Sam’s Seafood, on PCH in Orange County

Sam’s Seafood, an Orange County tiki institution, closed rather suddenly this past summer, when the owners sold the land to developers aiming to erect retail space and condominiums on the site. It appeared even then that any development would likely be delayed for a few years, and there were questions about what would happen to the restaurant in the interim. The bar has been open sporadically and briefly now and then over the past few months, likely in an effort to keep the liquor license active in the case that the restaurant may reopen.

Now comes word that indeed, the restaurant is reopening. Much is still not known — if the situation is still as it stands last June, it may simply be a way to make money off the site until the redevelopment can begin a few years down the road. When Sam’s closed, there were many rumors of the decor being scatted to the four winds, not to mention the tattered pieces that landed in the dumpster. Sam’s is a large space, and was in need of much repair; while it would be wonderful to see it restored, the cost to do so would not be small, and may not be worth it if the ultimate plan is still to only have the restaurant operating for a few years.

Regardless, Sam’s is coming back, which has many locals very, very happy. The timetables I’ve heard range from “soon” to “in a couple weeks.” It will be interesting to see what kind of shape Sam’s is now in, and what the future now holds. One thing we can be sure of — the food and drinks of the new restaurant’s management can only be an improvement.

For the latest updates, stay tuned to this thread on Tiki Central.

• sams seafood reopening!!!! [Tiki Central]
• Sam’s Seafood, Huntington Beach [Critiki]
• The Demise of Sam’s Seafood [Humu Kon Tiki]

Tiki Wonderland at Tonga Hut

After the huge success of last month’s shindig at the Tonga Hut, they’ll be throwing another soiree, on Saturday, December 16, from 7 p.m. to midnight. It’s a mug release party and a one-night-only art show. Two mugs will be debuted there: Tiki Farm’s new Marqo Pollo mug by Señor Calamar (a.k.a. Squid), and Tiki Diablo’s new Dia de los Marquesos mug. There will be art on display by Bosko, Atomikitty, Crazy Al, Derek Yaniger and more. I suspect there will be a return of Grog’s stupefying art rocks, as he’s organizing the event — be sure to get yours. There will be some drink specials, and better yet — they’re making sure to have an extra bartender on hand, dedicated to making tropical drinks all night long (apparently, there was a tragic tropical drink shortage at last month’s event). Tonga Hut is at 12808 Victory Blvd. in North Hollywood. It’s already looking like there’s going to be a great turnout of fun tiki-lovin’ people.

• Christmas Mug Release and Artshow at the Tonga Hut Dec. 16 [Tiki Central]
• Tonga Hut, North Hollywood [Critiki]
• North Hollywood: Tiki Magazine Party at Tonga Hut [Humu Kon Tiki]

I’m a bit late with my weekly roundup of gaze-worthy items from Arkiva Tropika… but better late than never!

Postcard from the Beachcomber in Winnipeg, from Arkiva Tropika

This postcard, from the Beachcomber in Winnipeg, Manitoba, gives a great view of a typical, middle-of-the-road Polynesian restaurant from the 1960s. This restaurant was no Trader Vic’s, or Kon-Tiki, or Kona Kai, or Mai Kai, or Kahiki, or any other of the famous, big-name restaurants. But, as was the case with virtually all Polynesian restaurants of the day, details were not skimped on — massive faux palm trees beneath a “star lit sky” create a full-fledged [i]scene[/i]. There are glass floats and other beachcomber lamps (including a lovely one covered in tapa), bamboo and matting envelop a dining alcove, and a decorative, open steak pit lets diners watch the master chefs at work. It’s hard to conceive, but this was simply a very typical Polynesian restaurant — this level of theming was every bit the norm, which is what makes these restaurants so fascinating. Mimi has more detailed views of this postcard on Arkiva Tropika.

