Tiki Crawl 9 is San Francisco! July 9 - 12 Free! UPDATE: last chance for mugs! and Mahalos! Page 10

TIKI CRAWL 9 Day One

Trad'r Sam: It was retro night at Sam's tonight, my first visit ever. Pith helmets? Pith helmets! Those guys were Quicksand before Quicksand was cool.

Your Crawl Director Julie McCoy, err, Mai Tai, got the ball rolling by ordering what shall likely be the "Best Drink of SF Tiki Crawl 9" award winner. I'd vote for it, if I could. It tastes even better than it looks. Much more better-er.

Tonga Room: was, well...Tonga Room.

Bamboo Hut: No clue, I went to the Giants game. How was Bamboo Hut?

Remember, the SF Tiki Crawl is a marathon, not a sprint.

Pace yourselves,
midnite

Oakland Arrival 10:30am..... where's the closest Mai-Tai???

My first tiki event (and my first post.) So far it's been awesome! I'm not coming out tonight (Friday), but definitely jumping in on Saturday. I've never been to Forbidden Island, so I'm pretty excited about that.

Thank you, everyone, for being so friendly to me and my wife. We are both total newbs to the tiki scene, and it's great to feel so welcomed!

Looks like last night was fun times. Mai Tai, what was in that drink? Looks like a girley man drink. Can't wait for this evening. Sneaking out of work at 2pm to meet you all at the hotel to hop on the bus. Yeehaw!

That drink is exactly three parts Draino to one part Orange sherbet. How it manages to taste like Children's Bayer aspirin is something I've been trying to work out the details on for years...

But the truth of the matter is, I LOVE TRAD'R SAM'S! There is something about the marriage of tiki and dive bar that gets me. Every single time.

Had a great time on the crawl last night! Looking forward to more, more, more!

Here are a few of the photos I took yesterday:

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, actually that's just the Trad'r Sam's sign. Never mind.

Singing a little bit of Little Brown Gal at the Tonga Room:

Suzanne and Humu at the Tonga Room:

Bamboo Hut ceiling (and no, I wasn't on the floor at that point):

Mai Tai, Humuhumu, Trott, Suzanne, Coco Loco

Down With Pants!

Oh, and for those of you who were present last year during the filming, here is the link to:

Illinois Joan and the Legend of the Tahitian Dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HxwcPqU_jg

Suzanne

WooHoooo! Let the Crawl Begin....Count Down 29 more minutes :)

Made opening Crawl last night night in San Francisco. I can only hope that the Tonga Room doesn't go the way of the dodo. Tonga Itches and Blue Hawaiians at Tonga Room followed by by Forbidden Jungles, Face Erasers, and Painkillers at Bamboo Hut made for a good time. Couldn't make tonight but that might be for the best. Hot rods, fezzes, and tiki can be a recipe for traffic tickets :-} . We rented our own mini bus for the rest of the weekend. Mahalo. Hukilau, Esq.

The Friday Crawl was great!!! Here are some pics....
First Stop: Smoke Tiki










Then to Notch's Top Notch Shop:








Last stop of the night Trader Vic's Palo Alto:

Looks awesome guys! Pity we couldn't join you. Been holding up the bars that last couple nights!
Way looking forward to tonight...and seeing everyone again.
Denise and I are putting together a little spread for the crawlers at Forbidden Island...and of course, there will be PIZZA at Conga Lounge. Word has it there may even be some cocktails too.

SEE YA ALL LATER!!!!

[ Edited by: Molokai Mike 2009-07-11 11:38 ]

Great photos!! Everyone is having so much fun. I wish I was there. Keep posting so I can follow along.

Less than one hour and we all re-converge (literally) at Forbidden Island. It's been so much fun for me to meet the Bay Area Tiki Ohana. What lovely people and it makes me remember why I enjoyed living in San Francisco years ago. Hanford gave me great insight into the Trader Vic's Palo Alto, which was different from what I was expecting, but is worth seeing if you're into Papua New Guinea carvings. Checked out Absinthe cocktail bar today (thank you, Rumrunner!) and oh my! Their cocktail menu is amazing!!! Going back to actually sample one tomorrow. But... it's not Tiki, so stay on topic, Kari.

Anyway, looking forward to another whacky time with you all tonight. Last night's party bus was made only sweeter by Woohoo Wahine's war cry cheering each and every one of us back to the hotel.

Thank you Hanford and Tripod. BGutierrez it was good to meet you and all the other first timers. Glad to have all of you. Good to see all the regulars AND to meet a handful of LoCal er's. Thanks also to Evelyn for the crab cakes and Meg, both gracious hosts.
BY gosh Notch's bar and shop is da' kine. Thanks Notch!

