tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65233477574864108552024-03-04T22:27:52.636-08:00Tiki LagoonExploring the history and aesthetics of the Mid-Century Tiki/Polynesian Pop phenomenon, along with its influences, impacts, by products, and revivals. Written in a mysterious sea cave in Orange County, CA.Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-59285819401599030072018-04-13T20:03:00.003-07:002018-04-13T20:03:42.966-07:00Don's closing. Now it's official.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKx5Glo34xELE5zOwsir56hyphenhyphenB5YTfGmuSUy0pjaOFs7GfdYy5iJFGq7-PzL_l6vZ6pLAh1QfFkN00SKPU9jgnADv6uQnGP_Dy0i3Fo-O8Qf6ld0r5IU8Ea_nDecRv3bVLNLmkhd28nDoOQ/s1600/letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="727" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKx5Glo34xELE5zOwsir56hyphenhyphenB5YTfGmuSUy0pjaOFs7GfdYy5iJFGq7-PzL_l6vZ6pLAh1QfFkN00SKPU9jgnADv6uQnGP_Dy0i3Fo-O8Qf6ld0r5IU8Ea_nDecRv3bVLNLmkhd28nDoOQ/s400/letter.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
So now there's this. (Click to embiggen.) A sad day indeed.Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-28333992145948790082018-03-27T23:46:00.003-07:002018-04-02T20:52:23.594-07:00Goodbye, Don the Beachcomber<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqRYX6O9iQAkSQo7KNMjEhy5ciXOgwYFOAbSivUhXDMxeedAhDPkot_WO6H6Gc8Xb0Inu9YXHpT6zsCDbVZgGJHezyku7COiFm-yx7Y3oN3u_w9qvPabrxX5DjieArG-b0wgXo6lhPjsU/s1600/Sam%2527s+Seafood%252C+circa+late+1960s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqRYX6O9iQAkSQo7KNMjEhy5ciXOgwYFOAbSivUhXDMxeedAhDPkot_WO6H6Gc8Xb0Inu9YXHpT6zsCDbVZgGJHezyku7COiFm-yx7Y3oN3u_w9qvPabrxX5DjieArG-b0wgXo6lhPjsU/s400/Sam%2527s+Seafood%252C+circa+late+1960s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>1960s view of Sam's Seafood (now Don the Beachcomber)</i></td></tr>
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Word is out that Don the Beachcombers in Sunset Beach is closing soon. Don’s owners would like to keep the business running as long as they can (perhaps until the landlord shoos them out or they run out of food and drink?). and they are looking for another location in which to reopen. It's not the restaurant owners, but rather the folks who own the land UNDER Don’s who want to replace it with something else. I understand the rent has been raised astronomically. Some years ago, the landowners wanted to replace the restaurant with condos, but couldn't get the zoning changed. Today it's still zoned for "Commercial Visitor," which I suppose could be a hotel or new restaurant buildings. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b></b> </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Proprietor Delia Snyder told the <i>O.C. Register</i>, "We are not closing." However, the bands that were scheduled throughout April have been told to find other accommodations, some of the decor has already been taken down, and no upcoming Tiki Makeke event has been announced. And the bartenders (according the<i> Register</i>) are telling customers that Don's will close soon. (Read more about the conflicting reports in <i><a href="http://www.lamag.com/digestblog/don-the-beachcomber-closing/">Los Angeles Magazine</a></i>.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">In a visit on 3/28/2018, I couldn't help but notice that they'd run out of ingredients for about a third of the items they normally serve, which tells me they may not be re-ordering food and certain drink mixers. I also noticed that they were woefully understaffed. (The few that were left were really getting a workout.) Meanwhile, at the Karaoke Night event in the bar, some young lady was belting out Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" to an understanding and cheering crowd:</span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">They paved paradise<br />And put up a parking lot<br />With a pink hotel, a boutique<br />And a swinging hot spot</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Don't it always seem to go<br />That you don't know what you've got til its gone<br />They paved paradise<br />And put up a parking lot</span></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNT5bhqWyz41Bvx4_HMcuRe7q6BnF1XDX2fGkzaZtytyq1i6B-XKYiJo_679GofbNslgG-MoXQnFn8ApmhKNcxdSyrt0sB4ucIreo-eUfVN7innVHCgCpBHr0CA33ZfOQwxe2YCq8EqPSH/s1600/Sam%2527s+Seafood%252C+HB%252C+circa+2000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1091" data-original-width="1600" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNT5bhqWyz41Bvx4_HMcuRe7q6BnF1XDX2fGkzaZtytyq1i6B-XKYiJo_679GofbNslgG-MoXQnFn8ApmhKNcxdSyrt0sB4ucIreo-eUfVN7innVHCgCpBHr0CA33ZfOQwxe2YCq8EqPSH/s400/Sam%2527s+Seafood%252C+HB%252C+circa+2000.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the main dining room</i></td></tr>
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Don’s is one of the last Tiki <i>palaces</i> in America -- A rare original
remnant of a cultural phenomenon that once spanned the nation. As Sam's Seafood (which recast their 1940s restaurant building into a Tiki paradise in the 1960s) it was a popular dining spot and a key landmark on Pacific Coast Highway. In more recent years, it was
home base for the Southern California Tiki revival, it brought the
historic Don the Beachcomber brand back to the mainland, it preserved
the best of the historic Sam’s Seafood, it hosted stellar Tiki swapmeets, and it served as one of Orange County’s most notable music venues. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCnh_-rdRnp7efnMXlikzALcbW18nvBZ95gyujUIXdo7t273-cc2dFT6qCSRGEtqZgzkEGj4te17qvVVCH-Ipn3g5kwuRz_BWdbC3SGUSZaQofcaJDaTLCuf4PLFWOM8EpkZ9rESrl3Mi/s1600/Sam%2527s+Katsaris+from+Kevin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="946" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCnh_-rdRnp7efnMXlikzALcbW18nvBZ95gyujUIXdo7t273-cc2dFT6qCSRGEtqZgzkEGj4te17qvVVCH-Ipn3g5kwuRz_BWdbC3SGUSZaQofcaJDaTLCuf4PLFWOM8EpkZ9rESrl3Mi/s400/Sam%2527s+Katsaris+from+Kevin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Old matchbook cover</i></td></tr>
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A visit to Don’s was a delightful trip into the heyday of Tiki. One can
build a new Tiki bar, but you can’t “make” a new historic site. I don’t
know specifically who the owners are who decided to jack up the
restaurant’s rent so outrageously that no tenant could stay and survive.
I only hope they have a really, really good excuse. It would have to be
a doozy to justify this loss.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA7Ji8YrPCLX8XK6eLmPAZNi_QgWEMcBrLoOfeaKNnukTAMMY8vii_iTGTgfEBa4zsMFeBn84nScmTfL_UWs88uHrimcwzFV3mvg5reDRhHkAoFkLw-IcoHidLgRGLEaC05Y98q2mbWWt/s1600/20080420_2106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwA7Ji8YrPCLX8XK6eLmPAZNi_QgWEMcBrLoOfeaKNnukTAMMY8vii_iTGTgfEBa4zsMFeBn84nScmTfL_UWs88uHrimcwzFV3mvg5reDRhHkAoFkLw-IcoHidLgRGLEaC05Y98q2mbWWt/s400/20080420_2106.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Modern view of Don's entrance</i></td></tr>
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At some point I'll write up a full history of Sam's Seafood and the Huntington Beach incarnation of Don the Beachcomber. I have a large collection of notes and research for just that task already stockpiled for that purpose. But for now -- with this terrible moment upon us, I thought I would at least share a scattered few images of the place and its history. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i4UZg1GzFIay3vrkgOmeqKMS5_Ye2pT-xsb1_GS0ZKH5N9XJbZfCtJQZQD6cve9PdTW8xin7ZTUfOaaRlGe1Onr333ESww944L_hkwdVWZ1o1k8MLOZB7qjCnnBLLkHgpg_dwQVqwbFd/s1600/20100609_4627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1219" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i4UZg1GzFIay3vrkgOmeqKMS5_Ye2pT-xsb1_GS0ZKH5N9XJbZfCtJQZQD6cve9PdTW8xin7ZTUfOaaRlGe1Onr333ESww944L_hkwdVWZ1o1k8MLOZB7qjCnnBLLkHgpg_dwQVqwbFd/s400/20100609_4627.