Vera's White Sands, Lusby, MD (restaurant) - Locating Tiki

R rupe33 Tiki Socialite DC Metro Area (MD) Joined: Dec 08, 2004 Posts: 375	R rupe33 Posted posted on Mon, Aug 1, 2005 8:55 AM Had the good fortune to visit Vera's White Sands July 31, 2005. It was a good time! Miss Vera herself came out and spoke with us a bit. Sampled the mai tai, which was red & sweet. Not very much like Vic's original recipe. Drinks tended to be strong! My companions sampled the martini and pronounced it quite good. As the sign on MD-4 says, "piano nitely" and we tipped the pianist accordingly for honoring our requests. Vera's White Sands & Marina sits on the banks of the Patuxent, and as the sun began to set, the light reflecting from the water really offset the darkened innards of the bar/restaurant - making it seem more like some polynesian paradise. The scale of this site is hard to believe. Vera appears to be in her 90s, and I have this terrible worry that White Sands will disappear once she goes. This may be the last vestige of vintage tiki (she's owned it more than 50 years) left in the Metro-DC/Baltimore area. We ought to treasure it while we can! Every visit to Vera's brings something new to your eye: this time I noticed the nudie painting over the bar. Above that there's a sign that reads "what you looking up HERE for?!" Good fun. A very high TIPSY rating - tikis outside and inside, and some other unusual touches abound as well. Such as the gigantic painting of Vera, the deep-sea diver's helmet on display, or the suit of armor. Not to mention the seashell outrigger hanging in the bamboo dining room! One other note of interest: the tables in said dining room are all made from ships' hatches, per a note near the door as you exit the room. The actual grounds themselves are decaying somewhat, but if you go out the restaurant door and to the left you can walk around to the front where the large Moai head overlooks the water (his back is to you as you're inside). There's also a former fountain there made of huge clamshells and a concrete fish that would've spat water into them. Neat stuff. There's also a pool which hasn't been open any time I've ever been there. Bottom line: if you've not been to Vera's, you're missing out. In other news, they're supposedly reissuing the book that was written about Vera later this month. There is to be some sort of event on August 28 that may include autograph signing. Have written the website for the full details, and will post them here. Also - photos to come too. From the DC area, take the beltway to exit 11A and follow MD-4 east towards Solomons Island. Take a right on White Sands Drive, and that'll bring you right to Vera's White Sands. [ Edited by: rupe33 2005-08-01 08:57 ]

Had the good fortune to visit Vera's White Sands July 31, 2005. It was a good time! Miss Vera herself came out and spoke with us a bit.

Sampled the mai tai, which was red & sweet. Not very much like Vic's original recipe. Drinks tended to be strong! My companions sampled the martini and pronounced it quite good. As the sign on MD-4 says, "piano nitely" and we tipped the pianist accordingly for honoring our requests.

Vera's White Sands & Marina sits on the banks of the Patuxent, and as the sun began to set, the light reflecting from the water really offset the darkened innards of the bar/restaurant - making it seem more like some polynesian paradise. The scale of this site is hard to believe. Vera appears to be in her 90s, and I have this terrible worry that White Sands will disappear once she goes. This may be the last vestige of vintage tiki (she's owned it more than 50 years) left in the Metro-DC/Baltimore area. We ought to treasure it while we can!

Every visit to Vera's brings something new to your eye: this time I noticed the nudie painting over the bar. Above that there's a sign that reads "what you looking up HERE for?!" Good fun. A very high TIPSY rating - tikis outside and inside, and some other unusual touches abound as well. Such as the gigantic painting of Vera, the deep-sea diver's helmet on display, or the suit of armor. Not to mention the seashell outrigger hanging in the bamboo dining room! One other note of interest: the tables in said dining room are all made from ships' hatches, per a note near the door as you exit the room.

The actual grounds themselves are decaying somewhat, but if you go out the restaurant door and to the left you can walk around to the front where the large Moai head overlooks the water (his back is to you as you're inside). There's also a former fountain there made of huge clamshells and a concrete fish that would've spat water into them. Neat stuff. There's also a pool which hasn't been open any time I've ever been there.

Bottom line: if you've not been to Vera's, you're missing out.

In other news, they're supposedly reissuing the book that was written about Vera later this month. There is to be some sort of event on August 28 that may include autograph signing. Have written the website for the full details, and will post them here. Also - photos to come too.

From the DC area, take the beltway to exit 11A and follow MD-4 east towards Solomons Island. Take a right on White Sands Drive, and that'll bring you right to Vera's White Sands.

[ Edited by: rupe33 2005-08-01 08:57 ]

Post #176160 by rupe33 on Mon, Aug 1, 2005 8:55 AM