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bigtikidude
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Thu, Sep 17, 2009 10:31 AM
I hadn't seen anybody mention this, so I thought I would. http://www.donthebeachcomber.com/ the Calendar for events at Don's seems to be up and running. http://www.donthebeachcomber.com/calendar.html [ Edited by: bigtikidude 2009-11-09 12:31 ] [ Edited by: bigtikidude 2009-11-09 12:31 ] |
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bigtikidude
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Thu, Sep 17, 2009 10:48 AM
you can also enter your e-mail address to receive updates from them. Jeff(btd) |
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Coco Joe
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Thu, Sep 17, 2009 10:59 AM
I've seen it and it does look good. I think I like Don's more than Vic's or Tiki Ti...please go spend money here! |
CJ
Coco Joe
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Thu, Sep 17, 2009 11:01 AM
I should mention Tonga Hut now since the drinks are FINALLY good..Don's is still spanking them all |
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tikiyaki
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Thu, Sep 17, 2009 11:12 AM
F I N A L L Y !!! |
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Unga Bunga
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Thu, Sep 17, 2009 12:10 PM
It's in Huntington Beach? |
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bigtikidude
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 9:19 AM
Sunset Beach is a part of Huntington Beach. Like Balboa where the wedge (surfing spot) is part of Newport beach. Jeff(btd) |
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Jason Wickedly
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 11:27 AM
New website looks great! Can hardly wait until the "coming soon" stuff is all filled in. Good job guys. |
TSW
The Sperm Whale
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 11:35 AM
Don's Rules!!! I am still super stoked that Sam's is Don's!! I am so happy that Marie is the Bar Manager. It is great to see that everything they are doing to the place is just making it better!! Oh Yeah, I like the website too!!! Can't wait to see what surprises are in store for us. |
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Coco Joe
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 11:39 AM
Marie is an amazing bar manager! |
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JOHN-O
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 12:13 PM
Hey I was going to check this place out until I saw my cousin's Yelp review.. http://www.yelp.com/biz/don-the-beachcomber-huntington-beach-2?rpp=40&sort_by=rating_asc I trust his good judgment. WTF ?? !! |
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PiPhiRho
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 12:31 PM
It is amazing how people can have such wildly different experiences at the same place. All I can say is that the last time I was at Don's I was blown away by how good it was and how much it had improved in just a couple of months. Food, drinks and service were all excellent and were comparable to my experience at the Luau in Beverly Hills. The cost was fortunately not comparable to the Luau, more to Trader Vic's. Not cheap, but worth it. |
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Jason Wickedly
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 1:35 PM
Which one is your cousin? Notice the ratings get better as time goes on, there were some rough spots between Kona's demise and the ascent of Don. And I'll echo everyone's sentiments about Marie...it makes a huge difference having a bartender that actually cares about Tiki and that understands the importance of getting these drinks right! |
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The Sperm Whale
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 1:52 PM
John-O I think you need to reconsider. If I listened to my brother all the time I'd never have any fun. HEHEHE |
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Unga Bunga
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 1:59 PM
They really don't pass a bucket around for band tips, do they? |
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JOHN-O
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 2:13 PM
It was the first review (8/22/2009) in the list. The link I provided sorts by rating, not by date. It might have been an anomaly but I'm steering clear for now. Blood is thicker than rum. |
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hiltiki
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 2:42 PM
I usually visit far away (from my place) tiki places on Sundays so that the long drive is not a problem. I have been to Don's a few times this summer. The restaurant was busy, but the Bar was pretty empty but that didn't matter to me I just like being in a dark, tiki bar that has good music and good tropical drinks. I enjoy going there, the food is good, I usually get appetizers and the price is just right, the drinks are ok and the service is good. These old tiki establishments need our support, and I don't mean the once in a year events everyone rushes to go to thinking they are helping the place stay open. I have never seen another TC member there. John-O, I hope you will give this place a chance and try it, you might like it. |
