Trader Vic’s Trading License, from Arkiva Tropika

This is a souvenir Trading License, given to customers in the ’40s at Trader Vic’s, granting the recipient “trading privileges.” This one was granted in 1945 to a couple after having dinner & a scorpion at the Oakland location.

Detail of a menu from the Islander in Stockton, from Arkiva Tropika

This is a bit hard to make out here, but I love this bit from a menu from the Islander in Stockton. “The Gourmet Deluxe Dinner” (“For those discriminating people”) cost $4.75 per person, and was served with a bottle of Paul Masson Rose Wine. Also: “The Islander is available for private parties, fashion shows or any special activity.”

Menu from Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki, from Arkiva Tropika

This 1952 dinner menu, from the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki, is just dag-flippity gorgeous. The artwork and color palette look like they could have come straight from a vintage rayon aloha shirt. The Halekulani, and its famous House Without a Key restaurant & bar, are still operating today.

’60s or ’70s postcard from the Hanalei Hotel in San Diego, from Arkiva Tropika

With the sad news about the remodeling of the Islands Restaurant at San Diego’s Hanalei Hotel this week, Mimi pulled out a lot of great Hanalei & Islands items from her collection. Above is a great postcard from the ’60s or ’70s, showing how the front of the hotel used to look, including its famous sign, which was sadly removed a few years back.

’60s brochure for the Hanalei Hotel in San Diego, from Arkiva Tropika

This brochure from the 1960s has lots of full-color pictures from the Hanalei’s heyday, inclulding views of the Islands Restaurant.

’60s postcard for the Hanalei Hotel in San Diego, from Arkiva Tropika

Another postcard from the Hanalei has two different views of the Islands Restaurant.

Page from a ’60s cocktail menu from the Islands restaurant, from Arkiva Tropika

And this ’60s cocktail menu, from the early days of the Islands restaurant, features some fantastic illustrations of tropical cocktails.

’60s appetizer menu from Aku Aku in Las Vegas, from Arkiva Tropika

Another item inspired by a recent closing — this 1960s appetizer menu is from the Aku Aku in Las Vegas, which was part of the Stardust Casino for 20 years. Aku Aku closed in 1980, but the Stardust closed just last week.

’60s postcard from Trader Vic’s in Seattle, from Arkiva Tropika

This postcard shows the exterior entrance to the Trader Vic’s in Seattle, which was in the Benjamin Franklin Hotel (today it’s the Westin). The Seattle location was Vic’s second restaurant, after the original Oakland location; it was initially named the Outrigger, and was renamed Trader Vic’s later on to be consistent with the rest of the chain. This picture is from the 1960s. Trader Vic’s used birdcage lamps like these in several locations; when the Seattle Trader Vic’s closed in 1992, some of these lamps went to the then-new Crocodile Cafe a few blocks north, where they can still be seen today — perhaps even the lamps in this very postcard!

Gadzooks, Mimi went on a posting rampage this week! This is truly just a smidge of all the great things she posted — be sure to check it all out yourself at Arkiva Tropika.

• Arkiva Tropika
• souvenir certificate from Trader Vic’s – Oakland, CA [Arkiva Tropika]
• Trader Vic’s, Oakland [Critiki]
• dinner & cocktail menu from Islander – Stockton, CA [Arkiva Tropika]
• The Islander, Stockton [Critiki]
• dinner menu from Halekulani Hotel – Waikiki, Hawaii [Arkiva Tropika]
• Islands Update: Here Come the Jackhammers [Humu Kon Tiki]
• postcard from Hanalei Hotel – San Diego, CA [Arkiva Tropika]
• Brochure from Hanalei Hotel – San Diego, CA [Arkiva Tropika]
• postcard from Hanalei Hotel – San Diego, CA [Arkiva Tropika]
• cocktail & appetizer menu from Islands- Hanalei Hotel, San Diego, CA [Arkiva Tropika]
• Red Lion Hanalei Hotel, San Diego [Critiki]
• Islands Restaurant, San Diego [Critiki]
• appetizer menu from Aku Aku – Las Vegas, Nevada [Arkiva Tropika]
• Aku Aku, Las Vegas [Critiki]
• postcard from Trader Vic’s – Seattle, WA [Arkiva Tropika]
• Trader Vic’s, Seattle [Critiki]

The gang at On Lock Sam’s

Yee haw! This past weekend I was at Hooptylau, in California’s Central Valley. I saw the very best tiki there is to see in Stockton, Ripon, Modesto & Turlock. And there is some mighty fine tiki to be seen, indeed.