Detail from 1952 cocktail menu from Lanai in San Mateo, from Arkiva Tropika

This 1952 cocktail menu from the Lanai in San Mateo appeals to me for a number of reasons. First of all, I love the art style (I can’t help but wonder if the artist was inspired by an early Don the Beachcomber menu, as I was when I created the design for Humu Kon Tiki). Secondly, the Lanai was in our neck of the woods, and probably would be our watering hole of choice if it was still around today. Thirdly, the drinks on the menu are true classics, with drinks likely lifted (the names, if not the recipes) from those created by Don the Beachcomber. The Sidewinder’s Fang is served today at Forbidden Island, using the same recipe that was once served at the Lanai (I had one last night, they’re yummy).

Detail from ’60s cocktail menu from Doc’s Place in Toronto, from Arkiva Tropika

My interest in this 1960s cocktail menu from Doc’s Place in Toronto has more to do with my love of lettering than my love of tiki. This menu is an excellent example of the difference real hand lettering makes over the over-used mock-hand lettering fonts of today. Look at the two places the word “Swizzle” is used — look at the “zz” in particular. Each “z” is different. There are a lot of “G”s on the page, too, and you can really see the difference there. This is where a font typically falls down. Sometimes a font will at least provide two variations of a letter, which helps a lot, but it still doesn’t really have the character and life that true hand lettering does. I’m a font fiend — I am crazy for a good font — but they have to be used with good judgement, and if this same menu was recreated with a hand-lettered font, it would look corporate and dull. I wish more people would just take the time to hand letter things — it’s a dying art. (Mea culpa — I’ve not done much hand lettering, as my attempts have been less than glorious — but that’s all the more reason to practice!)

Page from 1956 cocktail menu from the Luau in Beverly Hills, from Arkiva Tropika

This 1956 cocktail menu from the Luau in Beverly Hills is gorgeous — it’s not unusual to see neat illustrations of the drinks on cocktail menus, but a menu full of illustrations of this size and quality is rare. Not entirely surprising — the mugs from the Luau were also detailed, colorful affairs of high quality, designed by Gabe Florian, and are among the most highly-sought vintage mugs. Restauranteur Stephen Crane went on to create the popular Kon-Tiki chain of restaurants for Sheraton hotels.

Menu from an unknown Bali Hai, from Arkiva Tropika

Thanks to the popularity of the 1958 film South Pacific (based on the Rodgers & Hammerstein Broadway musical, in turn based on the James Michener book), the name “Bali Hai” sprung up all over the place in the early ’60s, and naturally a number of Polynesian restaurants adopted the name. Like the mystical island from the film, this Bali Hai is extremely elusive — Mimi has both a dinner menu and a cocktail menu, and neither give any hint as to where it was located. The menu advertises a “Pit of Eternal Fire,” but odds are not good that it is actually still burning. Mimi has taken the time to type up some of the text from the menus; “florid” seems a tad insufficient, but it’s certainly apt.

Menu from Luau Hut in Washington, D.C., from Arkiva Tropika

As Mimi has noted on Arkiva Tropika, this menu from the Luau Hut in Washington, D.C. is a good example of something that was pretty common during the golden age of tiki — ripping off of menu imagery. The tiki on the cover of this menu was certainly lifted from a menu for the Kahiki in Columbus; this is the Kahiki’s famous signature fireplace. There are many examples of this sort of graphic “borrowing;” it rarely, if ever, created a legal issue, as the imagery was taken from far-flung restaurants, and the risk of getting caught was low. Today, the risk is much higher, and this sort of lifting doesn’t happen nearly as often.

We’re already halfway into a new week of great Arkiva Tropika posts — be sure to check them out yourself!