[ Edited by: Jungle Trader 2009-07-12 13:56 ]

Somewhere between Trader Vics and the bus ride home I misplaced my little silver Olympus digital camera. Its full of great memories of th weekend and has been to every tiki event I have attended. Please PM if you know its whereabouts. Mahalo!!

FOUND: One Sweater and One hoodie (left at TV and the bus respectively). If they're yours PM me with a description and I'll get it to you.

Woo Hoo... Bill talked with Chris this morning and we're looking for it. :)

Happy Sunday wind down...off to have brunch at Tiki Tom's....

looks like a great time. notch, i really like your moai swimming pool complete with volcanic island! bigger is better. just ask gecko or vantiki. krazy!

It was AWESOME seeing everyone yesterday!

Woohoo, hope you find the camera. I know first hand how that feels, having lost two(!) at the tail end of trips!

Mahalo, Mahalo, Mahalo to Hanford, Mai Tai, and all the other Nor-Cal Ohana who helped make this event happen. The Crawl was a Blast!!! It was so nice to see old friends and to make new ones too. We can't wait until next year's crawl :)

On 2009-07-12 17:40, WooHooWahine wrote:
Mahalo, Mahalo, Mahalo to Hanford, Mai Tai, and all the other Nor-Cal Ohana who helped make this event happen. The Crawl was a Blast!!! It was so nice to see old friends and to make new ones too. We can't wait until next year's crawl :)

Ditto!!! And also a big thanks to Smoke Tiki, Notch, Forbidden Island, Conga Lounge, Kona Club, and Trader Vics Eville and Palo Alto. The Raffle at Kona Club was gracious, and winning the Orchids R-1 headhunter was extra sweet.

TV Emeryville especially went way above and beyond welcoming everyone with 75th anniversary blinky pins and sending us off with parting gifts (a fog cutter mug, parrot on a stick, and 75th anniversary matches all wrapped up in TV wrapping paper)

Swag I managed to accumulate :)

Nice swag...looks like a awesome crawl was had by all!!!

Congratulations to Hanford and Mai Tai in producing another wonderful crawl!! Servanne and Jon at Trader Vics said you both were wonderful to work with and look forward to future partnerships with the two of you. I know how much work you both did for this. You both are exclusively responsible for a perfect crawl.

The crawl lives because of you two and it was a BLAST! I appreciate you both and know everyone on the crawl does as well. Look forward to 2010!!

A special recognition to Michelle, Midnite, Suzanne, and Chad Spacey. You guys were awesome in work with this crawl!!!

[ Edited by: Coco Loco 2009-07-12 23:08 ]

Some photos courtesy of Chad Spacey:

Trader Sams

Mel, Jessica, Mai Tai

Bamboo Hut

Late night adventure -

Trader Vics - Palo Alto

More pics to come once we download our camera!

Everyone looks like they had a ton of fun! Wish I could have been there. Hopefully, it will work into the schedule for next year!

One of the highlights of my trip. I axed Unga Bunga how he got his name. He said he was watching this Bugs Bunny cartoon "Which is Witch". I love it. The pissed off witch doctor. http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1254252/4404714

I have a huge MAHALO for the organizers, hosts, flight attendants, and the TC ohana for the fun we had on our first crawl! East Bay night was perfectly lovely. That Oaktown rainbow was really something, too. We made some new tiki buddies, got some top-notch swag, and look forward to upcoming TC events so we can meet again. Aloha...

-Jill

MAHALO to Mai Tai and Hanford for working your asses off to put this whole thing together. Also raising a mug
to Notch for busting out a great Crawl Mug this year. I had too much fun, so you folks who I met for the first
time, please intro yourself again the next time I see you...

On 2009-07-12 11:34, WooHooWahine wrote:
Somewhere between Trader Vics and the bus ride home I misplaced my little silver Olympus digital camera. Its full of great memories of the weekend and has been to every tiki event I have attended. Please PM if you know its whereabouts. Mahalo!!

Camera is still MIA :(

On 2009-07-13 08:39, WooHooWahine wrote:

On 2009-07-12 11:34, WooHooWahine wrote:
Somewhere between Trader Vics and the bus ride home I misplaced my little silver Olympus digital camera. Its full of great memories of the weekend and has been to every tiki event I have attended. Please PM if you know its whereabouts. Mahalo!!

Camera is still MIA :(

I figure some people are still recovering from Saturday night and/or just haven't checked Tiki Central in the past 24 hours... I would like to offer a REWARD with the safe return of the camera...It is not an expensive camera, just a sentimental one!

