Sweet Daddy Tiki and Tiki A. Moaikingbird are Lost in Paradise - Tiki Travel

SDT Sweet Daddy Tiki Tiki Socialite Edmonton Joined: Jul 20, 2003 Posts: 1113	SDT Sweet Daddy Tiki Posted posted on Fri, Aug 3, 2007 11:57 AM Day 11 - Spokane to Great Falls, MT A breakfast buffet was included in the price of our room. The highlight was U-make waffles. On the road - lunch in Missoula, etc. etc. I'm going to cut straight to the chase here: The Sip-N-Dip lounge in the O'Haire Motor Inn in Great Falls was probably the best time I've ever had in a bar. We got to the Sip-N-Dip bar around 6:30 and the bartender took our orders. The cocktail menu had about a dozen speciality drinks on it including a Mai Tai, Blue Hawaiian, Evil Tiki and Grass Skirt, and a Fishbowl for 2 (at least) with about 9 oz. of rum and other booze. The drinks didn't seem all that potent - I had 5 cocktails over the course of the evening (I know because I saved the little plastic palm tree spears from my garnish) and I didn't get a much of a buzz - but they were very tasty and beautifully presented. Blue Hawaiian Mai Tai Evil Tiki Happy patrons enjoying a Fishbowl. It's a fairly small place - besides the bar, there's a piano bar and about a half dozen comfy booths. The TiPSI factor is low - this is the only tiki we saw in the place: but the decor is classic. The matting on the walls and ceiling has a rich patina and tapa lamps and glass floats hang from the ceiling. Aquatic themed mural behind the bar. Velvet painting. Booth. The seahorse Formica tabletops are original. Our server, modelling the cat's-eye glasses she bought for 50¢. She was very friendly and worked the room like a seasoned veteran - chatting with the regulars and making the newbies feel welcome, and serving the whole room on her own. She pointed out the other Albertans in the place, this friendly couple from Foremost (between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat). When they found out we were from Edmonton, the dude (an Oilers fan) sent us a round of drinks. Our server gave us a reprint of a 1966 article about the O'Haire from a magazine called Tourist Court Journal that's full of all kinds of interesting information about the place that I'll post in the Locating Tiki thread. We moved to a table and had a Montana sized meal - a perfectly cooked steak sandwich with all the trimmings. At 9:30 the mermaid started swimming, visible through the two windows behind the bar that look into the deep end of the pool. She smiled and waved to the patrons and posed for pictures. Gary got some video which he'll post somewhere, eventually. Shortly before 10 o'clock, Piano Pat (Spoonheim) started playing and singing. She should be called Piano and Organ Pat because she plays both, often at the same time. Her repertoire this night included Fly Me To The Moon, Tiny Bubbles, Ring of Fire, Folsom Prison Blues and the dreaded Margaritaville. We really enjoyed her unique phrasing though it's not easy to sing along to. We chatted with many friendly people - young and old, locals and visitors - including an Irishman from Nova Scotia (who got more Irish the drunker he got) who was mourning the recent loss of his wife. Eventually we moved to the piano bar to listen to Pat up close and had a conversation with a couple from Scottsdale/Colorado. We gave our server a set of our tiki buttons and she bought us a round in appreciation. When we left, shortly after midnight, the mermaid was still swimming. What a place.

Day 11 - Spokane to Great Falls, MT

A breakfast buffet was included in the price of our room. The highlight was U-make waffles.

On the road - lunch in Missoula, etc. etc. I'm going to cut straight to the chase here: The Sip-N-Dip lounge in the O'Haire Motor Inn in Great Falls was probably the best time I've ever had in a bar.

We got to the Sip-N-Dip bar around 6:30 and the bartender took our orders. The cocktail menu had about a dozen speciality drinks on it including a Mai Tai, Blue Hawaiian, Evil Tiki and Grass Skirt, and a Fishbowl for 2 (at least) with about 9 oz. of rum and other booze. The drinks didn't seem all that potent - I had 5 cocktails over the course of the evening (I know because I saved the little plastic palm tree spears from my garnish) and I didn't get a much of a buzz - but they were very tasty and beautifully presented.

Blue Hawaiian

Mai Tai

Evil Tiki

Happy patrons enjoying a Fishbowl.

It's a fairly small place - besides the bar, there's a piano bar and about a half dozen comfy booths. The TiPSI factor is low - this is the only tiki we saw in the place:

but the decor is classic.

The matting on the walls and ceiling has a rich patina and tapa lamps and glass floats hang from the ceiling.

Aquatic themed mural behind the bar.

Velvet painting.

Booth. The seahorse Formica tabletops are original.

Our server, modelling the cat's-eye glasses she bought for 50¢. She was very friendly and worked the room like a seasoned veteran - chatting with the regulars and making the newbies feel welcome, and serving the whole room on her own. She pointed out the other Albertans in the place, this friendly couple from Foremost (between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat).

When they found out we were from Edmonton, the dude (an Oilers fan) sent us a round of drinks.

Our server gave us a reprint of a 1966 article about the O'Haire from a magazine called Tourist Court Journal that's full of all kinds of interesting information about the place that I'll post in the Locating Tiki thread.

We moved to a table and had a Montana sized meal - a perfectly cooked steak sandwich with all the trimmings.

At 9:30 the mermaid started swimming, visible through the two windows behind the bar that look into the deep end of the pool. She smiled and waved to the patrons and posed for pictures. Gary got some video which he'll post somewhere, eventually.

Shortly before 10 o'clock, Piano Pat (Spoonheim) started playing and singing. She should be called Piano and Organ Pat because she plays both, often at the same time. Her repertoire this night included Fly Me To The Moon, Tiny Bubbles, Ring of Fire, Folsom Prison Blues and the dreaded Margaritaville. We really enjoyed her unique phrasing though it's not easy to sing along to. We chatted with many friendly people - young and old, locals and visitors - including an Irishman from Nova Scotia (who got more Irish the drunker he got) who was mourning the recent loss of his wife. Eventually we moved to the piano bar to listen to Pat up close and had a conversation with a couple from Scottsdale/Colorado. We gave our server a set of our tiki buttons and she bought us a round in appreciation.

When we left, shortly after midnight, the mermaid was still swimming. What a place.

Post #323041 by Sweet Daddy Tiki on Fri, Aug 3, 2007 11:57 AM