• Arkiva Tropika
• postcard from Beachcomber – Carlton Hotel, Winnipeg, Canada [Arkiva Tropika]
• The Beachcomber, Winnipeg [Critiki]
• cocktail menu from Lanai – Villa Hotel, San Mateo, CA [Arkiva Tropika]
• The Lanai, San Mateo [Critiki]
• cocktail menu from Doc’s Place, Town & Country – Toronto, Canada [Arkiva Tropika]
• cocktail menu from Luau – Beverly Hills, CA [Arkiva Tropika]
• Luau, Beverly Hills [Critiki]
• dinner menu from Bali Hai – location unknown [Arkiva Tropika]
• cocktail menu from Bali Hai – location unknown [Arkiva Tropika]
• cocktail menu from Luau Hut – Washington D.C. & Bethesda, MD [Arkiva Tropika]

Ray’s Mistakes, at Tiki-Ti

Every year, Tiki-Ti closes for a few weeks around the holidays, so that its owners and only employees, Mike & Mike Buhen, can catch a break with their families, and do some maintenance on the old ‘Ti. It’s a hard few weeks for the Tiki-Ti regulars (until I headed north to the Bay Area, I was steadfast among them, and felt very adrift myself through those weeks). It’s also a bit of heartache for those unfortunates who make the pilgrimage during this time and find themselves surprised to be greeted by a bolted door. The doom & gloom the holidays bring to a Tiki-Tiphile are well worth it though, for the mind reels at even the most fleeting thought of what would happen if Mike & Mike got burned out and threw in the towel on the whole operation. Tiki-Ti, started in 1961 by Mike’s pop Ray Buhen, is one of the very last places on the planet where you can taste drink recipes with a direct pedigree to the great Don the Beachcomber. And it’s the only place you can get a Ray’s Mistake (pictured above).

So, heed the warning, and get there while you can: Tiki-Ti’s last open day before the holidays is Saturday, November 18. They’ll open again on Wednesday, December 27.

• Tiki-Ti
• Tiki-Ti, Los Angeles [Critiki]

Artist’s rendering of the Walt Disney Studios in 1947,
from the collection of Matterhorn1959

I love being able to watch as bits of tiki history are uncovered — and it’s especially fun when a bunch of tikiphiles work together to unearth the past. This week is one that especially appeals to me — a rumored hangout of Disney artists in the ’40s and ’50s, called the “Pago Pago Club.” I am a freakin’ massive Disney nut. You all know how much I love tiki — I love Disney more. Old Disney, especially. So, this one’s right up my alley.

It all started with a postcard belonging to Matterhorn1959 (if you love vintage Disney, too, check out his blog Stuff from the Park — it’s hardcore vintage Disney porn, and it’s updated daily). The above postcard has a watercolor and ink sketch of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, and was mailed in 1947. The written note at the bottom describes life at the studio, and makes mention of a nearby “Pago Pago Club.” After being posted on the Stuff from the Park blog, an anonymous commenter said:

I used to work at the studio… The pago pago was the local “studio” bar across the street from the studio East of the corner of Buena Vista St. and Alameda. (even warner bros. had their watering hole as well) Its now an unmarked Disney building that holds the travel office. (If you drove the alley to the pago, one would see all the studio work bikes parked in the alley).

This piqued Matterhorn1959’s interest, as he’s a tikiphile, himself. He posted a call for more information on Tiki Central a few days ago. I personally knew of a few unrelated Pago Pagos having existed over the years, including spots in Long Beach, Portland and Tucson, but not in the San Fernando Valley. With such scant, and quite possibly unreliable, information to work from, it seemed entirely possible that this place might not have actually existed, or perhaps was not called Pago Pago, or perhaps was at another location entirely.

A few of us tried to pin down which block it may have been on, based on what had been learned so far — a spot across the street from the Disney Studios, near the intersection of Alameda & Buena Vista, with an alley nearby. Still wasn’t much to go on; the buildings in that area have pretty much all been rebuilt. Sven Kirsten chimed in, saying he’d heard a rumor of there being an underground passage to the bar, something he didn’t take seriously. Freddiefreelance had a distant memory of possibly seeing a sign for Pago Pago at that spot, “caddy corner to St. Josephs” (the medical center that is also at the intersection of Alameda & Buena Vista) when he used to ride his bike through the area to work in the ’80s. Matterhorn1959 found an older post on Tiki Central that quoted an interview with Paul Page, where he said he’d played off & on at a bar in the San Fernando Valley called the Pago Pago Club for ten years. Still, nothing solid, but a few more smidges of info indicating that this place once existed. So tantalizingly close!