The first stop was On Lock Sam’s in Stockton, which has been in business since 1898(!), but the building it’s in dates from 1964. It’s undergone a very unfortunate remodel, but bits of charm remain — especially bartender Ray, who goes way back in the local Chinese & Polynesian restaurant scene. On Lock Sam’s is Chinese and not Polynesian, but it is neat.

Pollardville sign

The next stop was Pollardville, a roadside attraction that dates from the ’40s, on Highway 99 on the north side of Stockton. Pollardville started as a chicken stand, and grew into a full-on western sort-of ghost town (zombie town?) when they started moving buildings from other areas onto the property, including the Jamestown Jail, and the entire set from the 1958 western film “The Big Country.” In the mid-80s, the restaurant on the property burned down, and in 1987, they found a new building to replace it, which was our real reason for this stop on the tour… Stockton’s The Islander restaurant was moved from its spot in the heart of Stockton, to its final resting place in Pollardville, where it became the Pollardville Chicken Kitchen. The roofline screams “mid-century A-frame Polynesian restaurant!” while the interior screams “in 1987 we let the waitress with the most seniority decorate the place, and we haven’t changed it since!”

Former Stockton Islander building at Pollardville

Islander tiki at the
Pollardville Chicken Kitchen

The faint outline of the bar structure can almost be detected in a side room, as there’s a smidge of bamboo still lurking, but really the only thing that’s left is the tiki seen to the left here, which now is the cornerpost on a jail cell. For a time, the tiki had a twin, but he was sold into a private collection years ago. Pollardville’s 16 acres have been sold by the Pollard family to a developer, and the Pollardville Chicken Kitchen, née the Islander, is slated to be demolished in April 2007. We made the most of our time there, taking a stroll through the ghost town, hopping on the half-mile train ride, choking the Pollardville chicken, and eating a meal. Well, trying to eat a meal — Pollardville Chicken Kitchen is pretty gross, to be honest. The air was heavy with grease, which didn’t help my appetite, and the meals all looked pretty blech. I did hear from those that tried the fried chicken that it was good. I felt like I might have been better off if I’d ordered the Giblets. Now, there’s something I don’t find myself saying often.

The Dark Marq Room

Maria enjoys a Gas Siphoner

From there, we headed south to Ripon, and the home tiki bar of my friends Scott & Colleen, the Dark Marq Room. They have a beautiful collection of mugs and other items, including many pieces from the Stockton Islander. Scott makes a mean drink, and this year he unveiled his latest concoction: the Gas Siphoner. It’s a tribute to last year’s Hooptylau, during which we interrupted theives in the middle of siphoning gas out of our vans in the Minnie’s parking lot. It was delicious.

Tikis at the Modesto Tropics

From there, our horde ventured further south to Modesto, the bustling center of Central Valley Tikidom. We visited the Modesto Tropics Motel; this motel was once part of Ken Kimes’ Tropics chain, which had locations in Indio, Rosemead, Blythe, and Palm Springs. This motel didn’t grow up as nicely as its prettier, richer, better-built Palm Springs sister (better known today as the Caliente Tropics). To be blunt, it’s on the scary side. But it does have several fantastic, large Ed Crissmann tikis on the property (pictured above).

In the parking lot, but now separated by a cyclone fence, stands the Tiki Lounge, which was once the motel’s bar, but now wisely pretends to not be at all related. The Tiki Lounge has some beautiful details, including bamboo-framed huts, a freestanding fireplace, and several beautiful wahine paintings behind the bar. When we got there, it was so completely full of people and birthday balloons that the place couldn’t really be seen, so we popped our heads in quickly, then made our way to Minnie’s.

Jungle Trader tiki at Minnie’s

Minnie’s is where it’s at for tiki in Modesto. It’s a great big restaurant, and the place has got a big collection of black velvet and oil wahine paintings, by the artist Tyree. The Chinese food served there is actually quite good, much better than the cocktails (the signature drink there is “the Jerk” — essentially a strawberry slurpee with 151 poured down the straw). The lighting there needs work — there are spots in the bar that are either too dark, or too bright, giving it a sort of bare-lightbulb vibe. But the place is full of character, and well worth a visit. Try to hit it earlier in the evening, when you can get food, and the jukebox isn’t blaring too loud to have a conversation.

