Going to Palm Desert / Palm Springs this weekend- give me the scoop!

OK- where do we eat?
Where do we drink?
And........where do we search for stuff?

Haleiwa Joe's (on 111 in Rancho Mirage) is Tiki-ish. Drinks and food are pretty good. I'm pretty sure the bar at the Caliente Tropics has closed. The Tropicale has been discussed in recent threads and it's good as well. There are lots of thrift stores - I found a couple of great shirts but no tikis. If you're still there sunday night go to Melvyn's. A Jazz trio plays and guests from the audience (who seem to be retired pros) join them to sing. Old school (I hate that expression) and very entertaining. Also, there's a modern art gallery (M Modern maybe?).

My girlfriend and I go to Palm Springs about 4-5 times a year. I do recommend Haleiwa Joe's. Go early (around 5 pm) for the happy hour. Good deal on drinks and appetizers. The architecture of the place is amazing.

As for the rest of the Palm Springs area, when you get off of the 10 freeway onto Hwy. 111... once you hit commercial buildings, just pay attention. There are tons of MCM stores, thrift stores and consignment shops. You'll first hit the M Modern Gallery and a large MCM consignment store in the same center. All of the rest of the stores will be obvious, with lots of MCM furniture on display in windows and on the sidewalks.

You might also want to check out the Palm Springs Art Museum. Lot's of great modern art.

Of course stop by Caliente Tropics.. lots of tikis.

Also, just drive off the main drag and drive thru residential areas. Lots of great MCM architecture.

Hope this helps!

Check out the Riviera that just re-opened in Palm Springs off of Indian and Vista Chino. It is mid-century modern to the max and has the greatest pool in Palm Springs now.they spent 70 million to re-do
this place and it shows!!! No Tikis but Mid-Century all the way!!!!!!

This town has allot of cool old tiki history but not many functional places...

Tropical is great,but not very Tiki

Caliente Tropics is a great Tiki find but without the bar it's just a great place to take photo's and think about what it was like back in the day........

The RIVIERA is the greatest thing in Palm Springs right Now by far!!!!!!!!!!

Come at night get a drink and hang at the firepits by the pool!!!!!!DIG?

Let that Freaky Tiki Flag Fly,

wildsville man

Rory Snyder (A.K.A. Wildsville-man)

[ Edited by: wildsville man 2008-11-13 12:52 ]

Thanks- this really helps.

Just got home from Honolulu Harrys for kerioki (sp) night for a B-day celebration w/ 7 couples in Chino. What a blast! Mai-tais are always so-so, kinda fruity if you ask me. But they took good care of me. All of my tall drinks had a nice 4-5" float of dark rum. All you have to do is ask! That will wash out the fruit taste!!! Been going there for years & didn't know. The kaula pork on hawaiian roll is my fav. That & 6-7 Mai-Tais are good for a thursday night & work the next day! Drinks were cheap too! Until 10pm every Thursday.
Hope we can find good food & grog in the desert.

There used to be an large indoor antique store in Palm Springs. Do you know if it's still there?
We'll hit all the local stores mentioned. With the economy the way it is- you never know what you will find.
Now if I can only find a nice PNG Sepik mask for dirt cheap..........

The real big one is in the same center as the M Modern gallery. I think it's called 111 Antique mall or something like that.

#1 thing to do in Palm Springs is to meet Wildsville Man :) We went to Palm Springs for Modernism Weekend last February. This link might give you some ideas of things to see & do. Have a Tiki-rrific Trip
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=27312&forum=17&start=0

On 2008-11-13 23:58, Tiki Shaker wrote:
The real big one is in the same center as the M Modern gallery. I think it's called 111 Antique mall or something like that.

This place is very expensive but fun to look at.........

Go to M Modern this weekend for the Chris Raccardi show......
http://www.mmodern.com/

I will be working all weekend trying to keep up with my Art addiction

But check out revivals shops for some great deals,it gives money to charity so they can't pick and choice pieces to sell at high end prices and you can find some great deals!!!!!!! DIG?

P.S. WOOHOO!!!!!!!!

Let that Freaky Tiki Flag Fly,

wildsville man

Rory Snyder (A.K.A. Wildsville-man)

[ Edited by: Wildsville man 2008-11-14 10:00 ]

Wildsville Man - will there be a Tiki Caliente in 2009?

At this point I do not believe so........I am falling into the same problem Otto fell in with the owner of the Tropics. Tropics are one of the greatest Tiki resort around but it is owned by a cooperation that is not flexible and has no vision of it's potential. I would have loved to take over the bar also, but there is only so many times I can hit my head against the wall without saying "why are you doing that?"

Well- today, we hit all the Revival stores and........................................

NOTHING!!!!!
Talked about picked over!
Hit a few consignment shops & same deal.

Went by Haleiwa Joes around lunch time and..................
Closed!
Wasn't this place used to be called the Chart House? Pretty cool looking buried in the ground.

Ate lunch at The Sunshine Cafe in Cathedral City- only because we know the place & the food is great.
Lots of vacant stores- looks like the economy has taken it's toll.
On way back to our place we are staying at (friend's condo at "The Lakes") we past by Haleiwa Joes & they were open for dinner- figures, we planned dinner at home w/ friends tonight.
I did find a couple of things. More details after dinner.

