Couple of Canadians lost in SoCal

Cheers all

So My wife and I are planning a quick trip at the end of this month. Tentative plan is to fly into San Diego on Nov 23rd, spend three nights there then rent a car and drive up to Long Beach or Sunset Beach, spend three nights there. Hop over to Catalina for the last three nights. And fly home from SNA on Dec 2nd.

I just came up with the San Diego part this morning... haven't checked flights or ran it past my wife yet..
Basically all we have done so far is book the time off work. But we should have our flights booked in the next few days....

I have some questions...
Is three nights on Catalina too long?

On my Tiki list so far:
San Diego - Bali Hai and hopefully get a room at Humphrey's Half Moon Inn for our stay.
LA area - Dons, Tiki Ti and Trader Sam's and more Dons.

With only three nights in the LA area, what other Tiki places are "must see"? Im interested in decor and history first, drink quality & food second.

Thanks for any insight! :drink:
Darren

Also If anyone wants to join us for cocktails, that would be nifty 8)

I spent my honeymoon Catalina Island and I love that place. I like the Marlin club, it's nautical not tiki but the place has history. I think two nights on Catalina is enough time.

When doing the Tiki Ti you may want to consider Trader Vic's, downtown Los Angeles. I like the place, nice decor, good food and the 44 Mai Tai is tasty.

I would think about staying in El Segundo at the Embassy suites or Double Tree on your last night so you can go to the Purple Orchid. The owners, Dave and Rebecca are very nice people. It is within minutes of LAX if you are leaving from there otherwise a two or four hour drive back to San Diego depending on traffic.

On 2013-11-06 14:06, Dagg wrote:
...
With only three nights in the LA area, what other Tiki places are "must see"? Im interested in decor and history first, drink quality & food second.

Thanks for any insight! :drink:
Darren

Also If anyone wants to join us for cocktails, that would be nifty 8)

-How about the Tonga Hut?
-If you can get to Don's on Monday, you may wish to announce it here to let the Tiki Ohana know your presence...
Tiki Central- TC night, Mondays at Don the Beachcomber in Sunset Beach Ca.

Our traffic is as notoriously bad as everyone says it is. It does take a while to get anywhere.
1 night is plenty in Catalina unless you plan on scuba diving, snorkeling or exploring the inner part of the island. Avalon is a very, very small town.
Technically Sunset Beach no longer exists. It was annexed by Huntington Beach last year, much to the residents dismay. Of course, everyone still calls it Sunset Beach.
Seal Beach is in between Long Beach and Huntington Beach and has more of a classic beach town feel. You might want to look into staying there.
You should also visit the Tonga Hut, Trader Vic's and the Purple Orchid in addition to the other bars you mentioned. A trip to Oceanic Arts in Whittier is a must for any tiki fan.

Confirm Tiki Tis will be open - on their website.

There is also Tiki House in PAcfic Beac / San diego area - owner is cool Dave.
Only beer and wine.

However it may close - http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2013/oct/25/blurt-rent-hike-terminates-tiki-house/

Awesome thanks so much for the replies!

As for the traffic, that's my main reason for being reluctant to rent a car. But funny thing.... Our local news reported this morning that Vancouver just surpassed LA for worst traffic in North America... Ill try and find a link.

I forgot about OA in Whittier. Car is a must i suppose.

Edit to add linky
http://www.financialpost.com/markets/news/TomTom+Traffic+Index+Shows+Worst+Best+Cities+Traffic+Canada+Around+World/9131958/story.html

Darren

[ Edited by: Dagg 2013-11-06 14:55 ]

On 2013-11-06 14:44, tikilongbeach wrote:
Seal Beach is in between Long Beach and Huntington Beach and has more of a classic beach town feel. You might want to look into staying there

Ill definitely look into Seal Beach, but the reason I was leaning towards Long beach is that IF we end not renting a car, it looks like there is a tram of some sort that leaves LB going into downtown LA. Also the boat to Catalina leaves from there? and its not TOO far from Dons. Im guessing $20 cab ride?

We will most likely get a car though so.....

On 2013-11-06 14:38, TikiVato wrote:
I spent my honeymoon Catalina Island and I love that place. I like the Marlin club, it's nautical not tiki but the place has history. I think two nights on Catalina is enough time.

Googled the Marlin Club, looks cool! Love nautical.

Thanks!

Darren

[ Edited by: Dagg 2013-11-06 15:52 ]

Timing is everything. I just received an email from Livingsocial.com They are advertising a special to Catalina Island includes :
A Two-Night Stay for Two, Sunday through Wednesday Arrivals ($299) or Fridays and Saturdays ($399)
Ferry Transportation via Catalina Express
Two Passes to Catalina Museum
Two Passes to Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden
I can email this special to you, pm me.

