Talk about a jam-packed trip! I can't even list all the great folks I got to see – the list of only the places where I went is ridiculously long! You out-of-towners, take note of what you can get done in a week out in California. Check this action, and hopefully I can figure out how to add my photos in here soon too:
Tuesday, July 22
·Okay, I flew into LA this day, so I only got a wonderful night at The Purple Orchid. You can read who came from SugarCaddyDaddy, who along with Trader Pup, was my primary PartyPlanCoordinator in LA (the biggest thanks to both of you! Mwah!)
And talk about hospitality! Owners Dave and Rebecca (Wersmo Derenc) not only came in on their night off and gave us 2 flaming scorpion bowls, but they even led me home (I was staying just blocks from their home)! They didn't tuck me in bed and read me a bedtime story, but I bet they woulda if I'd needed it! And the hunky half Samoan MTKahuna also made my night when he presented me with flowers: a lei and fresh plumeria from his garden for my hair! MUCH better than from a hula dancer, IMO. Yessiree.
Wednesday, July 23
·Oceanic Arts with Trader Pup and Stentiki. Spent less than $100! Yay! Whew!
·Bahooka for laaate lunch with above 2, plus Doctor Z. Didn't get to feed the carrot-eating fish nor hear him crunch. Next time.
·The Tiki Ti with Hanalei Pirate, Johnny Velour, King Kukulele and unexpectedly, Weird Uncle Tiki and his new bride, The Mysterios Mrs.(?) Maona Loa, fresh from their honeymoon in Hawaii. (Ms. Pirate, my dad thought you were a hottie, after seeing my pics!)
·Bigfoot Lodge to see the Volcanics (a Maikai Gents offshoot band) and The Now, kick-my-butt garage covers. What a perfect night!
Thursday, July 24
·Tiki Farm– stopped by on my way down to San Diego and got a tour from Holden. Who should pop in while I'm there but Crazy Al – yet another cool surprise!
·Bamboo2U – went there briefly before heading to:
·Monkeyman's South Pacific Room. The wonderful Monkeyman and his sweet sweet family had invited me down and offered to let me stay with them – sight unseen. We truly have a community, folks! Derek and Olga's home (and great kids!) really is a work of art, too. Accept any invitation you get, gang! Derek next had arranged a "very private, VIP" visit to:
·Bosko's!! He and his charming wife Truus have the most amazing property, nestled at the foot of a mountain, filled with mature palms, huge A-frame, rescued historical and new tikis, and a very friendly (read: face-lick-y) Boston terrior. Derek and I got a tour of the shop, in addition to a cocktail in his home bar, filled to the high high ceiling with dozens of glowing lamps. Magic.
·Next was Mr. and Mrs. ModMana's home, seeing their wonderful SHAG's and back yard waterfall fountain, and picking them up for:
·Trader Mort's liquor store and
·Bali Hai! But the bastards there wouldn't let us order any dinner, having "just closed their kitchen," two minutes before! Meanwhile, as we're sitting there, other guests are getting desserts, salads, main courses, etc. We got 'em to cough up some bread, which was a good thing, as cocktails on an empty stomach is not the best idea. At least they let us sit in the dining room, where we were treated to a view of raging seagulls raiding newly-laden fishing boats by night. At least they got to eat . . .
Friday, July 25
·Stopped off in the morning at Al and Shelley's Lagoon Room. A glowing, sunny place by day, and I'm sure a lush tropical lounge by night. We decided against sampling Al's bartending skills at 11:00 AM, however.
·House of Tiki, where I got to see a well-indoctrinated 2-yr-old yelling, "Tiki! Tiki! Tiki" with genuine glee. Loved it.
·Bamboo's Ben's, where Ben was kind enough to stay open after hours to let me run amuck briefly before heading over late to:
·TikiBong's! Got to see PolyPop and both Alnshely again, as well as yet another fabulous home bar. Y'all are inspiring me so! And Bong, I won't let out the secret that you're no curmudgeon, but rather one of the nicest guys I've ever met. Oops.
