On the 9th & 10th, Tikiyaki, Marty Lush and Jonpaul "Rummy" Balak headed east for a mini roadtrip to Arizona to see the Chihuly galss exhibit in Scottsdale and to visit the Kon-Tiki in Tucson.

we kicked off the trip at 5am on Saturday morning and didn't stop until late Sunday night when we arrived back in L.A. Along the way, Rummy had a few tiki roadtrip placed to stop at and check out.

Our deepest, heart-felt mahalo to Mark & Baggie Bloom for their gracious hospitality!!

Here's some photos of the trip:
(Check out the online photo album: http://www.digitiki.com/AZroadtrip/ )

1st stop: the Tropics Motel in Indio, CA

A lone tiki hidden in the bushes at the Tropics. Urban archeology in full swing:

Next stop: Blythe, CA for a look at the former sister motel to the Caliente Tropics complete with former Sambo's restaurant (right)

Next stop: Scottsdale, Desert Botanical Gardens for a look at the Dale Chihuly glass exhibit:

It's only 150 degrees, you wusses!

A quick stop to see the building that used to house the Scottsdale Trader Vics:

Next stop, the current location of Trader Vic's in Scottsdale:

Happy hour is about to start!!

Toes in the sand on the patio at Vic's, Scottsdale

Valley Ho hotel next to Vic's in Scottsdale - A tiki near the pool:

Finally, arriving at Kon-Tiki, Tucson Paying tribute. Sadly the big tiki outside showed signs of vandalism

Kon Tiki was full of the college crowd. They may not appreciate the tiki factor but they keep the place alive:

Kon-Tiki has a rather high tipsy factor--and all vintage tikis

Enjoying a late night cap at Mark & Maggie's house (Velvet Glass) Breaking in the Ohana Hut:

Something never before posted on in T.C. - a 4-moai fountain at a Tucson condo complex:

The vintage Tucson Inn motel, still in operation

The Tiki Motel sign, the only thing still tiki about the place:

Next stop, Sunday at The Hut in Tucson to see the cement moai that was rescued from the Magic Carpet Mini Golf Course

Rummy donates $$ to help save the Moai at the Hut

Heading home: our bug collection on the windshield:

"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." -- Dean Martin

[ Edited by: Digitiki 2009-05-17 21:37 ]

[ Edited by: Digitiki 2009-05-18 10:36 ]

very cool, or uh hot.
what the Hell is Rummy wearing on his head in the heat stroke shot?
I didn't know he was Muslim.
:wink:

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Great pics Digitiki!

I didn't know the Tropics in Indio was still there or that there was anything at all left of the one in Blythe.

Love that 4 Moai fountain.

Nice work!

On 2009-05-17 22:59, bigtikidude wrote:
very cool, or uh hot.
what the Hell is Rummy wearing on his head in the heat stroke shot?
I didn't know he was Muslim.
:wink:

Jeff(bigtikidude)

It's for sweat absorption.

Rummy's hip hop name is ole Sweaty bastid

Nice forehead Rummy!

Is that from the Nooner still?

Did any of you guys see or feel the ghost at Kon Tiki?

On 2009-05-18 08:41, RevBambooBen wrote:
Nice forehead Rummy!

Is that from the Nooner still?

Did any of you guys see or feel the ghost at Kon Tiki?

Yea, that's from the nooner.....we all got burnt up that day.

No ghosts, but lots of hip hop brotards and hoochie mamas....not exactly a tiki crowd.

Looks like a fun trip!!

Did you stop in and say hello to Ernie Menehune? I'm wondering when his annual Luau is going to be this year?

I know the Tikiyaki Orchestra would surely be invited to play!!

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

.....but they're paying the bills, right? :wink:

yeah, dey gots da skillz to pay da billz.
:roll:

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Great photos, guys, you are truly imbued by the spirit of urban archeology:

“In the midst of desolation and ruin we looked back to the past, cleared away the gloomy forest, and fancied every building perfect, with its terraces and pyramids, its sculptured and painted ornaments, grand, lofty, and imposing”

John L. Stephens, “Incidents of Travel in Central America”, 1841

(...just scratch that "painted" part :) )

That old Scottsdale Vic's is as good an example of Tiki Devolution as the Hanalei Hotel, and that Asian Tiki at the Valley Ho is sooo messed up that it makes it a perfect example of what is wrong with the Poly-asian style.

Glad to see the Kon Tiki is still doing well. And at what period would you date that cool Moai fountain?

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-05-18 10:24 ]

Hard to tell on Moai fountain. The condo complex it is in looks very 60's. And judging from the rest of tiki and mid-century style in TUcson, I would have to say from the early to mid 60's. Someone with more info may be able to show me wrong.

I do have more photos if it at night with colored lights. I'll post them soon too.

We also stopped by the former Pago Pago which is now so stuccoed over and all traces of its former tiki past have been erased. However, Tucson is still a place to find perfect examples of mid-century modern and googie style architecture that has yet to be "touched" by the hand of "progress."

That picture with all three of you toasting each other is classic!!

That's gotta go somewhere on your next album!

On 2009-05-18 10:45, lucas vigor wrote:
That picture with all three of you toasting each other is classic!!

That's gotta go somewhere on your next album!

I agree that is a good one,
but this one:

is classic, you can almost hear Jim saying
"damn you guys, you gotta drink more after all the booze we all ready had?"

give it time Jim, you will grow into your drinking.
:wink:

[ Edited by: surfalaia 2009-08-05 07:41 ]

On 2009-05-18 11:19, bigtikidude wrote:

On 2009-05-18 10:45, lucas vigor wrote:
That picture with all three of you toasting each other is classic!!

That's gotta go somewhere on your next album!

I agree that is a good one,
but this one:

is classic, you can almost hear Jim saying
"damn you guys, you gotta drink more after all the booze we all ready had?"

give it time Jim, you will grow into your drinking.
:wink:

That's because :

It's like 2:30 am, Maggie made a few scorpion bowls before that
AND....
We had cocktails at Vics in the late afternoon.
We had MORE cocktails at The Kon Tiki that night
We had been at the Glass Exhibit at the Botanical gardens in 105 degree heat that afternoon
AND we'd been up and on the road since 5 am

That's me saying...."Put a fork in me, I;m done"

I have no desire to become a full blown alkie :o

they should keep youse trubblemakers in SoCal
where ye belong...

your forward is somewhat a-peeling,JP!