Thank you sir. PM sent :)

I sent you two specials from livingsocial. Hope this works for you.

[ Edited by: TikiVato 2013-11-06 16:23 ]

While our traffic is bad here, public transportation is even slower. Cabs are very expensive, but cheaper than a DUI. For sightseeing you definitely want a car.
The Metro Blue Line that takes you from Long Beach to downtown LA will go through some of the poorest neighborhoods of LA. Just a heads up if you decide to take it, its not the scenic route. When I have taken the rail from Long Beach to downtown LA it took 2.5 hours. Even with horrible traffic the longest its ever taken me to drive to downtown LA from Long Beach is 2 hours.

Lori is right, like the song goes "No one walks in L.A."
you can't get anywhere with out a car here & everything is spread way out.

Welcome to SoCal Buddy!
yea I know I'm not your friend, buddy! I'm not your buddy, guy! He's not your guy, friend! I'm not your friend, buddy... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5uzJVkeaUI

[ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2013-11-06 18:04 ]

On 2013-11-06 18:02, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
Lori is right, like the song goes "No one walks in L.A."
you can't get anywhere with out a car here & everything is spread way out.

Welcome to SoCal Buddy!
yea I know I'm not your friend, buddy! I'm not your buddy, guy! He's not your guy, friend! I'm not your friend, buddy... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5uzJVkeaUI

[ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2013-11-06 18:04 ]

That's funny shit eh. :wink:

http://screen.yahoo.com/californians-drama-off-405-000000032.html

You can walk from Bali Hai to Humphrey's Half Moon Inn and we walked all over that area.
Half Moon Inn had a breakfast deal that was good, ask about it.
Plus Trader Morts liquor store is kinda close, Behind Trader Morts is a good Mexican restaurant.
Get one of their fresh Margaritas there, Or do what I did and get four.
Love Shelter Island!

Speaking of something fresh, if you like seafood, not far away is Point Loma Seafood, not cheap but worth every cent. I stop by there every chance I get.

We are madly researching as i type...
looks like we might scrap San Diego and just spend most of the time in Long Beach Huntington Beach area, then a couple of nights to wind down on Catalina.

Flying into John Wayne is the most convenient and direct.

As I remember Humphrey's has some older tropical bungalow style rooms and some newer more bland corporate hotel style rooms. Either way you get access to their beautiful grounds and walking distance to the Bali Hai but the older rooms are much more charming.

http://oceanicarts.net/
Enough said!

On 2013-11-07 08:38, Big Kahuna wrote:
http://oceanicarts.net/
Enough said!

Im on it!

Catalina Island is fun, but you might want to just do one night. It is going to be chilly, but not Canada cold. There won't be too many tourists or cougars this time of the year, but I agree that the Marlin Club is the best on the island.

I WOULD rent a car. Don't be scared of the traffic. It does suck in LA, but it is bearable. Many people deal with it on a daily basis. I go up to LA regularly (3 times this month) and I just treat the traffic as a warm hug telling me I made it to LA. I would go to SD, but I might be bias. Bali Hai is amazing and Point Loma Seafood is great as well. There is a lot to do besides tiki, but Trader Morts, Freaky Boutiki, Tiki mini golf in Mission Beach are just a few of the tiki related things to do in San Diego. Lots of places have Tiki Tuesday in SD too. I would not go to the tiki bar in Pacific Beach, actually since Fat Burger closed in PB there is no real reason to go to PB anymore :)

Don's and Tiki Ti are a must. You might just want to stay at those two places the whole trip. Tiki No is fun and by the Tonga Hut. I would recommend to go to the Beverly Hills Trader Vics over the LA Live. I have been to the downtown TV and never had a decent drink and I have tried them all a few times. The decor is nice though and I don't like to say anything bad about any tiki bars, so feel free to try it and judge for yourself. Billy's in Orange County is nice but parking is valet only so try to get a spot on the street. It would be a fun drive down the coast to Don's and Billy's on your way to San Diego. There isn't insane traffic on the Pacific Coast Hwy, and it is a nice scenic drive down the coast.

There is no real traffic in San Diego or Orange County so the commute down to San Diego from LA should only be a couple of hours, sometimes even less. Don't be scared of the traffic, it really isn't THAT big of a deal, it will just be annoying until you get out of LA.

If you do come down to San Diego, let me know. We can grab a drink at Bali Hai or something. Have a fun trip!

On 2013-11-07 11:35, lunavideogames wrote:
Catalina Island is fun, but you might want to just do one night. It is going to be chilly, but not Canada cold. There won't be too many tourists or cougars this time of the year, but I agree that the Marlin Club is the best on the island.

