I just sent out this field report in my Thrillville newsletter. It is pretty long but it sums up our trip if anyone cares. In short: a perfect summer vacation weekend. Here are a few shots for the word weary:
http://www.thrillville.net/scenes/scenes50.html
Aloha, Will
Hey Thrill Seeker...
The Tiki Goddess and I just returned from TIKI INVASION at the Mission Tiki
Drive-In http://www.missiontiki.com/, celebrating its 50th anniversary (as a
drive-in, it was only recently tiki-fied.) It was an all day bash of retro
music, classic cars and cheesey flicks. Tikis + B Movies = Will the Thrill is
so there, so we headed south in our purple PT Cruiser and had a blast. Here's
the retro rundown:
The Mission Tiki Drive-in is located in Montclair, a dusty oasis of strip
clubs (one called the "Tropical Lei"!), fast food joints, liqour stores,
pick-up trucks, churches and pawn shops. It's in the middle of what's known
as the Inland Empire (which happens to be the name/location of David Lynch's
latest film in progress, perfect choice). It's not a place I ever thought I'd
wind up, but we enjoyed a very relaxing visit. On the way we stopped in
nearby Rosemead to check out the BAHOOKA restaurant
http://www.geocities.com/bahookarestaurant/, an incredibly lush tiki time
capsule loaded with marine/nautical artifacts, fish tanks, blowfish, tikis,
sunken booths, and a distinctly dark '50s vintage atmosphere. I was totally
absorbed by the ambience. We were warned to steer clear of the food but the
drinks were pretty damn good. And the food looks like typical diner fare.
Definitely worth a stop if you're on the 10 towards Paml Springs or
something. And a cruise down Rosemead Blvd. will reveal Googie leftovers of a
bygone era like the Starlite Drive-In sign. Coolsville.
The biggest surprise of the entire trip was the Best Western PINE TREE MOTEL
in neighor burg Chino,
http://anaheim-california.onetravelsource.com/10193068.html.
At $60 a night I was expecting a redneck crack whorehouse but instead was
treated to comfy, cozy, spacious accommodations inside a 60s Modern A-frame
Flinstone-rock piece of classic architecture. I definitely recommend staying
there next time you have to stop over in Chino. And right up the street is
HONOLULU HARRY'S, a new restaurant owned by real Hawaiians who really bring
an aloha spirit to what is basically a tiki Applebees. Very good food and
tropical drinks, lots of tiki statues and hula girl lamps, a glass waterfall
wall, island-inspired decor, and friendly service add up to a very nice
kick-back experience, surprisingly cool given the seemingly random location.
They also have live Hawaiian music on the weekends, and only play authentic
Hawaiian music over the sound system. Loved it - it really made our trip
even more special, while sticking to the whole tiki road trip theme.
The Mission Tiki itself is a marvel. Giant Easter Island heads, one of them
sunk in the earth, sculpted by famed tiki specialist TikiDiablo,
magnificently greet you at the entrance. The ticket booths are decked out
like bamboo huts. The concessions stand is likewise tiki-fyed though in a
more home-made way that is nonetheless charming. The food is good and cheap,
and the employees wear aloha shirts. Tiki torches light your way beginning at
dusk. The first night we saw "Miami Vice" (my third time, I love it as much
as the show, shoot me). It was my first drive-in experience since we went to
the final night of the Union City Drive-In in Monica's hometown and saw "I
Was a Teenage Frankenstein." The weather was just right - very Hawaiian, warm
with a cool breeze - and I really dug watching the other movies (like "Nacho
Libre") suspended in midair. These days you can hear all the movies (they
have four screens) since people set up outside their vehicles with boom
boxes. I can't imagine why this classic American tradition faded from the
mainstream into cult oblivion (along with jazz clubs, tiki bars, bowling
alleys and Democracy). The only explanation is the old simplistic standby:
people suck. But not these people. Tiki people. Good people.
The Tiki Invasion celebration was a very fun daylong social whirlwind and pop
cultural blowout. Lots of lounge/rockabilly/surf/garage pink bands, including
ever-popular MC King Kukulele, one of my favorite bands the Martini Kings,
fuzz guitar legends Davie Allan and the Arrows, and a troupe of real hula
dancers, plus lots of tiki vendors including the famous Bosko (from whom we
bought a carved hanging wall tiki), Fez-O-Rama, Crazy Al, Tiki Tony, Untamed
Highway and many more. Saw and made lots of friends. Again - tiki people=cool
people.
My one gripe is they had about three bands too many, since the first movie on
the "VIP" screen, "Cobra Woman," a 40s Technicolor tropical pulp potboiler
starring lovely Latina B movie starlet Maria Montez, didn't get going till
around 10:30. And it was the first of a triple feature which also included
William Castle's last gimmick flick "Bug" and something from the 80s called
"Hard Ticket To Hawaii." Throw in a classic Tom & Jerry cartoon, old snack
ads and some ginchy vintage trailers for "Teenagers from Outer Space," "Yog,"
Destroy All Monsters," "Kid Galahad" and more and you got yourself the total
drive-in trip. Initially I was determined to do the full ride, since I drove
almost 400 miles for it. But there were projection issues - to be expected,
not a big deal, part of the deal - and an interminable 45 minute lull between
features with nothing on the screen, not even the old animated "Intermission"
clips. This painful process stretched out the projected time frame beyond
reasonable endurance (it was supposed to be all over by 3AM, which was
doable, even for a geezer like me.) I just sat there playing exotica on my
car stereo, waiting for the pictures to resume. By the time movie #2 finally
flickered onscreen (after one of the trailers burned up which was kinda cool)
it was around 2AM and I was beat. Monica was already asleep, just like in
Thrillville, only this time she came prepared and wore her PJs. I felt a
little cheated at the time since the movies were the main attraction for me,
but in retrospect, it was full, rich experience, no regrets, no major
complaints. I was just happy to be there. Mahalo for the memories.
I'll definitely be back to the Tiki Drive-In, and stay at the Pine Tree Motel
and have dinner at Honolulu Harry's. It's the perfect stopover for Northern
Californians on their way to Palm Springs or LA. Or it's a worth a trip just
in itself if you want some peace, quiet and old fashioned fun.
Dig it.