·Sam's Seafood, where Shelley and I were kicked out of peeking at the floorshow. My wonderful friend Teri, owner of some kick-ass drive-in movie theatres, joined us and I think has been sucked into the wonderful world of tiki enthusiasts. Good work, recruiting staff!
Saturday, July 26th
·Drove to Santa Cruz to help christen Patrick Boyce's new home tiki bar. Lots of nice folks there, including the vivacious Vander Vegas von Stroheim and his parents. What a great-looking moderne bachelor pad. Trés Shag-esque. Of course, Patrick always looks like a Shag hipster anyway.
Sunday, July 27th
Tooled around Santa Cruz with Patrick on his big-ass Harley, laughing as he and our friend Bill, also on his bike, discussed orange suede fabric swatches for something Patrick's designing for Bill – I swear. These are guys who are very secure in their masculinity. They finally decided that the orange in the Harley insignia itself was exactly what they wanted. Classic!
·Munktiki's – a wonderful visit to yet another master craftsmen's workshop, this one in Monterey. Paul and his feisty wife Debra entertained Patrick and me for hours (son Stuckie wasn't around), which was totally unexpected and completely a treat! We all even then headed to dinner at:
·Hula's, also in Monterey. GREAT food, and if you get to eat back in the tiki room, beautiful decor. I have to get some of those fake Leetegs!
Monday, July 28th
·Off to San Francisco for the last leg of my trip, after a quick trip to Carmel to see Debra Munktiki's cool store, Vanities. Worth the trip, gang.
·In SF, checked in at my Petty Booka buddy Ed Ivey's place, where I found it crawling with Mexican and Spanish musicians – I was in heaven! Even learned some new, exTREMEly crude slang: "ahogar el moreno" (a, um, "potty" euphemism). Also took advantage of the photo op with a purple and orange shag carpeting covered scooter parked outside. Hideous. Yet beautiful. Ok, hideous.
·Then we were off to The Tonga Room. You've read the report here already: delightfully rude hostess, über loud "thunder", and the best TC company. Mig (my SF PartyPlanner – you're the best! Mwah!) and I ended up at:
·Mr. and Mrs. Martiki6's Foggy Grotto. Wow yet again! We never even made it outta there to Sam's, because we instead rolled with laughter at tapes of Mr. Smiley, Enid, and their Ugh House on the evening news, Gorilla X on another episode of the same show, and Mig on not 1 but 2 episodes of Maury Povitch, complete with a blow-by-blow of which couples were real and which were, um, not quite so real.
·The Pound, a live music bar, with Mig to see a No Doubt spin-off band (buddies of Gorilla X, you know :wink: ) who took their sweet time getting on stage. Good stuff, but after Martiki6's ste-rong Mai Tai, I didn't have much staying power.
Tuesday, July 29th
Had just about the best birthday I've ever had!!
·Lunch at a killer Indian restaurant with Bruce, Mr. Smiley.
·Found le dress du mort at Ed Ivey's friends' store, Ver Unica (at Gough and Hayes), and wore that sucker to:
·Trader Vic's in Emeryville. Sigh. Everything they said about that place is true. The best service, the most gorgeous decor (Leetegs everywhere! Sunset on the bay!), and the tastiest mahi mahi with macadamia crust I have ever imagined putting in my mouth. Perfection. So many wonderful folks came, too, even my old Houston friend Jewelz, now a Burning Man official. Thank you so much, everyone who braved the prices to be there for that part of my birthday!
·Finally, the Conga Lounge, who, as you also read already, so kindly opened on a closed night just for our Tiki Central crew. What a great new spot, and how fun to blow out the flame on the birthday cand-, I mean, volcano. Also appreciated was my happy birthday serenade on bended knee from Mr. Smiley. Thanks, Mano, and next time, Conga Mike! And thank you cutie Ryan for driving me all night!
In short, it was an almost perfect trip, flawed only by the absence of several whom I didn't get to see but tried to show their hospitality too (e.g., Unga Bunga), or the mere-hello's visits I got with so many of you (e.g. Tikivixen, The Jab, CynfulCynner). And I didn't even see all the places there are to see in California!! Next time!!
We Southeners are getting blown outta the water when it comes to hospitality!!