In comes Naomi Alper to the rescue. Naomi owns the 8-Ball store in Burbank, and has some serious researching chops (she’s also Sven’s girlfriend). Naomi tracked down an address from a 1952 Burbank City Directory for a Pago Pago Club — 2413 W. Alameda Ave. Bingo! That address maps to this location, directly across from the Walt Disney Studios, diagonal from St. Joseph’s, and a stone’s throw from the intersection of Alameda & Buena Vista:

Likely location of Pago Pago Club

Naomi also learned a bit about that sign that Freddiefreelance remembered:

One of the librarians who assisted me in the search recalled hearing that a Disney animator liberated the Pago Pago sign when the bar closed. This story was corroborated by this blurb that I found in the LA Times archives from an article dated 1/23/1994:

“A sign in the back yard reading “Pago Pago” offers a clue to the party’s origins. “It used to hang outside this bar across from the Disney studios, in Burbank, where the old-time animators met and drank,” says Dave Spafford, a Disney vet himself before forming Spaff Animation with [Debbie Spafford] in 1989. Among their credits: “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and Woody Woodpecker’s Oscar presentation for Best Animated Short Film of 1990.”

To get more than that excerpt, you have to pay for the full article; I haven’t decided if I want to pony up the $3.95; it may not say anything more about the Pago Pago than that blurb does. If you’re curious, you can find it here.

I’ve now added Pago Pago Club to Critiki. The next step is to see if any emphemera or other documentation of this place is out there — naturally, something with some images would be highly desired! Chisel Slinger thinks he may have a matchbook from there in his collection.

Even without having any real way of knowing if there was anything truly tiki about this place beyond the tropical-sounding name, I love the idea of it. I get to daydream about hanging out with Disney artists in the heyday of Disney animation, at a tiki bar across the street. That suits me just fine. Many thanks to all the wonderful Tiki Centralites who have pitched in on this one!

• Souvenir Friday= 1947 Postcard from the Walt Disney Studio [Stuff from the Park]
• Pago Pago Bar Next to Disney Studios [Tiki Central]
• interesting tiki reads [Tiki Central]
• 8-Ball
• Search to L.A. Times Article [L.A. Times]
• Pago Pago Club, Burbank [Critiki]

Original sculpt of the
Shag Enchanted Tiki
Room mug, by Squid

This Stolen (or possibly just Missing) Tiki Alert comes from Squid in San Clemente, California — Tiki Farm’s resident sculpt master:

Howdy folks-
Just posting to let you all know that a certain sculpt of mine has gone missing from its rightful place in my display cabinet. If any sharp eyes come upon it, I would be grateful for a heads-up.

If someone should wish to return it, regardless of how they acquired it, no questions asked.

Thanks.
squid

Shag designed this mug as part of Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Mug merchandise in 2004, and Squid created this original sculpt of the design, from which the mugs were cast. I’m sure it’s something that Squid is very proud of, and I would imagine it’s a terrible loss. Please keep your eyes peeled for this sculpt, and if you find yourself in a position to get this back to Squid, please do! Squid can be contacted through Tiki Farm.

UPDATE: A few more details about it — it is about 10% larger than a final Shag Enchanted Tiki Room mug, it’s light gray (as seen above), and it’s made of a special hard tooling wax, which is not sticky.

• Missing/Stolen Original Sculpture , Shag Tiki Room Mug [Tiki Central]
• Shag Enchanted Tiki Room 40th Anniversary Pole Mug [Ooga-Mooga]
• 
  

Tiki Magazine at the Tonga Hut

On Saturday, November 11, there will be a party for the release of Tiki Magazine’s latest issue, and an art show with seven artists. Tiki tOny, the featured artist in Tiki Magazine’s latest issue, will be there with a new mug for sale; other artists include Squid, Ken Ruzic, Kirby, Suzanne Mosher and Johnny the Pinstriper. DJ Lee Joseph will be playing tunes, and there will be drink specials.

