Where to go in California?

I've only been to California once - 2 years ago for my brother's wedding in Big Sur. We stayed overnight in San Francisco, did Alcatraz, Trader Vic's and Forbidden Island. :)

I'd like to go somewhere else, possibly this summer for our anniversary in July. Any suggestions? I'm thinking Southern California so we could do the beach and hopefully some things tiki. LA appeals for me because of all the classic tiki places but I'm more into this stuff than the hubby so I don't know if he'd go for it. I'd love to do Disneyworld but I've made that suggestion before with little interest on his part.

Suggestions welcome for nice places, tikiness is a plus. :wink:

Hi Lori,
You’re going to get a lot of great tips. My favorites in SoCal are The Bali Hai (San Diego) and Trader Sams ( Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim).
Depending on where you’re staying I’m confident that you’ll get plenny invites to some of the many home tiki bars out here.
Keep us posted on your itinerary.
David and CeCe

So David (& Cece) WHERE in California should I stay? It's not like New Jersey where in a week you could see the whole thing! If I'm picking just one (or maybe 2) places to stay while I'm there where should it be??????

North Orange County would be my pick. Shelter Island ( within San Diego city limits) and all of San Diego has much to offer.
Later,
David
Btw, the tiki bars in L A are not prohibitively distant from north county-depending on how you’ll be getting around.
Renting a car is almost a must-public trans. takes a lot of planning.

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2014-10-05 17:08 ]

Aloha Lori!

You've given us some major hurtles here... a hubby with only a passing interest in tiki, and perhaps zero interest in Disney?!?

I'm sure we can suggest something that will be appealing to both of you, but can you give us some more perimeters? What does he like? What are things you both like? Any thoughts on things you could present to him that would be if interest to him?

Oh.. also... do you have a more specific So Cal locale? There's lots to do in Los Angeles and surrounding vicinities, and lots in San Diego, and so much in between... location could help narrow down the best places and experiences!

When is your trip? There are lots of topical and timely events that could be suggested too, if you know when you'll be out here!

Whatever the circumstances of your trip, hope you have great time and experience nothing but the best we have to offer!

Let us know! We want to help!!!

You must visit Bali Hai and stay at Humphreys half moon opposite( two minute or twenty minute walk depending on how many Mai tais you have!) if in Hollywood area the safari inn at Burbank is quite near tiki ti on Sunset etc, hope you have a great time

Tobunga,

You are quite right, I am giving you almost nothing to work with! The problem is that I don't know what I want. Our normal vacations are usually on a tropic island somewhere. I quite enjoy the beach! Last year we went to St. Thomas with the family, last year we cruised around Hawaii just the 2 of us.

Is it possible to combine a southern California beach holiday with some tiki goodness? If so, what locals are good. I know that Huntington Beach has Don the Beachcomber and (I'd assume) a beach! We're limited to July and August as I'm an elementary school teacher. And although my husband claims to have no Disney desires I WILL be overruling him one of these days. I want to visit Disneyland!

Many thanks to everyone and again I apologize for my indecisiveness.

Lori, I am probably bias but I think the best beaches and weather is in San Diego. Some tiki as well.

If you stay in Orange County I prefer Huntington Beach, which is near Don the Beachcomber.

If you stay in LA, the best beach would be Santa Monica.

There is always Catalina Island if you want a couple nights on an island.

California is nice because we have so much coast. You will be close to the ocean no matter where you are. I would personally plan a few nights in a few different places so that you are never tied down to one place. You could also wing it and find your favorite place to stay and spend more time there. I stay in LA on a monthly basis just for fun or for concerts. My brother lives in Hollywood so it is convenient for me.

I am sure you will have a great time no matter what you do. We will give you more suggestions than you can accomplish, so you will have lots of choices.

I will do my research. California looks so exciting! It's like a tiki mecca. We haven't even discussed our vacation plans for this year so everything is tentative at this point. I know one year I'd love to go to Oasis and meet so many of you I already feel are friends!

Mahalo!

This thread has been very helpful to my travel plans as well. The wife and I will be in Long Beach in May 2015 from May 1st to the 4th, and would like to see some local Tiki & attractions. My significant other has also expressed an interest in seeing the giant redwoods. Any and I mean any, more suggestions would be greatly appreciated by this Buffalo NY based Tiki guy!

I have a client coming in soon and we're gonna try to hit every tiki bar in so cal. Without searching ( lazy) is there a list someone has? Aloha BB

On 2014-10-25 21:23, RevBambooBen wrote:
I have a client coming in soon and we're gonna try to hit every tiki bar in so cal. Without searching ( lazy) is there a list someone has? Aloha BB

Ben, there's a thread on TC somewhere that consisted of folks tabulating the existing Tiki Bars in CA. I wanna say this was around a year ago when I last saw it. I just tried searching for it for almost 15 minutes and couldn't find it. BUT, I did take all the locations mentioned in that thread and compile them into an Excel spreadsheet whenever that was. So, if nobody's been able to dig up the thread or post a list of their own, I'm happy to share my list here when I get home later tonight.
:drink:
Cheers!
Ryan

Found the thread in one last "hurrah" search:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=46776&forum=1

The proto-list is there, but you have to keep reading to pick up some "straggler" locations that were missed, not to mention a few changes that have come along to add or subtract locations since this thread was last used. Still it's a good start.

On 2014-10-07 16:32, LoriLovesTiki wrote:
Tobunga,

You are quite right, I am giving you almost nothing to work with! The problem is that I don't know what I want. Our normal vacations are usually on a tropic island somewhere. I quite enjoy the beach! Last year we went to St. Thomas with the family, last year we cruised around Hawaii just the 2 of us.

Is it possible to combine a southern California beach holiday with some tiki goodness? If so, what locals are good. I know that Huntington Beach has Don the Beachcomber and (I'd assume) a beach! We're limited to July and August as I'm an elementary school teacher. And although my husband claims to have no Disney desires I WILL be overruling him one of these days. I want to visit Disneyland!

Many thanks to everyone and again I apologize for my indecisiveness.

LorLovesTiki:
My trip is in early May, no constraints like a teacher! My significant other would like to see as much as possible. I am the tiki-nut, she is not! I keep looking for stuff to do around the Long Beach area. Found many bars, and would like to meet some of the recognized names on this site!

Have a great trip!

If possible, stay in San Diego a few nights and then in OC for Disneyland.

In San Diego, the Tiki hotel is Humphrey's Half Moon Bay on Shelter Island, the most Tiki area of SD.
http://www.sohosandiego.org/tourbooklets/TikiTour.pdf

Bali Hai, a Tiki mecca, is also located in Shelter Island.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=4743&forum=2

In San Diego, you also may wish to take in a luau in Ocean Beach.
http://www.catamaranresort.com/content/sunset-luaus

For yet another San Diego tropical locale, I recommend staying at Paradise Point, or at least visiting the Barfoot Bar.
http://blog.sandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/barefoot-bar-and-grill.jpg

Sounds like you have the OC part down.
I would just add the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum in Long Beach.
http://www.pieam.org

You mentioned August was a possibility. Have you considered going to Tiki Oasis in San Diego in August? It might be too much for your husband, but if you don't stay at the host hotel, it's easy to take in just parts of the event, then see the rest of San Diego at other times.

Also, worth stopping at, or staying at, if you want to split the difference between OC & SD is the Ocean Palms Beach Resort in Carlsbad, North County San Diego.

http://pineapplemantiki.blogspot.com/2012/04/tikis-in-carlsbad-ocean-plams-beach.html