Vic’s backyard oasis

Sunday morning, we eased back into the land of the living at Vic’s home in Turlock. Vic is a landscape designer and tiki carver (his company is Tiki Jungle), and it shows. His backyard is just beautiful, full of tropical plants, waterfalls, streams, koi, and tikis. This summer he added a swimming pool, which we all sat on the edge of and dipped our feet into.

Hooptylau 2006 artwork by Chongolio

Hooptylau was organized by Scott, Colleen and Vic, and they did a stupendous job — it was huge fun. I’ve been to all three Hooptylaus, and it’s one of my favorite annual events — very goofy, very silly, very tiki, and the smallish size makes conversation easy and fun. This year, in keeping with the tiki-goes-trashy-country theme, they created a take-home mix CD of all-country tiki tunes, with cover art by Chongolio. We listened to it the whole way home, there are some real gems on it.

My hair doesn’t even fit in the picture

I’m pleased to report that I managed to snag the “I Can Dress Myself” award, along with my friend Bill — I had ratted my hair out into the most astounding bouffant hairdo, it was like cotton candy, I tell you what. It felt a little weird to have my hair up off my neck without having it in a ponytail or a bun of some sort.

For more lowdown on the hoedown, check out my pictures, Chongolio’s blog entry, and the thread on Tiki Central.

• Modesto: Hooptylau 2006 [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Pollardville
• The Islander, Stockton [Critiki]
• The Dark Marq Room, Ripon [Critiki]
• Tropics Motel, Modesto [Critiki]
• Tiki Cocktail Lounge, Modesto [Critiki]
• Minnie’s Restaurant, Modesto [Critiki]
• Tiki Jungle
• Lost-Isle
• Hooptylau 2006 [Humuhumu's Life in Photos]
• Hooptylau 2006 [Barefoot Bloggin']
• hooptylau 2006 — the un-tiki tiki event – [Tiki Central]

It’s time once again for one of my very favorite tiki events, Hooptylau in California’s Central Valley. This event celebrates both the Central Valley’s rich tiki history, and its inherent trashiness. Attendees are invited to bust out their most questionable aloha wear, with the most outlandish winning prizes (this year’s challenge is to combine western wear with aloha wear). At last year’s event, we returned to our two rented vans after our visit to Minnie’s to find that we’d interrupted someone in the middle of siphoning gas out of them. Hoopty! This year, my mom, the Schmama Lama, will be joining us — she went to Hooptylau in 2004, and she’s been singing the Hooptylau theme song ever since.

It’s taking place Saturday and Sunday, September 16 & 17. Here’s this year’s schedule:

Martiki at Hooptylau 2004

1. On Lock Sam’s in Sacramento — not Polynesian, but an intruiguing old-school Chinese joint in downtown Stockton with “Mafioso curtain booths” — and they serve tropical drinks.
2. Pollardville Chicken Kitchen — again, not Polynesian, but this building was once the great Islander in Stockton. In the mid-’80s, it was moved and turned into a fried chicken joint. It’s being demolished in the coming year, and we’ll visit it to pay our respects and load up on alcohol-absorbing greasy chicken.
3. The Dark Marq Room — this is the home bar of Hooptylau hosts, the drunken hat and tikicleen. Enjoy their massive collection, heavy with Islander memorabilia, and some excellent mixology.
4. Tropics Motel & Tiki Lounge — the Tropics was once one of the Ken Kimes chain (which included what is now the Caliente Tropics in Palm Springs), and has some massive Ed Crissman rootball tikis. The motel has weekly rates, and there is usually some laundry out to dry on the chain link fence that separates it from its former bar, the Tiki Lounge. The Tiki Lounge is still operational, but smartly wants nothing to do with its former partner — today, it’s a semi-restored gay bar, with central fireplace and bamboo booths.
5. Minnie’s — the queen bee of Central Valley tiki, Minnie’s would be a gem in any city. The Chinese food is surprisingly good, and the restaurant is full of not just tikis, but many oil and black velvet paintings by Burke Tyree. The drinks don’t match the quality of the food, but one drink — the Jerk — is a must-have for the uninitiated. It’s borderline hazing, but you’ve just gotta suck it up.