The party starts at 7pm and goes ’til midnight. Tonga Hut is at 12808 Victory Blvd. in North Hollywood. Regular readers have heard the great news about Tonga Hut’s recent revival (the bar opened in 1958 and until just last year seemed doomed to be a dive); this is a great opportunity to check it out.

• Tiki Magazine release and Artshow Nov11 at the Tonga Hut [Tiki Central]
• Tiki Magazine
• Tonga Hut [Critiki]
• My Travels: Tonga Hut [Humu Kon Tiki]

Mugoomba, Tiki Farm’s new in-warehouse tiki bar

Tiki Farm is throwing a party to celebrate the Grand Opening of their new tiki bar, dubbed Mugoomba. Mugoomba was “built to the standards of vintage tiki bars,” thanks to Bamboo Ben. The bar itself is a vintage 1930s rattan beauty, with three functional aquariums. This new tiki bar is inside the Tiki Farm warehouse in San Clemente, about an hour south of Los Angeles.

The party is happening on Sunday, October 15, from 4-9pm, and will feature hula dancers from the Tropical Paradise Dancers halau, and Lil’ Rev on ukulele. There will be Mai Tais (of course!), Hawaiian shave ice, and a full plate-lunch buffet. The first 100 guests will receive a special tiki mug commemorating the event, filled with a Mai Tai (or water, if that’s more to your taste) poured by Tiki Farm owner Holden Westland.

Tiki Farm is at 1305 Calle Avanzando in San Clemente, at the end of a culdesac. Click here to view the full invitation, including directions.

• Mugoomba Grand Opening invitation [247 KB JPG image]
• Tiki Farm
• Tiki Farm, San Clemente [Critiki]

Sign for the Lucky Tiki

As I reported back in February, the Lucky Tiki’s lease is being terminated, and they must move to a new location. The original plan had them closing for (hopefully) one month starting at the end of September, while they moved to a new North Hollywood location. The last I heard was that the move had been delayed, but now it appears that the date has been moved up, to this weekend. Saturday, September 23 will be the last day for the Lucky Tiki… at least, at its Mission Hills location. It also appears that the North Hollywood location is no longer happening, and a new location search is underway. Hopefully the search will be a short one!

• Lucky Tiki Closing this Saturday, September 23, 2006 Anno Domini [Tiki Central]
• Lucky Tiki Moving in October [Humu Kon Tiki]
• The Lucky Tiki, Mission Hills [Critiki]

Entrance to Beverly Hills Trader Vic’s

The city of Beverly Hills has released a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the proposed re-development of the Beverly Hilton hotel, which currently houses the Beverly Hills Trader Vic’s. As previously reported here, here, and here, the current plans call for the demolition of the tower holding Trader Vic’s, to make room for luxury condominiums. A public scoping meeting is scheduled for tonight:

Monday, Sept 18th, 2006
6:30 to 8:30pm
Public Library Auditorium, Second Floor
444 North Rexford Drive
Beverly Hills, CA

The outline of the plan will be given at tonight’s meeting, and the public will have an opportunity to comment. If you can’t get to the meeting tonight, fear not: the city is also requesting written comments. The comments should be sent ASAP, as the EIR begins on October 11. Here’s the address:

City of Beverly Hills
Department of Community Development
455 North Rexford Drive, Room G-40
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Attn: Donna Jerex, Senior Planner

Emailed comments can be sent to HiltonHotelComments@beverlyhills.org

• Save Beverly Hills Trader Vic’s [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Beverly Hills Trader Vic’s to Be Demolished [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Beverly Hills Trader Vic’s Days May Be Numbered [Humu Kon Tiki]