And again, as I've said in personal conversations and emails... BIG MAHALOZ to Hanford, MaiTai, CocoLoco and the rest for hosting such a fun event!!! Smoke Tiki, Notch, Palo Alto Trader Vic's, Forbidden Island, Conga Lounge, Kona Club and Trader vic's Emeryville all made the Fri/Sat Crawl so very fun and memorable!

SF TIKI CRAWL DAY 5 : Recovery

What happened on days 2-4? The $6 drinks special at Vic's seemed like such a great idea...in theory...then theory hits the cold reality of practice and I cry for Mommy to make the pain go way. Still, I loves me some Navy Grog sugar sticks.

The Crawl was Zazz*. Way to go HL and Elder Mai Tai. The different locations came through this year. Kona even had a tiki raffle, remember those? Vic's, Conga, FI...the welcome mat was out. Lots of new faces; it is much fun to meet first-time Crawlers. New blood and all.

I miss that guy, Vic too.

Doug!
el midnite

And again, as I've said in personal conversations and emails... BIG MAHALOZ to Hanford, MaiTai, CocoLoco and the rest for hosting such a fun event!!! Smoke Tiki, Notch, Palo Alto Trader Vic's, Forbidden Island, Conga Lounge, Kona Club and Trader vic's Emeryville all made the Fri/Sat Crawl so very fun and memorable!

Thanks Soccer Tiki, but full kudos must go to Hanford and Mai Tai. They did all the planning and producing. I was simply there for support, backup, and fun! :)

And for the camera call the bus company, I think Mai Tai gave you info right?, Doug promised that he'd hold onto any lost cameras. :)

Aloha and Mahalo to Hanford, Mai Tai and EVERYONE ELSE involved this this years crawl.

Soccer and Wahoo. Hope you get you camera back. Lori, quit lurking and join up.

Randy.

metikiman1705

More pictures to follow

"I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly".

Winston Churchill

Tikiman1705

[ Edited by: metikiman1705 2009-07-13 17:35 ]

OH YEAH!!! Big thanks To all that Crawled the crawl and stopped by my shop to tipp some drinks back!
It was Super Cool hangin with all The TC Ohana over the weekend and Next years Tiki Crawl is going to be Bigger and even Better!
And Mahalos to Hanford and MaiTai for all the hard work they did, and giving me the Job for Making the Tiki Crawl mug, It was fun and a labor of LOVE. Thanks

I have some Crawl Mugs Available to TCers and will soon start a thread in market Place...
Big Thanks ~ Notch

On 2009-07-13 07:41, Kila wrote:
I have a huge MAHALO for the organizers, hosts, flight attendants, and the TC ohana for the fun we had on our first crawl! East Bay night was perfectly lovely. That Oaktown rainbow was really something, too. We made some new tiki buddies, got some top-notch swag, and look forward to upcoming TC events so we can meet again. Aloha...

-Jill

You and Chad were great. It was fun being your tiki buddy, and I for one look forward to your participation in future bay area events.

Notch, you did a great job on the mug. **Everyone BUY YOUR MUG NOW! They're gonna sell out soon! **

On 2009-07-13 18:04, NOTCH wrote:
OH YEAH!!! Big thanks To all that Crawled the crawl and stopped by my shop to tipp some drinks back!
It was Super Cool hangin with all The TC Ohana over the weekend and Next years Tiki Crawl is going to be Bigger and even Better!
And Mahalos to Hanford and MaiTai for all the hard work they did, and giving me the Job for Making the Tiki Crawl mug, It was fun and a labor of LOVE. Thanks

I have some Crawl Mugs Available to TCers and will soon start a thread in market Place...
Big Thanks ~ Notch

[ Edited by: Coco Loco 2009-07-13 18:29 ]

[ Edited by: coco loco 2009-07-14 01:02 ]

Maholo to the organizers and attendees to the crawl. This was my first time "on the bus" and we had a blast both nights. I am proud to say I have been upgraded from a Tiki Central lurker to a full fledged poster (that is if this works!)
Special thanks to WooHooWahine, SoccerTiki and Metikiman 1705 for helping us learn the ropes!

Thanks!
Lori

[ Edited by: Ms. Tiki 2009-07-13 19:09 ]

On 2009-07-13 18:55, Ms. Tiki wrote:
Maholo to the organizers and attendees to the crawl. This was my first time "on the bus" and we had a blast both nights. I am proud to say I have been upgraded from a Tiki Central lurker to a full fledged poster (that is if this works!)
Special thanks to WooHooWahine, SoccerTiki and Metikiman 1705 for helping us learn the ropes!

Thanks!
Lori

[ Edited by: Ms. Tiki 2009-07-13 19:09 ]

WooooooHoooooooo! Welcome to Tiki Central

Looks like it was a blast. First our friends bailed out on us , then I had to work plus ended up in jail Saturday...Go ahead and count us in for sure next year.....No really.....I need some San Francisco lovin'....TC style that is...

