Trip to Monterey, East Bay, and S.F. was a blast!! **Photos Added** - Tiki Travel

CL Coco Loco Member Exotic Isle of Alameda Joined: Mar 21, 2004 Posts: 820	CL Coco Loco Posted posted on Thu, Jul 19, 2007 1:51 PM Traffic driving from Monterey to the East Bay on a Friday afternoon will be…? Drove Monterey to Alameda on a weekly basis for several years....If you leave around 2, it'll take you about 1.5 - 2 hours. After 3pm it may take 2.5 - 3 hours. Reason: You'll hit several traffic areas, heavier Friday traffic, and requisite accidents and stalls. Sadly, both 101 and 880 are subject to delays. Southbay traffic dies down around 7:30 pm (the route you'll be going through) Hotel suggestions close to FI. Safe parking for girlfriend’s new car. The Days Inn is okay...but at times it can get kinda sketchy. We had a New Years eve post FI party there and it was sketchy in terms of hangers about. We dropped TikiCleen and DHat off last night and it seemed fine. The cars in the parking lot were nice and no sketchy hangers about. In terms of Alameda safety/vibe, FI and Days Inn are on the rougher side of the island, which relatively speaking (ie. other cities) isn't that rough. Alameda's generally fairly safe with a diligent police force. Just don't drive over 25 on the Island. You will get a ticket. Also, if you're into architecture, just driving around Alameda and Oakland will be a treat. Alameda has distinct zones of architecture from Victorian, to Craftsman, to early century Mediterranean, to a few mid-century moderns. Suggestions for getting from our hotel to TV to the Kona Club to FI that doesn’t involve us operating our motor vehicle...cab? The cab service in Alameda (there are literally 2 cabs - not service, cabs) is iffy at best. Takes forever for them to show if at all. Rent a car. Everything's within a 15 minute drive of each other. If you don't want to drive, you might want to consider renting a limo for a flat fee for the evening. Swanky bay area jazz clubs? Like the one in “Anchorman”. :) I read something about Bix’s? Anything casual we can walk in wearing flip flops for a drink and take in some tunes? I would highly recommend Bix's...but it's dress up. They probably won't admit you in jeans or flip flops. My guess for laid back flip flop Jazz club acceptance would be Yoshi's in the East Bay. Music stores for old Exotica albums? Or have you guys picked them all clean? :P I have enjoying hacruising the Amoeba's up there on past trips...Amoeba is good. The independents are drying up here...but a really great place is also the Alameda Antiques Fair. There are several vinyl vendors in usual attendance there. I am really looking forward to getting back to the bay area and this time seeing these cool tiki places I’ve read about and seen on TC/Critiki, and hopefully meeting some of the regulars…* The locals are usually at FI on Weds and/or Thursdays. :) [ Edited by: Coco Loco 2007-07-19 13:52 ]

*Traffic driving from Monterey to the East Bay on a Friday afternoon will be…? *

Drove Monterey to Alameda on a weekly basis for several years....If you leave around 2, it'll take you about 1.5 - 2 hours. After 3pm it may take 2.5 - 3 hours. Reason: You'll hit several traffic areas, heavier Friday traffic, and requisite accidents and stalls. Sadly, both 101 and 880 are subject to delays. Southbay traffic dies down around 7:30 pm (the route you'll be going through)

*Hotel suggestions close to FI. Safe parking for girlfriend’s new car. *
The Days Inn is okay...but at times it can get kinda sketchy. We had a New Years eve post FI party there and it was sketchy in terms of hangers about. We dropped TikiCleen and DHat off last night and it seemed fine. The cars in the parking lot were nice and no sketchy hangers about.

In terms of Alameda safety/vibe, FI and Days Inn are on the rougher side of the island, which relatively speaking (ie. other cities) isn't that rough. Alameda's generally fairly safe with a diligent police force. Just don't drive over 25 on the Island. You will get a ticket. Also, if you're into architecture, just driving around Alameda and Oakland will be a treat. Alameda has distinct zones of architecture from Victorian, to Craftsman, to early century Mediterranean, to a few mid-century moderns.

Suggestions for getting from our hotel to TV to the Kona Club to FI that doesn’t involve us operating our motor vehicle...cab?
The cab service in Alameda (there are literally 2 cabs - not service, cabs) is iffy at best. Takes forever for them to show if at all. Rent a car. Everything's within a 15 minute drive of each other. If you don't want to drive, you might want to consider renting a limo for a flat fee for the evening.

Swanky bay area jazz clubs? Like the one in “Anchorman”. :) I read something about Bix’s? Anything casual we can walk in wearing flip flops for a drink and take in some tunes?
I would highly recommend Bix's...but it's dress up. They probably won't admit you in jeans or flip flops. My guess for laid back flip flop Jazz club acceptance would be Yoshi's in the East Bay.

Music stores for old Exotica albums? Or have you guys picked them all clean? :P I have enjoying hacruising the Amoeba's up there on past trips*...Amoeba is good. The independents are drying up here...but a really great place is also the Alameda Antiques Fair. There are several vinyl vendors in usual attendance there.

I am really looking forward to getting back to the bay area and this time seeing these cool tiki places I’ve read about and seen on TC/Critiki, and hopefully meeting some of the regulars…

The locals are usually at FI on Weds and/or Thursdays. :)

[ Edited by: Coco Loco 2007-07-19 13:52 ]

Post #319923 by Coco Loco on Thu, Jul 19, 2007 1:51 PM