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tikiyaki
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 2:46 PM
John-O, as a registered Tikiphile (TC member) "steering clear" is exactly what you SHOULDN'T do. It kinda defeats the purpose of being on Tiki Central entirely. How many 15,000 sq ft ORIGINAL (pre-1960's) Tiki Restaurants do you think there are left in the United States ? Answer...only one that I can think of...The Mai Kai in Ft Lauderdale, and I'm not even sure the Mai Kai is a big as Don's. Since the transition from KONA to Don's, the drinks have been consistently great, thanx to Marie being in charge of the bar...no more brotards who only know Vodka Redbulls and Rum and Cokes behind the bar. Gone are the bad classic rock bands and BAD Karaoke in the bar (who the HELL can listen to frikken Karaoke all night anyway ?) The decor goes up a notch every time I'm there. Torches and a giant Bosko Moai out front. The "Don's OHAHA" Mug cabinet for regulars to leave their tiki mugs so they can drink out of them whenever they're there. The food is still a work in progress, but everything I've had there is great.... 2 Big Ass waterfalls, tons of tikis, thatch and bamboo everywhere, float and fishing trap lamps everywhere, giant outriggers hanging from the ceiling....need I go on ? Steer Clear if you must...but you're not going to find ANYTHING like this anywhere in SoCal...period. If you consider yourself a fan of all things tiki, you should support this place, while we're lucky enough to have it. BOOM! (that was me falling off my soapbox) [ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-09-18 14:53 ] |
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PiPhiRho
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 3:17 PM
Your loss. |
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JOHN-O
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 4:21 PM
Great argument Tikiyaki. Historic significance overcomes any perceived shortcomings for me (and the reason why I keep eating at Musso's, the Pantry and Clifton's). I forgot about that and stand corrected. I just added it to my OC "to do" list. Thanks. |
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Tom Slick
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 5:10 PM
If it ain't 714 area code, it aint O.C. I'm also glad the site was not done in flash... |
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tikiyaki
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Fri, Sep 18, 2009 6:24 PM
Cool ! Yes, historic significance overcomes other shortcomings for me too. There are plenty of places with great food and service, just no tiki. ie: Outback....great service almost every time....plenty of warm bread , good appetizers, good food....no tiki. Their Mai Tai is GODAWFUL tho'. Glad I was able to sway your opinion a bit. My good deed for the day :) Support your local Tiki establishment. |
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bigtikidude
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Mon, Sep 21, 2009 2:35 PM
Plus as stated before, and key is. Jeff(btd) |
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Hakalugi
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Mon, Sep 21, 2009 2:56 PM
The fact that Ran's "Reverb Crash" is on the official Don The Beachcomber drink menu is reason enough to visit! Congrats Ran! |
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bigtikidude
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Tue, Sep 22, 2009 11:22 AM
true dat |
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Tiki Royale
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Tue, Sep 22, 2009 2:30 PM
I see that they have the "Reverb Crash" on the drink menu. |
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Hakalugi
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Tue, Sep 22, 2009 3:24 PM
Yes, Kick the Reverb's "Reverb Crash" took first place in the TC drink contest. |
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Tiki Diablo
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Tue, Sep 22, 2009 9:45 PM
DTB on the west coast and Mai Kai on the east. Simply the best. |
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JOHN-O
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Wed, Sep 23, 2009 10:59 PM