On 2009-07-13 18:12, chiwito wrote:

You and Chad were great. It was fun being your tiki buddy, and I for one look forward to your participation in future bay area events.

We had a great time cruising with you, buddy! Thanks for welcoming us newbies. It was cool getting inside scoop from you about Tiki Tom's. I am totally working on getting that deck permit approved in time for next year's brunch! :wink: Hope to see you then, if not sooner.

Hey Ms. Tiki,

Welcome to TC posting! It was great meeting you on the crawl. Look forward to seeing you both again!

CL

On 2009-07-13 18:55, Ms. Tiki wrote:
Maholo to the organizers and attendees to the crawl. This was my first time "on the bus" and we had a blast both nights. I am proud to say I have been upgraded from a Tiki Central lurker to a full fledged poster (that is if this works!)
Special thanks to WooHooWahine, SoccerTiki and Metikiman 1705 for helping us learn the ropes!

Thanks!
Lori

[ Edited by: Ms. Tiki 2009-07-13 19:09 ]

Bec and I are already planning on making the drive down from Portland for 2010.

I noticed this piece of art was missing from one of the bathrooms in the Emeryville Trader Vics. I hope it didn't disappear during the crawl! The management was and has been great to us and they don't deserve the theft of this! Please don't make a big deal because at this point all I know is that it was there in October 2008. Some jerk may have taken it a few months ago. It is too bad that apparently someone did take it at some point. RAZZ!

On another note, I nominate a new thread just for photos. How about here;
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=33099&forum=17&0

Mr. Smiley is the most thirstiesterest of
all!
Have a nice Tiki Day!
If you like it,it is ZAZZ! If you don't, give it a RAZZ.

[ Edited by: mrsmiley 2009-07-13 23:04 ]

What a killer weekend! I'm so happy to be back in the Bay Area and it was wonderful to see everyone. Many, many mahalos to HL and Mai Tai for putting on a great weekend; thanks for ALL of your amazing hard work. Notch, thanks for the killer mug and for letting us all through your wonderful shop and really awesome bar. I had a great time with the rest of the flight crew on the bus... thanks for letting me help out. Special amazing mahalos to the staff at both Trader Vic's Emeryville and Palo Alto - being treated to specially priced drinks and amazing bands at both locations was so special. We're lucky Ohana 'round these parts! I'm looking forward to all of the treats in store for next year - Tiki Crawl 10 WILL KICK ARSE!

A few weekend photos:

The amazing double rainbow that appeared after the brief burst of rain in Oakland on Saturday:

Mai Tai gives Conchy, Jr. a go at Smoke Tiki:

It was a perfect day in the South Bay. Not too hot - just perfect.
Small stone Moai near the outside bar at Smoke Tiki, with the two Devons:

Custom mugs for Hanford and Mai Tai:

The AMAZING gigantic Moai Volcano Bowl Notch is working on:

Notch's place:

Russell (The Sock Monkey King of Samba) has some Calamari:

Suzanne and Russell:

Mrs. Midnight, Midnight, Mai Tai, Panda, Haole'akamai, Coco Loco, Suzanne and Russell (I look VERY excited):

Dr. Funk and a Mai Tai at TV's Emeryville:

Hubert, InkyLouise, Suzanne, Russell at TV's Emeryville:

Russell and Conchy, Jr. :

Play Doh Throw Down:

Thanks to Hanford and Mai Tai for pulling Tiki Crawl 9 together. Now that my head is clear again, I can certainly say that the people, venues, and beverages were top drawer. The "short bus" we brought was a good time and convenient, but I would also enjoy riding the long bus next time. As a former Piedmont resident, my head and internal organs are grateful that the Conga Room and Kona Club were nondescript fraternity bars in those days. Mahalo!

Welcome and Aloha Ms. Tiki.

It was nice being able to drop by for a unplanned visit on Saturday night, great seeing you all.
Ran

More Crawl9 Pix.

Well finally a chance to post about an incredible 3 days of crawlin' with the nicest bunch of tiki freaks. I gotta say how cool it was to hang with my traveling' companion Tikitastic for all the days plus the day before at FI's Pre Oasis Wed. night before the crawl. Hats off to Mai Tai & Hanford for once again putting on a great show. Notch AWESOME mug and bitcin' shop/bar. Thanks for having' us! Suzanne, glad to have you back cuz you're a hoot!! It is so fun to see all the crazy friends I have made over the last year or so having such a good time. ON TO OASIS...!!! Anyhoo pictures speak louder than words.