Best use of a half-day in San Diego?

I may have part of one day to spend in San Diego, CA later this month and would like to take some nice tiki or googie pics. This will be rushed and I have little time to research it, but on first impression from various tiki sources, my main tiki target should be Bali Hai (I already have a vintage mug, so why not a pic to display with it?...and maybe one of the new mugs). If its still there, I could also see Humphrey's Half Moon Inn across the street. I read that Bali Hai is barely tiki inside anymore; is there any reason to go inside or is the time better spent zooming to another tiki or googie destination? Would anyone have different ideas of one or two places in San Diego to see and photograph?

Bali Hai is definitely worthwhile; the dining room isn't overwhelmingly tiki, but there's still plenty of tiki to be had there. Humphrey's is most certainly still there, and is lousy with tikis once you get into the central lawn area. The swooping A-frame porte cochere is too cool, and very picture-friendly. There's Trader Mort's liquor right at the entrance to Shelter Island, there's not a ton there, but it's cute and it's so close that it's worth stopping. If it's not too far away for you, the Islands restaurant at the Hanalei Hotel is pretty cool. Sadly, it was closed when I saw it, but they let me poke my head in, and I liked the looks of it quite a bit. Apparently, it used to be way better a while back, but it's still pretty neat. There are a few other tikis in the pool area at the Hanalei, too.

All the address info, telephone numbers, maps & hours are available on Critiki, and you can try out my spiffy new Browse by Globe feature to get a sense for how things are laid out in San Diego! Of course, the shoreline on the globe is imperfect, so it puts all the red pins out in the Pacific Ocean, but the spacing between the pins is quite accurate and can give you a sense how far apart everything is, since you know the Shelter Island stuff is all right next to each other. The pictures on Critiki can give you a preview of the tikis you may like to photograph (I'm sure you'll do a better job than I did).

I can't help you on the Googie front, but I'm sure someone else can.

Have fun in San Diego!

I would defiantly go to the Bali Hai an get a Mai Tai (or two or three) and a couple of mugs. Then walk over to the Half-Moon when your feelin' no pain.

PS: They cut you off at 5 Mai Tais at the Bali Hai!

On 2004-04-14 19:12, Atomic Cocktail wrote:

PS: They cut you off at 5 Mai Tais at the Bali Hai!

The secret to that is to switch to Navy Grogs. I swear it works! Course I was with a dinner party, so it was a little hard to keep track of us. Hehehehe.

But, back to the topic. Definitely check out Bali Hai. The Tikis in the entrance and the displays as you go up the stairs are worth seeing (see page 131 of BOT). The Mai Tai's are wonderful, but the upstairs decor is no big deal. Then (as you stated) see the Half Moon Inn's beautiful A-Frame design. And as Humuhumu said; stagger up the street to Trader Mort's.

We hope you have a great time here in beautiful San Diego. Just wish that Mister Tiki was open for your visit.

Is the new tiki lounge in the Gaslamp open? If so, that is also close by.

Also, if you have some time to spare, you may wish to see San Diego's most famous attraction - the pandas.

On 2004-04-14 20:12, christiki295 wrote:
Is the new tiki lounge in the Gaslamp open? If so, that is also close by.

Also, if you have some time to spare, you may wish to see San Diego's most famous attraction - the pandas.

The new tiki lounge/restaurant (Mr. Tiki) is still under construction and (as yet) not open fer biz. The Pandas at the S.D. zoo are currently back in China for Spring Break. That leaves only the Bali Hai (worth a look), the Hanalei (worth a shorter look) or...the infamous Pacific Shores in beautiful Ocean Beach. You won't find any tikis in there, but you will find a really classic '60's style beachfront cocktail lounge filled with genuine people & cool tunes on the juke (drinks ain't half bad either).

take a look around Hanalei Hotel (the Red Lion in Mission Valley) there are still tikis around the grounds and the Islands Restaurant has some nifty decor.

Albie's Beef Inn!!!

Classic!

http://www.netsv.com/albies/

Thanks for all the input! I'll be driving and am too inexperienced a drinker to be trying even part of a mai tai but I will buy a mug. I just called Bali Hai and, if I am to believe the somewhat tentative girl who answered the phone, a Mr Bali Hai mug is $9.50.

She said they had no other types of mugs for sale but I seem to recall someone mentioning one recently. I asked about shirts and she said they had Hawaiian ones but they were not marked with the Bali Hai name.

In any case, I love my Bali Hai mug and can't wait to pay homage to the iconic statue as well as The Goof. I do hope they have Mr Bali Hai's nose "re-boned" by now.

Humuhumu wrote:

The pictures on Critiki can give you a preview of the tikis you may like to photograph (I'm sure you'll do a better job than I did).