I hear ya, wife really wants to spend a few days on the island relaxing... so what wife wants...

the weather shouldn't be a problem :wink:

On 2013-11-07 11:35, lunavideogames wrote:
I WOULD rent a car. Don't be scared of the traffic. It does suck in LA, but it is bearable. Many people deal with it on a daily basis. I go up to LA regularly (3 times this month) and I just treat the traffic as a warm hug telling me I made it to LA.

Yup Ive come to the conclusion that a car in unavoidable.

On 2013-11-07 11:35, lunavideogames wrote:
I would go to SD, but I might be bias. Bali Hai is amazing and Point Loma Seafood is great as well. There is a lot to do besides tiki, but Trader Morts, Freaky Boutiki, Tiki mini golf in Mission Beach are just a few of the tiki related things to do in San Diego. Lots of places have Tiki Tuesday in SD too. I would not go to the tiki bar in Pacific Beach, actually since Fat Burger closed in PB there is no real reason to go to PB anymore :)

We have been to SD before and loved it (my sister used to live there, as well as in Huntington beach, she is back in Canada now)
As of this morning we have pretty much decided that we will base out of Huntington Beach and day trip from there. So a drive down the coast to SD will be on my want list.

On 2013-11-07 11:35, lunavideogames wrote:
Don's and Tiki Ti are a must. You might just want to stay at those two places the whole trip. Tiki No is fun and by the Tonga Hut. I would recommend to go to the Beverly Hills Trader Vics over the LA Live. I have been to the downtown TV and never had a decent drink and I have tried them all a few times. The decor is nice though and I don't like to say anything bad about any tiki bars, so feel free to try it and judge for yourself. Billy's in Orange County is nice but parking is valet only so try to get a spot on the street. It would be a fun drive down the coast to Don's and Billy's on your way to San Diego. There isn't insane traffic on the Pacific Coast Hwy, and it is a nice scenic drive down the coast.

There is no real traffic in San Diego or Orange County so the commute down to San Diego from LA should only be a couple of hours, sometimes even less. Don't be scared of the traffic, it really isn't THAT big of a deal, it will just be annoying until you get out of LA.

If you do come down to San Diego, let me know. We can grab a drink at Bali Hai or something. Have a fun trip!

Thanks mega for your great input, Ill let ya know if we do the trip down to SD!
6.8 miles from HB to Dons = lots of time at Dons! (we will bus and/or cab it)

Mahalo!
Darren

What, no love for the Hawaiian Room or Hale Hawaii ?? :(

These places are vintage Tiki bars !!

On 2013-11-07 13:29, JOHN-O wrote:
What, no love for the Hawaiian Room or Hale Hawaii ?? :(

These places are vintage Tiki bars !!

Ill get em on my list :)

cheers

Darren, Let me know when you plan on going to Oceanic Arts. Unfortunately my calendar is full during the time you will be in town except for Monday November 23rd. If you do Oceanic Arts on that day, I can meet you there. My wife and I can then drive you to the Hawaiian Room in Bellflower then on the way back we can stop by The Embers in Whittier. Not Tiki but a classic dive bar which hosts a fantastic mural by Frank Bowers. Wish I was in town that week to show you around.

Your wife is a smart lady wanting two nights on Catalina. I wouldn't go if I could only stay for one night. It's a great place for R&R (rest and recuperation) They serve a pretty good Bloody Mary at the Marlin.

The Trader Vic's cocktails might be better in Beverly Hills than the L A live Trader but you mentioned you preferred the tiki decor factor over food and drinks. That being the case, L A Trader wins hands down.
If you go to Billy's try to make it during happy hour. Buy their anniversary glass with the savings from happy hour.

Not sure what day ill try to hit OA but ill let you know ASAP, thanks for the kind offer!

So we just booked our flights and one hotel (still need to book Catalina hotel)
We fly into John Wayne on Sat the 23rd and are in the best western on the beach in HB (wanted decent price and a kitchenette) until the 29th, then we will head over to the island and fly home from John Wayne on the 2nd

Yay!

Edit to fix typo

[ Edited by: Dagg 2013-11-07 18:44 ]

Now I need to figure out the bus schedule in between HB an Dons!
I'll use the rental car for sight seeing and figure out other transport for boozing it up :)

You might want to look into vacation rentals on Catalina Island. Many will be as cheap or cheaper than a hotel and get you a lot more bang for your buck. On catalina, there is also Luau Larry's which has some tropical beverages. Right outside of the town towards the gardens there is a mexican food joint that does happy hour everyday. When we were there they had $1 tacos and cheap beers. We went every day we were there.

There is a bike path too, from HB to Don's. You could always rent some bikes.

PS: Oh yeah and Tiki Ti is only open Wednesday through Saturday 4-1. Make sure you make it to Tiki Ti though, it is the BEST!