PiPhiRho, Jason Wickedly, Sperm Whale, Hiltiki, and especially Tikiyaki, You guys were 100% right about DTBC and I was 100% wrong. I had business in HB today so I swung by DTBC afterward. I was floored. I had no idea it was so expansive. I'm embarrassed to say I never visited when it was Sam's Seafood. I pride myself on knowing all of the old-school places in LA and I admit to having had a knee-jerk bias against anything in the OC. That was a big mistake. I met Beth Gates and her husband Greg while I was enjoying a cocktail at the bar. Beth is the events coordinator there. Greg took me to the outside entrance and showed me the original 1960 Sam's Seafood metal insignia they retained. He also explained that even though Sam's dated back to the 1930's, it completely burned down in a fire and was rebuilt in 1960. He did mention there were underground rooms from the original building that still existed. These rooms were used for illicit activities like prostitution and I assume as a speakeasy during during prohibition. Later Beth took me around and showed me the parts of the restaurant which were original from Sam's (which was a lot). She pointed out some of the new stuff that was done by Bamboo Ben. Very cool. I liked the fact the place was fixed up but I could still sense the Tiki ghosts of almost half a century. My bartender for the evening was Rachel who mixed what was probably the best Navy Grog I've ever had. I also had a Mai Tai which was pretty good but that Navy Grog was sublime. I wanted to try a Zombie but she advised against it since I still had a 35+ mile drive back to Samo. (Are they really that strong or is it just hype? The Zombies at Tiki-Ti are no stronger than any of their other drinks.) It's funny, I mentioned that I had an initial bias since my cousin wrote a scathing review on Yelp. She said "You mean that guy, Scott and his girlfriend? I was the bartender mentioned in the review". She explained she was super busy that night and her inability to explain the exact ingredients in some drinks was because she didn't know. Apparently some of the ingredients were pre-mixed and thus were a "secret" to her. Anyway she was a real sweetheart and I'll probably post a follow-up Yelp to counteract the bad review. Getting back to Beth, she said she would be happy to help host a TC event in one of the back rooms. I thought that was kind of funny since the only other TC person I've met in person was Ojaitimo (and that was at Frankie's). If any TC regulars want to take the initiative please PM me and I'll give you her contact details. Even though the new Trader Vic's is only 15 miles from where I live, I'll probably drive double that to get the authentic (meaning historic) Tiki palace experience at DTBC. Actually though, I kind of wish they didn't change the name from Sam's Seafood. What was good for almost 50 years should still be good now. What do you guys think? I probably still refer to it as Sam's. :) Thanks again to everyone for their helpful input. JOHN-O |
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bigtikidude
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 9:30 AM
John O, as for it being Don's now, and not Sam's It is sad to see some old stuff go away. Jeff(btd) |
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tikiyaki
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 9:50 AM
JOHN-O, Glad to hear that you've seen the light :wink: Regarding Sam's Seafood.....I feel the same way about it sometimes, but in the last 10 years or more of Sam's Seafood , the place had such a horrible reputation with the local community that, it seems, it couldn't shake it, even with the "new" Sam's in 2006. So when Chuck Purrington took it over in 2008, he decided to give the place a new name...Kona. Unfortunatley, with the economy going into the toilet, and a huge overhead, he struggled to keep it afloat. I personally did what I could to rally the Tiki community to bring the place business, and we had some killer, packed out events there...... http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=30544&forum=17&hilite=Tikiyaki%20Kona We put out a call for help last year, and our prayers were answered (not because of US necessarily, but answered nonetheless) The fact that it has been a Tiki Restaurant for that long only makes it that much more authentic and cool. That being said, I brought my Sam's Seafood mug to put in the "Don's Ohana" Mug case, so I can drink out of it every time I'm there. Full circle ! So, all I can say is, keep going there, buy drinks and dinner...bring your friends, your family, your co-workers etc. It's been faced with extinction far too many times, and must be cherished while it's still here. [ Edited by: tikiyaki 2009-09-24 09:51 ] |
JW
Jason Wickedly
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 9:53 AM
Damnit Jim, I had planned to do the same thing tonight :) Which one did you leave, the blue or the brown one? |
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tikiyaki
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 10:15 AM
Brown one....I say there should be as many Sam's Mugs there as possible...why not ? Sam's deserves the reverence. Speaking of which....does anyone have any VINTAGE Sam's Mugs ? ARE THERE any vintage Sam's mugs from back in the day ? |
JW
Jason Wickedly
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 10:36 AM
According to Ooga Mooga, the 2007 Tiki Farm mugs are the only ones. Oceanic Arts had a bunch of them over the weekend when I went, if they don't have any more at Don's (they were out last I checked). |
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JOHN-O