The next day, the gang is invited to a day of restoration at Jungle Trader’s Outpost, a lush backyard paradise (Jungle Trader is a landscaper) complete with a brand-new swimming pool.

As I hinted at above, the theme this year is Western-meets-Tiki, so get to brainstorming about how to work some dusty boots into your most garish aloha outfit. For full details, including how to get tickets, and where to stay, check out the thread on Tiki Central.

• hooptylau 2006 — the un-tiki tiki event – [Tiki Central]
• Hooptylau — Central California’s Tiki Crawl [Humu Kon Tiki]
• The Islander, Stockton [Critiki]
• The Dark Marq Room, Ripon [Critiki]
• Tropics Motel, Modesto [Critiki]
• Tiki Cocktail Lounge, Modesto [Critiki]
• Minnie’s Restaurant, Modesto [Critiki]

When creating the souvenir passport for this year’s Tiki Crawl, I paid a rare visit to the Bamboo Hut’s website, and noticed a mention that the large tiki near the entrance is from “1948.” It doesn’t say anything else about it — where it came from, how they got it, or whether perhaps it’s supposed to look like a tiki that could be from 1948. 1948 — that’s pretty darned old, and I thought perhaps it could be a typo. In the course of conversation this weekend, I learned from someone (Will the Thrill, I think) that they’d heard when Bamboo Hut opened in 1999 that the tiki had come from some old Chinese restaurant up in Sacramento that had closed. We couldn’t figure out which place it was, no names we could come up with jogged his memory.

I did, however, remember a great thread on Tiki Central that Sabu the Coconut Boy had started about a number of similar-looking tiki signs (I posted about it here on Humu Kon Tiki in February). While we were at Bamboo Hut on Friday I made sure to get some good pictures of the tiki, and just now I finally caught a moment to dig up that old thread and compare.

Coral Reef napkin

Sure enough, not only does this tiki echo the look of the tikis in those other signs, one of the places that seemed to have a logo that matched is the Coral Reef, a Cantonese restaurant in Sacramento. Pictured here is a napkin that shows the logo tiki, which looks to be a near-perfect match for this old tiki.

I must admit — I’m not a big fan of the design of the tiki — I honestly thought it was something they’d hacked together with plaster. But knowing it might have an interesting history, while it may not make it more attractive, does make it (and Bamboo Hut) a ton more cool, and the simpleness of the design makes a lot more sense when you understand that it was intended to be viewed from many, many yards away.

• Tiki Archeology – The Shield Sign [Tiki Central]
• Tiki Sign Pictorial [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Bamboo Hut website
• Bamboo Hut, San Francisco [Critiki]

Hooptylau may not be able to boast so exotic and elegant a destination as the Mai Kai, but it’s no slouch in terms of history and tikiness. Destinations on the tour will include Modesto’s Tiki Lounge, which was once a part of the Modesto Tropics (former sister to what is now Palm Springs’ Caliente Tropics, location of the annual Oasis event) and where once can still see some great Ed Crissman tikis in the parking lot. The Tiki Lounge is small and has become a dive bar of sorts, but it still retains some fantastic details and structure, most notably in the form of lovely bamboo and thatch cozy booths, and beautiful wahine paintings.

Speaking of wahine paintings, the nearby Minnie’s Restaurant has an amazing collection of velvet and oil wahine paintings by Tyree, a protege of Leeteg. Minnie’s was once part of the same collection of restaurants that included the Stockton Islander, Torrance’s Latitude 20°, and Oxnard’s Trade Winds. Minnie’s has an impressive amount of tiki charm and remains a popular restaurant today. You may find it hard to leave without enjoying their Oyster Beef.

There is a fabulous home tiki bar in Ripon, the Dark Marq Room, that will also be included on the tour. Owned by Tiki Central’s The Drunken Hat and Tiki Cleen, this location will combine the 1-2 punch of Hat’s tasty mixology (Hat’s grog won the Oasis Mixology contest this year) with their amazing tiki collection and bar.

The Hooptylau organizers have fun with the Central Valley’s seedy reputation (one of last year’s highlights was the Worst Aloha Wear competition), but make no mistake — the destinations on this tour are top-notch and individually worth a visit.

• Hooptylau 2005 will be on October 15th! [Tiki Central]
• Tropics Motel [Critiki]
• Tiki Cocktail Lounge [Critiki]
• Minnie’s Restaurant [Critiki]
• The Dark Marq Room [Critiki]