I doubt I will. Your pics are informative and pleasing; I found myself reverting to a previous job and wanting to do page layouts. All that would be missing for a newspaper editor to do a layout on any of these places is the "local person looks on" shot, which of course is not needed on a site dedicated to tiki as an attraction in and of itself. Thanks for the link and your hard work on this most useful site for tiki travelers!

On 2004-04-14 23:34, tikijackalope wrote:
I doubt I will.

Pish posh! I was all hopped up on Waikikians (or was it Mai Tais) thanks to mixmaster Al when I took those pics. As a matter of fact, I was so toasted that before we even sat down for dinner at Bali Hai, I took a spill at the Bali Hai gift shop while changing into some emergency-purchase aloha wear. Ah, adventure.

Speaking of which, Al is the Ultimate Guide to tiki on Shelter Island, Bali Hai in particular. He gave us our tour at night, and my pics didn't turn out well enough to put onto Critiki; be sure to contact him before you go down there and perhaps he can give you a quick rundown re: where all the cool tikis are stashed (some of them are kinda hidden around the property).

If you're driving and not drinking, I recommend lunch or dinner (depending on your plans and their hours) at the Islands with a stroll around the pool area, and don't miss the gardens and waterfall inside the atrium of the main tower.

Nearby is Albie's Beef Inn, which is more fun at night when the piano bar is happening, but you could do no wrong by having lunch there if the Islands isn't open for lunch.

Then drive over to Shelter Island (20 min), park in the huge lot in front of the Bali Hai, check out the gift shop (call first as their hours are limited) and the pictures along the stairs on the way to the dining room, which has great views but isn't very tiki anymore (I much prefer the Islands' atmosphere). Take a walk around the grounds as well.

Walk over to the Half Moon Inn along the water. Enter through the lobby (pretend you own the place) and into the beautiful gardens chock full o' tikis.

Drive around Shelter Island to see the other Polynesian architecture, and as you leave stop at Trader Mort's.

All of this is best after sunset when the torches are lit at the Half Moon Inn and at Trader Mort's.

For Googie you can ask over @ http://www.lottaliving.com or check Roadside Peek San Diego.

If there's any way to photograph the Half Moon entrance at night with the torches lit, that would make a great picture.

TJ,
Mort's Liquor Store is also right there by Shelter Island and worth a peek. Aside from the Tiki decor, Mort's carries Lemon Hart Demerara rum which I have had great difficulty finding in these parts. So, while you may not be imbibing at Bali Hai, a bottle in your luggage from Mort's will help you fill the souvenir mug (yes, $9.50) when you get home.

JTD

(oops. I missed Humuhumu's reference to Mort's)

[ Edited by: JTD on 2004-04-15 17:28 ]

I second The Jab's reccomendations about the Hanalei - last time we ate at the Islands room, Weird Uncle Tiki took us to a little wandering tour in the aforementioned atrium... very nice.

Have Fun
Ran

Visit the lush tropical landscape at Humphrey's, with the numerous tikis in the gardens (probably the highest TIPSY factor of any garden on earth), photograph the A frame, have your photograph taken with the Mr. Bali Hai tiki and then return to Humphrey's Half Moon Inn after sunset, when the tiki torches are lit.

Make sure you get your Mr. BaliHai mug.

On 2004-04-15 21:29, christiki295 wrote:
Visit the lush tropical landscape at Humphrey's, with the numerous tikis in the gardens (probably the highest TIPSY factor of any garden on earth), photograph the A frame, have your photograph taken with the Mr. Bali Hai tiki and then return to Humphrey's Half Moon Inn after sunset, when the tiki torches are lit.

Make sure you get your Mr. BaliHai mug.

This, as well of the rest are excellent tips.
Enjoy your stay, as I miss living there very much.
Unga

So, I was just listening to the radio here in San Diego and I hear that the station is giving away a day treatment to "Spa Tiki". I thought, nah, they couldn't have said "Spa TIKI". Yup, seems you can get a message at a day spa decorated with Tiki's and palapas.

You can even get a "Tiki Fruit & Flower Facial"?!

Here's the link:
http://www.spatiki.com

Has anyone been to this place yet? Do you at least get a Mai Tai before your message?

Might be too much to do in a half-day trip, but I thought I'd mention it to others coming our way.

[ Edited by: MachTiki on 2004-04-16 16:58 ]

Previous chatter about Spa Tiki:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=3323&forum=1
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic-new.php?topic=6195&forum=4

I still haven't been myself. I've really got to go -- a spa day even without tikis can be awfully nice. But as MachTiki says, it probably won't fit in your half-day.

Humuhumu,

Mahalo for the previous chatter links.