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 1:24 PM
How about splitting the difference? TC can informally refer to it as "Sam's the Beachcomber". It's like a secret society password. It seems a shame not to acknowledge the original history. Go to the DTBC website and original Sam's isn't even mentioned. [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-09-24 13:33 ] |
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Hakalugi
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 1:51 PM
Just because the only Sam's Mugs on Ooga Mooga are from Tiki Farm doesn't mean Sam's Seafood never had one before those. As a matter of fact the Tiki Farm one (the Maori one) is a reproduction of one they used to sell in their gift shop. Sabu knows more about this, maybe we can channel him. In the meantime, check out this thread: |
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tikiyaki
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 3:06 PM
Yea, I figured there HAD to be ones from back in the day, because there is a postcard from Sam's with a picture of the gift shop, loaded with Mugs. I've just never seen any original ones....Now there's a holy grail find for me. |
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tikiyaki
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 3:11 PM
Yea...it was mentioned on the Kona site, but I think the Don The beachcomber name overshadows the Sam's name in the history of Polynesian Pop, so they're trying to promote the historical significance of DTB...which is quite significant. |
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bigtikidude
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 8:45 PM
pics of the old mugs, from the link posted above. |
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tikiyaki
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Thu, Sep 24, 2009 9:51 PM
That gift shop is where the candle room is now....or, as it's not called "The Longboard Bar" |
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Jason Wickedly
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Fri, Sep 25, 2009 9:09 AM
I stand corrected! Hey, is the guy at the counter selling fresh seafood? I see a bunch of what looks like wine bottles behind him...he looks a little bored. And no tiki bar is complete without a couple of alligators hanging from the roof. Wearing flower leis of course. |
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tikiyaki
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Fri, Sep 25, 2009 9:35 AM
Yes, That was the fresh seafood counter and gift shop. Chuck once showed me the what used to be the giant walk-in refrigerator behind the candle room that was used for all the fish. So, it was the seafood store and gift shop...Odd but true. |
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TikiG
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Fri, Sep 25, 2009 9:57 AM
Yeah! I remember going to Sams Seafood as a kid, not only to have dinner (usually with out of town friends of my dad) but also going more than a few times with my dad specifically so he could buy fresh seafood..he'd knock back a few HAMMS before driving back home. I don't remember the gifts or tiki mugs but I do remember the strong FISH smell of that place. The other place we'd go for fresh seafood was the Newport peninsula. Good memories! |
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Thortiki
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Fri, Sep 25, 2009 11:17 AM
1st LA Visit @ Don The Beachcomber's This was our 1st visit to LA for a mini Tiki crawl. We visited Oceanic Arts, with Leroy Schmaltz and his staff recommending we stop at Don's!
We wish Don The Beachcomber's ALL the success in the world & watch for Don's in the next issue of Tiki Magazine! Mahalo Thortiki & Wahine Lynn |
CJ
Coco Joe
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Mon, Oct 5, 2009 10:17 PM
The coaster and the barrell mugs are in! go and it! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIE!! P.S. Always good to see my buddy Jeff and nice to meet you Ron. [ Edited by: Coco Joe 2009-10-05 23:12 ] |
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bigtikidude
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Tue, Oct 6, 2009 11:41 AM
Joe, glad to hear that you and Rain(sp?) had a great time in Hawaii. maybe see ya back there next Monday? I need to get one of those barrel mugs. Jeff(btd) |
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Luckydesigns
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Tue, Oct 6, 2009 2:03 PM
There are original Sam's Seafood mugs. Bong has one that the former owner gave to him. I think it was a white moai and the guy got it for him out of a box in the basement. Pretty rad. That's the one mug that I'm really missing... |
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aquaorama
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Mon, Oct 12, 2009 3:21 PM
Here is the new Barrel mug at "Dons". $25 and comes with your choice of drinks in it. The size of the barrel makes the drink more of a "double size". The bottom is marked Don the Beachcombers. |