On 2013-11-07 19:11, lunavideogames wrote:
You might want to look into vacation rentals on Catalina Island. Many will be as cheap or cheaper than a hotel and get you a lot more bang for your buck. On catalina, there is also Luau Larry's which has some tropical beverages. Right outside of the town towards the gardens there is a mexican food joint that does happy hour everyday. When we were there they had $1 tacos and cheap beers. We went every day we were there.

There is a bike path too, from HB to Don's. You could always rent some bikes.

Oh! Good call on the bike path and the vacation rentals! I'm so stoked! Can ya tell? :)

As long as you're staying in Huntington Beach you may want to try 25 Degrees located at 412 Walnut Ave Huntington Beach, CA 92648 They have what I think is are very good hamburgers and if you go during their happy hour the drinks are 5 bucks.

Mahalo,

TikiVato

[ Edited by: TikiVato 2013-11-07 20:18 ]

Tiki Ti just posted on Facebook that they'll be closed November 24th to December 18th. They're going on vacation.

Whoops, double post.

-Lori

[ Edited by: tikilongbeach 2013-11-08 17:48 ]

On 2013-11-07 20:18, TikiVato wrote:
As long as you're staying in Huntington Beach you may want to try 25 Degrees located at 412 Walnut Ave Huntington Beach, CA 92648 They have what I think is are very good hamburgers and if you go during their happy hour the drinks are 5 bucks.

---

Mahalo,

TikiVato

[ Edited by: TikiVato 2013-11-07 20:18 ]

Fuji Burger in Huntington Beach is good too. Its a Hawaiian burger joint. No booze though, plus they're closed on Sunday.

I have not tried Fuji Burger in H.B. Lori, you swear they are good?
because I am gonna try em out.

On 2013-11-08 20:27, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
I have not tried Fuji Burger in H.B. Lori, you swear they are good?
because I am gonna try em out.

It is a tiny place with no atmosphere in an old strip mall, but they make tasty teriyaki burgers. Avocado bacon, grilled pineapple or a combination of the 3. The burgers don't travel well so its best to eat them there.

Thanks Lori! sounds worth a try.

On 2013-11-08 17:44, tikilongbeach wrote:
Tiki Ti just posted on Facebook that they'll be closed November 24th to December 18th. They're going on vacation.

Thanks for the heads up, I missed that on FB.

Good burger tips too THANKS!

Yay we arrive this Sat afternoon!
We didn't bother booking our last three nights anywhere. Just going to "wing it" If we want to stay longer in Huntington beach we will... Or head down to SD...or what ever :)

Hopefully there is something going on at Don's this Monday, Ill head over to that thread and inquire.

CHEERS!
Darren

Next Saturday would be a good time to come down to Bali Hai, seems like a lot of tiki folks will be there...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=6195&forum=17&111

On 2013-11-21 14:59, lunavideogames wrote:
Next Saturday would be a good time to come down to Bali Hai, seems like a lot of tiki folks will be there...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=6195&forum=17&111

Ya, I was just reading that.
My choice would be to spend our last three nights (Fri-Sun) in SD...Ill try to convince my wife.

Holy crap. We are having SOOO much fun! Went to Don's on Saturday night. Fun! Went to Billy's at the beach on Sunday GREAT cocktails! Last night we went to the Purple Orchid and had an incredible time! Partied our faces of with the owners and locals! Met an super cool couple who let us crash in their spare room. It's cool when you get the feeling that you just made life long friends!

Tentative plan for tomorrow is trader Sams and oceanic arts.
Weekend in SD!

Feeling the love and loving the weather.
D

Pics l8ter

:) :) :)

Dagg,

Be sure to stop into the Disney Store and Wonderground Gallery in Downtown Disney when you go to Trader Sam's. They both had Enchanted Tiki Room 50th anniversary merchandise.
At Wonderground Gallery I am not sure what the idea behind the Trader Sam's Hipster Mickey is.
Order a Krakatoa, Shipwreck or Uh Oa bowl to watch the very fun special effects at Trader Sam's.
This is what they had at the Disney Store on Sunday.

Trader Sam's Christmas. Be sure to look for the shrunken heads wearing Santa hats.

The erupting volcano with snowflakes.

Wish I read this earlier... We just got back from there.... Looked but didn't see the 50th anniversary stuff... Oh well after oceanic arts earlier today, my suitcase is going to be heavy enough!!!

CHEERS!

Hey looks like a great trip was had. I love Trader Sams with its special effects. The sinking bar stool is way cool. Are there any new places to hit in 2014? I am coming to LA mid February and plan to hit Tonga Hut, Tiki No, Trader Vics LA, Purple Orchid, Donn the Beachcombers, Tiki Ti and Oceanic Arts. Also can anyone recomend a great antique store or flea market that might have some good tiki finds?