and it is always something that you can only buy at OA. I spend a lot of time admiring all of the flotsam and jetsam that fills the place. This is my favorite lamp. Islander Apartments - Gardena Tiki Apartments - Los Angeles Gone. They are now nameless box apartments. Purple Orchid - El Segundo Tiki Aloha Apartments - Torrance Exotic Isle Apartments - Alhambra Now the Jade Gardens. No tikis remain. Tahitian Village Apartments - Reseda Tonga Hut - North Hollywood This is another one of those places that I visit frequently but could only find one usable picture. These are Tiki Diablo’s mugs. Island Village Apartments - Fullerton Hawaiian Village Apartments - Norwalk Kona Gardens Apartments - Anaheim Now the Hidden Village Apartments. No signs of tiki anywhere. Kona Gardens Apartments - Garden Grove Kona Kai Apartments - Westminster Kona Kai Village Apartments - Glendora Now the Valley Glen. Boo. Hale Hawaii - Torrance Tony’s on the Pier - Redondo Beach I’ve been to Tony’s and yet could not find a single picture. I was there last month and took this shot of another building on the pier. Hurricane Room - Lawndale I could not find any evidence that the Hurricane Room still exists. I followed the directions in the guide, but all I found was La Bamba. Trader Vic’s - Beverly Hills
Islander Motel - Eagle Rock Royal Hawaiian Motel - Hollywood Java Lanes - Long Beach I had to scan this one. I took it before I owned a digital camera. The Java Lanes is long gone. Tiki Apartments - Los Angeles Gone. Another nameless box apartment. Mauna Loa Gardens Apartments - West Covina Maui Apartments - West Covina Now the Atrium. Serious boo. Pacific Isle Apartments - West Covina Now the Oasis Apartments. Still stunning. Aku Aku Motor Inn - Woodland hills Now a Best Western. Boo again. Tiki-Ti - Hollywood Sam’s Seafood - Huntington Beach Now Kona. The Warehouse - Marina Del Rey Don the Beachcomber - Marina Del Rey No longer operational, but still a swell building. Horace Heidt’s Magnolia Estates - Sherman Oaks Shangri-La Apartments - Sherman Oaks Kona Pali Apartments - Granada Hills Caliente Tropics Hotel - Palm Springs Royal Hawaiian - Laguna Beach Islander Apartments - Inglewood Unnamed Tiki Apartments - Duarte Lucky Tiki - Mission Hills I never made it to the Lucky Tiki while it was open. Here are the remains. I could not seem to find any pictures of the places that I frequent most often. I know that I take them. I just have no clue where they are. (I borrowed the photos of Sam's, Tiki-Ti and the Purple Orchid.) Thanks again for the guide, Mike. This was so much fun. |