Rendering of Trade Winds’ Tiki Temple by decorator Ione Keenan, from the collection of Tim Keenan

Trade Winds dinner menu,
from the collection of Mimi Payne

As recently as April, the only things I knew about the Trade Winds in Oxnard were 1) its Wagon Wheel Road address, 2) that it had tikis, and 3) it was long gone. I’d seen a menu from my friend Mimi’s collection, but that was about it. But in April of this year, bongofury posted on Tiki Central the results of his in-depth research into the history of the Trade Winds. He was able to include blueprints and old photos, which give a pretty decent view of what this deluxe restaurant was like (it had several themed rooms, including an East Indies room, a Zanzibar room, and the centerpiece, a tiki temple). He also revealed that for a short time, the location was turned into a Don the Beachcomber.

A few weeks ago, the son of Ione Keenan, Trade Winds’ decorator, joined Tiki Central. Ojaitimo has posted images from his mother’s scrapbook, including the above drawing she did of the central tiki temple in 1963, a year before Trade Winds opened. There are also a few contemporary news articles, showing how popular the Trade Winds was when it first opened.

This is one of the many things that makes Tiki Central such a special place — new discoveries are being unearthed all the time, and it has become a lightning rod for those who have personal connections to Polynesian Pop’s early history.

• Tiki Archeology-The Trade Winds-Oxnard, Ca (Image Heavy) [Tiki Central]
• Trade Winds, Oxnard [Critiki]

Tiki Cherry Barrette, from My Baby Jo

My super-swell hair stylist, Kelli O’Neill, hipped me to these sweet tiki cherry barrettes from My Baby Jo. My Baby Jo sells clothing and accessories for the Rockabilly crowd — the redundant cherries / swallows / horseshoes / flames / tikis / dice approach to typical Rockabilly stuff is a little too Garanimals-y for me, but darned if the scene isn’t full of a ton of cute stuff regardless. These barrettes have cherries with handpainted tiki faces, so no two are alike — I like the simple style on the black & white ones pictured here, but some of the others look a bit too cartoony for my tastes. Each barrette is $15. My Baby Jo has a site for online shopping, or you can visit their retail store in West L.A.

• Floral Barrettes [My Baby Jo]

Three books from the beachcombing Hedley family

The family of Eli Hedley have three books newly available:

View from the Top of the Mast, by Bungy Hedley
If you’ve read her tales here or on Tiki Central, then you know she’s got some fantastic stories of an adventure-filled life to share. This book only covers her life growing up in the wacky Hedley clan, up until her early 20s, but it covers journeys to Hawaii, Tahiti and points beyond, not to mention her experiences on the California coast, growing up in one of Hollywood’s favorite hideouts.

How Daddy Became a Beachcomber, by Marilyn Hedley, illustrated by Flo Ann Hedley
This book was published in 1947, but has been out of print for many years, and has become very rare and sought-after. The family is offering reprints of this book, told by Hedley daughter Marily (Bungy’s sister).

Eli Hedley Beachcomber, 1943 Catalog (Reprint)
This is a reprint of Eli Hedley’s catalog of wares, with charming ink illustrations of the unusual items he offered. During WWII, Eli’s wares were used in decorating many bars, restaurants, hotels and homes, and he was especially favored in Hollywood. He was responsible for the decor is some of the most famous tiki bars, and the back pages of the catalog include a thick addendum of black & white photos of his tikis, his shop, the family homestead, and a 1943 article from Life Magazine.

The books are available now, and can be ordered from Amazon, from the book publisher, or from Bungy herself, if you’d like an autographed copy. Full details are on this thread at Tiki Central.

