Post #782302 by Hamo on Thu, Dec 14, 2017 8:48 PM

DAY 5: 8/8

This day was mostly focused on Classic Hollywood, without much tiki. I started by visiting Hollywood Forever Cemetery and the graves of celebrities, including Mel Blanc, Mickey Rooney, Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Jr., and Cecil B. DeMille. Yma Sumac is entombed there, too, but I couldn’t find her (I did see her star on the Walk of Fame, though).

Hollywood Forever is directly north of Paramount Studios. I didn’t take a tour, but I did walk around the parameter and saw the original studio gates (through the current studio gates). The old RKO building is now part of Paramount, too.

A bus ride north got me within walking distance of the Hollywood Bowl. Then it was off to Glendale for lunch at the Tam O’Shanter.

I sat in a little alcove at a table with wing chairs and enjoyed a quiet sandwich bar lunch and cider.

Forest Lawn Cemetery is a 10-15 walk from the Tam O’Shanter, but I didn’t realize how much more walking i would do to visit different sections. Still, it’s a very picturesque, park-like final resting place for the likes of Nat King Cole, Alan Ladd, George Burns and Gracie Allen, and Walt Disney.

Then it was back on the bus to Griffith Observatory. It’s a magnificent building with interesting exhibits (including a 80+ year old Tesla coil), but also lots of people, and the view from the roof really showed how smoggy LA still is.

Tired from all the walking, I headed back to the hotel and called it a night.

DAY 6: 8/9

Wednesday afternoon and evening made up for Tuesday’s dearth of tiki, but first a little more Classic Hollywood.

I walked around Hollywood to see some famous landmarks, like the Crossroads of the World, and the Cinerama, the Egyptian, and Chinese Theaters.

After lunch at In-n-Out, I spent an hour exploring the Hollywood Museum in the old Max Factor Building and all the interesting memorabilia. Then I took Uber out to Whittier.

Oceanic Arts is magnificent. If you’ve never been, go. My visit happened to coincide with Swanky’s Mai Kai book signing, and I’d packed my copy. It was great to chat with him about the site of the next tiki pilgrimage I need to make. I was also fortunate to meet and talk with Sven, who enlightened me on the change of the cannibal tikis’ eyes due to carver misinterpretations of menu artwork.

Trader Vic’s had been out of Mai Tai glasses when I visited, so I was very happy to find some at OA, and I also picked up a copy of Tiki Magazine. If only I’d had more room in my luggage (and at home) for more. I stayed until just before closing, which meant I got to my next destination a little later than originally planned.

You must go here, too, and I wish I’d arrived at opening for a seat at the bar. Lots of tiki royalty here, too: Beachbum Berry was at the bar; I was able to meet Adrian (PolynesianPop) and thank him for his “Inside the Desert Oasis Room” podcast; and Mike Sr. chatted with me about the place and my train trip.

This is an accidental "creeper" shot, with Mike Sr. and the back of the Bum's head.

Speaking of the train, after about an hour and a half, and two Ray’s Mistakes and one Blood and Sand, I needed to make my way back to Union Station for the 45 minute Amtrak to Anaheim.

After checking into the hotel, I walked west through Disneyland’s esplanade to Trader Sam’s.

There was an open seat at the end of the bar, and when I sat down the bartender asked me if I was on my way to Tiki Oasis (he must have assumed I was, since I think I was the only one in the joint wearing an aloha shirt). I tried the Mai Tai, and when asked about my flavor preferences, was made a Navy Grog, too.

The bro in the red ball cap asked for vodka, which is probably why his stool sank to the floor.

I enjoyed it here, though having recently come from Tiki-Ti, the vide was quite different. I was probably there for an hour and a half, and after drinking all night, I was ready for bed.