Well- here's our view from our condo patio at The Lakes. Pretty nice!
Install new kitchen faucet--------free weekend at condo. How sweet is that? (I'm a plumbing & HVAC contractor)

From the patio- the wife.

[ Edited by: Deuces Wild 2008-11-15 20:40 ]

Well- after 1/2 tank of gas- I do find something.

4 McDonald's of Hawaii glasses for a quarter each. Don't know a thing about them but four for a dollar?

Wife wanted to go into this artificial plant place (yuk) & they were selling these mats- or whatever they are. Look like those growths you find on trees- shaved paper thin & glued on a brown manila looking backing. They are bigger than a place mat- maybe 24x30? Price? One dollar each. Yep, a buck. I have no idea what I will do with them- Wallpaper? Cover something? They almost look like wood. Says Made in China on back. Bought 12 & may go back & get all they had.
Pretty cool looking- whatever they are. They are very thin.

Close up view

Then it happened.
The store we already passed earlier in the day.
We have a history here. They have PNG & wife knows it's my favorite collectible. I've been bad here before. Do I drive on or stop?
We decide to stop.
Oh god- this might leave a mark.
My hands are beginning to sweat.....................

Maybe they won't have any PNG. Afterall, it's usually stupid expensive & I probably don't need it anyway. Yep. That's it. Just furniture & wanna-be collectibles.
I think it's been about 3 years since I stepped foot in here.
We walk up & there's some guy w/ a mic interviewing people on way in.
Wife walks ahead & guess who he stops? Me!!!
Asks me if I've been here before- I lie & say no.
Where do I live?- I lie & say "in town".
Asks me what I'm interests are & I say mostly PNG artifacts.
He says- Well sir, you are in luck. You've found the right place!
I think I'm getting dizzy.
So- I continue towards the door & someone hands me a bag of popcorn.
This is going to get ugly.
Maybe I should give the credit cards & check book to the wife? Just in case?
I walk to the door entrance & stop. I look in.
Hmmmmmmm
Furniture. I see furniture. This shouldn't bee so bad.
I turn right, walk 20 ft & I see this.
OMG.
A 8 foot PNG canoe. We should have ate lunch before we came here!!!!
Lucky for me it was nearly 4 grand.

[ Edited by: Deuces Wild 2008-11-15 21:14 ]

From there- it only got worse. Most of the pieces are from same person.

12 foot tall PNG tiki like pole. I think it was $3800.00
Lucky for me my ceilings are only 8 feet. The 2nd pic is top & 3rd pic is towards bottom.

More goodies................

Huge food hook (per the tag) It's nearly 6 ft tall.

This carving was in an acrylic case- was huge & the detail was unbelieveable.
No price so I assume I can't afford it. I want it anyway. Maybe I can sneak this 5'x6' carving out the door w/o anyone noticing.

This mask was incredible. Complete w/ casowary feathers & an alligator crawling out it's mouth. I want this in the worst way!!!!!! Probably 48" tall.

Another cool figure pole. Lots of details on both sides. This is the back side!

A nice example of a Yam mask laying on the floor behind a coffee table & couch. Are you friggin' kidding me? Priced around $700

Some sort of board. Very cool.
But wait- what is that on the left- agains't the wall?

I pull it out for inspection. Price is around $800 but it's marked down.
2 tags on it. One says it's a PNG shield, the other says it is a gope board.
Both are wrong!!!!
Store owner says it's been there for awhile & they discounted it frankly because they & owner have no clue what it is. I know what it is but I won't say....... yet.

I make a cash offer & he hesitates. I give him my cell number & say we are going to lunch. Call the owner & see if they want to display it or sell it.
An hour later, I get a call.

[ Edited by: Deuces Wild 2008-11-15 21:49 ]

So- I now own it!
BTW- it's a PNG ceremonial food bowl!
There's 2 feet on the bottom. Pretty excited- great find.

This is the front "bowl" side. Those floor tiles are 10x10. Pretty big for a bowl.

Detail of the carvings of Casowary birds & fish.

More detail of other end of bowl. Very nice patina.

Back of the food bowl. Note the legs next to the 2 square holes & the carved alligator.

Detail of the alligator carving.

I want to go back tomorrow & make a stupid offer on that Yam mask & see what happens.

the have a great Witco bench at antique 111 next to Mmodern but they want 1,200 for it!!!!!!

Now get your ASS to the Riviera!!!!!!! SUCKA!!!!

Well- we never made it to the Riviera or M Modern. The couple who rode down w/ us live in Diamond Bar so we had to leave early this morning because of the fires.
Suppose to go again in 3-4 weeks so we'll try again.

Don't listen to anything this Tiki poser has to say, he has posted before under a different name......he only knows cars and shit (plumber!) If you knew where to look you would have spotted this 10 foot canoe for $175.00.....

Just kidding about the poser.....WTF! This is my brother! You didn't tell me you were back on here. Please encourage him as he has some cool PNG stuff and a tropical yard (copycat!). BTW I found the canoe in Gorman last Thursday, not PS.