• Three books from the beachcombing Hedley Family — Available Now! [Tiki Central]
• Storytime with Aunt Bungy [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Visit to the Hedley Homestead [Humu Kon Tiki]

Picture of a tiki conga drum, from
the collection of Sabu the Coconut Boy

Sabu the Coconut Boy has unearthed yet more gems — it’s his schtick, it’s what he does. This time, it’s an article in a 1966 ARGOSY magazine, about the then-growing popularity of “singles” apartment complexes, where the young and unattached would in theory take advantage of their close proximity and throw amazing parties and hook up randomly and sow every last one of their wild oats in a fogey-less nirvana. I honestly don’t know what it was really like at these places; I’ve always figured that in reality they were more full of the sad, boring & lonely types than the fun & fancy-free types — after all, they didn’t exactly take off as a concept, y’know?

Sabu’s pictures depict a swingin’ scene in a Southern California singles apartment complex — the South Bay Club apartments in Torrance, to be exact. The happy, flirtily dressed young things, cavorting with a veritable beatnik-symphony of instruments, are fascinating enough, but the star of the show is a great big conga drum, carved into a very nice tiki. The pictures posted by Sabu paint a very fun picture — Vintage Girl said exactly the same thought that ran through my head at seeing the picture below — it looks exactly like a scene from a Tiki Central party in Room 135 at the Caliente Tropics during Tiki Oasis. So maybe the concept isn’t so far-fetched, after all.

Swingin’ party in 1966, from the collection of Sabu the Coconut Boy

• Proof that Tiki was part of the Swinging Singles Culture in 1966 [Tiki Central]

The Cove in San Pedro

A few weeks ago, Hanford & I went down to San Pedro for a quick weekend visit, to go to a Tiki Central Beach Burn. While there, we made some time to check out some of the local tiki spots.

The Gateway to the Cove

Outdoor fireplace at the Cove

At the top of our must-see list was The Cove, a.k.a. the old Hedley homestead, as seen in this earlier Humu Kon Tiki post. This stretch of beach, which is currently Royal Palms/White Point park, is where Eli Hedley raised his family of four daughters, making a living creating decor using the items that floated up onto the beach. They became regular hosts to the Hollywood set, and built it up into quite a little industry, essentially spawning the whole Beachcomber look. The home itself is no longer there, but the stone gate sides are, as are the dance floor and two large outdoor fireplaces. If you’ve been following the stories told by Eli’s daughter Bungy on Tiki Central, then you simply must see this place in person — its truly awe-inspiring to be in such a beautiful place, and imagine living there and having such a rich and otherworldly life.

Samoan Sea apartments

Tiki at the Samoan Sea apartments

The next stop was one we stumbled across accidentally, although it had been documented on Tiki Central previously by Sabu the Coconut Boy. The Samoan Sea apartments are right where Harbor Dr. meets Hwy 110. It looks great from the front — two nice large tikis (very similar to the spitting drum tikis at Walt Disney World), and a large A-frame entrance, flanked by piers and large nautical chain. The rest of the small complex looks a bit rundown, however.

Also nearby is San Pedro’s Ports of Call, which once upon a time housed the rather tiki Ports O’ Call restaurant. The restaurant remains, but the tiki details are largely gone. Apparently there are a few beachcomber lamps around here and there, but we missed them.

Hakaluki’s tiki

The beach burn was great fun, and Hakaluki made this tiki to burn, which was far too beautiful. It went up in flames so quickly that I missed pictures of the actual burn. It was a lovely day at the beach, the weather couldn’t have been better, and we got to meet King Kukulele’s brand new baby girl, and catch up with lots of old friends.

• Storytime with Aunt Bungy [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Visit to the Hedley Homestead [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Eli Hedley’s Home [Critiki]
• The Cove, San Pedro [Humuhumu's Life in Photos]
• Eli Hedley’s Home, San Pedro, CA (other) [Tiki Central]
• Samoan Sea Apartments, San Pedro [Humuhumu's Life in Photos]
• Samoan Sea Apartments, San Pedro, CA (apartments) [Tiki Central]
• Tiki Tour of San Pedro, CA [Tiki Central]
• Tikibelle’s Tiki Beach Burn B-day [Humuhumu's Life in Photos]