BAHOOKA MEMORIES - a photo love story - General Tiki

H Hakalugi Special Tiki Central Agent Redondo Beach, CA Joined: Aug 10, 2004 Posts: 3465	H Hakalugi Posted posted on Sun, Mar 3, 2013 3:34 PM Okay, here are some more from my Flickr set, actually a lot more. A few of these have already been posted in other threads. But first a brief history on my visits to Bahooka. My first visit to Bahooka was sometime in the early 80's. It was a late evening and a friend and I were returning home from the Hollywood Record Swap Meet held in a parking lot across from the Capital Records building. My friend said "Hey, you want to check out this amazing restaurant?". Of course. When we arrived it was just closing up. It was too late for any service but I was able to briefly see inside. The impression was melded into my head. Over the years since then I have paid Bahooka many visits. This was always my birthday/special celebration dinner destination of choice. One notable visit was a Halloween costume party put on by the L.A. Cacophony Society. I think this was in 1994 or '95. They had the banquet room and the whole place was filled with crazy intense energy in a way only the Cacophony Society could provide. The music was a mix of voodoo drums and alien chants, the only illumination was from the aquariums and a film projected onto a screen. They were showing Carnival of Souls. In one corner of the room was somebody very well costumed as Hunter Thompson, he had a fly swatter and was swinging at imaginary bats. Bowl after bowl of flaming concoctions were delivered to the room. My wife Kim and I had the Honey Bowl. We were dressed as zombie beachcombers. I'm going to miss this place. A somber walk-through... An anti-aircraft gun stands guard: Bahooka greets us. An island of allure and mystery: Let's venture inside: Entry room: And to our immediate right, the peaceful bubbling of a huge aquarium. Many of the aquarium shots you'll see in this post may look empty but they are not. They are teaming with life. Huge fish that might follow your every move. These fish are so active that they disappear with a long exposure. And immediately above our heads, a not so active fish... Just past the entry room. The sign from the Bali Hai Dock. Is this sign really from the Bali Hai in San Diego? I'd say yes. To our left is the mail room wall protected by two Marquesan style Tiki posts. A closer look: Let's venture further: We arrive to the banquet room, surrounded by more aquariums: Banquet room ceiling: It's very easy to lose your sense of direction while walking around the Bahooka labyrinth. The bubbling sounds add to the relaxing and dizzying atmosphere. Dizzying as in sometimes it might feel like you are on a rocking boat. Is this from the cocktails? While, yes and no. Part of it may come from walking around while looking up at the ceiling but another thing adding to this strange sensation felt while navigating the Bahooka is the fact that the floors may not be entirely flat. While, maybe the entire Bahooka is not like that but here in the banquet room you can definitely feel this. Whether by design or not, it works wonderfully in enhancing this place. If you look at the table against the wall to the left, you can see that the floor is noticeably sloped. Upon leaving the banquet room there are boats on the ceiling: Approaching the cashiers desk and trophy walls: Heading toward the bar: There are creatures swimming around under the bar top. Ceiling view from the bar area: Another angle of the same ceiling area: A little past the bar is the popular brig/jail cell: The booths in the brig can each seat a party of ten: From here there is another corridor of booths. Here's a view from the end of that corridor looking back at the brig where there appears to be some sort of apparition. END TOUR If you want to see additional shots there are more on my Flickr account Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com//photos/akahaka/sets/72157632894444816/show/ If you want to peruse full size images, you may want to start from here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/akahaka/sets/72157632894444816/ With the full size images you can drill down into the details. For instance, there are a number of photos from their trophy wall where posting them here would look like this: But on Flickr you can see the original resolution and actually read the article. Here's a zoom in of the above photo on Flickr: Mahalo Long Live Bahooka -Haka [ Edited by: Hakalugi 2013-03-03 16:14 ]

Okay, here are some more from my Flickr set, actually a lot more. A few of these have already been posted in other threads.

But first a brief history on my visits to Bahooka.

My first visit to Bahooka was sometime in the early 80's. It was a late evening and a friend and I were returning home from the Hollywood Record Swap Meet held in a parking lot across from the Capital Records building. My friend said "Hey, you want to check out this amazing restaurant?". Of course. When we arrived it was just closing up. It was too late for any service but I was able to briefly see inside. The impression was melded into my head. Over the years since then I have paid Bahooka many visits. This was always my birthday/special celebration dinner destination of choice. One notable visit was a Halloween costume party put on by the L.A. Cacophony Society. I think this was in 1994 or '95. They had the banquet room and the whole place was filled with crazy intense energy in a way only the Cacophony Society could provide. The music was a mix of voodoo drums and alien chants, the only illumination was from the aquariums and a film projected onto a screen. They were showing Carnival of Souls. In one corner of the room was somebody very well costumed as Hunter Thompson, he had a fly swatter and was swinging at imaginary bats. Bowl after bowl of flaming concoctions were delivered to the room. My wife Kim and I had the Honey Bowl. We were dressed as zombie beachcombers.

I'm going to miss this place.

A somber walk-through...

An anti-aircraft gun stands guard:

Bahooka greets us. An island of allure and mystery:

Let's venture inside:

Entry room:

And to our immediate right, the peaceful bubbling of a huge aquarium. Many of the aquarium shots you'll see in this post may look empty but they are not. They are teaming with life. Huge fish that might follow your every move. These fish are so active that they disappear with a long exposure.

And immediately above our heads, a not so active fish...

Just past the entry room. The sign from the Bali Hai Dock. Is this sign really from the Bali Hai in San Diego?

I'd say yes.

To our left is the mail room wall protected by two Marquesan style Tiki posts.

A closer look:

Let's venture further:

We arrive to the banquet room, surrounded by more aquariums:

Banquet room ceiling:

It's very easy to lose your sense of direction while walking around the Bahooka labyrinth. The bubbling sounds add to the relaxing and dizzying atmosphere. Dizzying as in sometimes it might feel like you are on a rocking boat. Is this from the cocktails? While, yes and no. Part of it may come from walking around while looking up at the ceiling but another thing adding to this strange sensation felt while navigating the Bahooka is the fact that the floors may not be entirely flat. While, maybe the entire Bahooka is not like that but here in the banquet room you can definitely feel this. Whether by design or not, it works wonderfully in enhancing this place. If you look at the table against the wall to the left, you can see that the floor is noticeably sloped.

Upon leaving the banquet room there are boats on the ceiling:

Approaching the cashiers desk and trophy walls:

Heading toward the bar:

There are creatures swimming around under the bar top.

Ceiling view from the bar area:

Another angle of the same ceiling area:

A little past the bar is the popular brig/jail cell:

The booths in the brig can each seat a party of ten:

From here there is another corridor of booths. Here's a view from the end of that corridor looking back at the brig where there appears to be some sort of apparition.

END TOUR

If you want to see additional shots there are more on my Flickr account
Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com//photos/akahaka/sets/72157632894444816/show/

If you want to peruse full size images, you may want to start from here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akahaka/sets/72157632894444816/
With the full size images you can drill down into the details. For instance, there are a number of photos from their trophy wall where posting them here would look like this:

But on Flickr you can see the original resolution and actually read the article. Here's a zoom in of the above photo on Flickr:

Mahalo

Long Live Bahooka

-Haka

[ Edited by: Hakalugi 2013-03-03 16:14 ]

Post #669585 by Hakalugi on Sun, Mar 3, 2013 3:34 PM