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Duke Kahanamoku with the Katsaris boys at Sam's Seafood, 1960s. (Photo courtesy Gary Katsaris)</i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #073763;">UPDATE: As of the evening of 4-2-2018, Don's is still serving customers. The rumor now is that they're going to stay open as long as they can, which may be as much as a couple weeks. Come on down.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaXSLANavpAJlKlpeDxpHTGqFqcZ007Ug0TlyYL4FQwvwrIXuHqeo6cx6XsRXbyquF-JhhaABs_5DRcgAFkrIJQV6D7IKNZXuIylPxLLtvj5guPwYL4xydrY5GGLqWppfepChrS0gn76x/s1600/20080420_2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaXSLANavpAJlKlpeDxpHTGqFqcZ007Ug0TlyYL4FQwvwrIXuHqeo6cx6XsRXbyquF-JhhaABs_5DRcgAFkrIJQV6D7IKNZXuIylPxLLtvj5guPwYL4xydrY5GGLqWppfepChrS0gn76x/s400/20080420_2138.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Interior view at Sam's Seafood. (Photo by author)</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJmO9wF3pOE646pPjGUubLPx80A0bL7mpXs46PlmJnB26VAsHHBSzTYZHXbKTmKyhpJZRx7vhjGnlhAkOMwhR8WgESUP56xQWSFIXtkJM8A-WkbWuff_cjv_kM5pgvul9ffPIZhCJUq2J/s1600/Snyder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJmO9wF3pOE646pPjGUubLPx80A0bL7mpXs46PlmJnB26VAsHHBSzTYZHXbKTmKyhpJZRx7vhjGnlhAkOMwhR8WgESUP56xQWSFIXtkJM8A-WkbWuff_cjv_kM5pgvul9ffPIZhCJUq2J/s400/Snyder.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dinner with Don the Beachcomber owner/reviver Art Snyder and friends</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO76o5LqsNZw0xWnGpY9dyoAJFzzFi72J8o1PeHK2NNzITJVdlpS0rFy0_A8KC5SvTbrUyUF1VfRYLTex3j2Tn3hmmbciBUMHShTEHkKCPiJjegBsfX3e1-lcgKmw97LOSGu6ehLx339KW/s1600/DingDongDevils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO76o5LqsNZw0xWnGpY9dyoAJFzzFi72J8o1PeHK2NNzITJVdlpS0rFy0_A8KC5SvTbrUyUF1VfRYLTex3j2Tn3hmmbciBUMHShTEHkKCPiJjegBsfX3e1-lcgKmw97LOSGu6ehLx339KW/s400/DingDongDevils.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Ding Dong Devils play the Dagger Bar in 2016.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkzuaLP7WTuX4v-JJ6S_B0ncV6Zl3cORV7Cpt70n7BqobJgq-5AJpE7_x7t9gzJPZptA31FLZDnbFOAy2CSIBMvPlvu3kt9sGDzFu7Xxwzmt4GPe2IsvcXTi6hMXmCBB_wRGfMMWb8CZ9/s1600/Tiki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="560" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkzuaLP7WTuX4v-JJ6S_B0ncV6Zl3cORV7Cpt70n7BqobJgq-5AJpE7_x7t9gzJPZptA31FLZDnbFOAy2CSIBMvPlvu3kt9sGDzFu7Xxwzmt4GPe2IsvcXTi6hMXmCBB_wRGfMMWb8CZ9/s400/Tiki.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me, speaking at the Orange County Historical Society's annual dinner at Don's.</i></td></tr>
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For more photos, see<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/traderchris/albums/72157691708537952"> my Flickr account</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnL0S_6XzWucfWzJkd6DkpPYHE4cmOuw9sYIqQ06R04n7nuiGO-uwaV424zzGEvuFmRVT3jbwtRw4WmEvTa0xV0L_4rA6tRaNMisioG-7KOmRmKzHkuUUl0FxDp7KUPZS1_Ed_S4byVTnF/s1600/TikiMakeke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnL0S_6XzWucfWzJkd6DkpPYHE4cmOuw9sYIqQ06R04n7nuiGO-uwaV424zzGEvuFmRVT3jbwtRw4WmEvTa0xV0L_4rA6tRaNMisioG-7KOmRmKzHkuUUl0FxDp7KUPZS1_Ed_S4byVTnF/s400/TikiMakeke.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tiki Makeke swapmeet, Jan. 2018 (Photo by author)</i></td></tr>
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Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-83734579127876217352018-03-02T22:56:00.003-08:002018-03-02T22:56:54.503-08:00The Islands of Knott's (Part II)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFKLaJ_fDXNds92dnVq5KHBlqWwqhZDdLFFHryEVkvb8n5LTg_Nn8r65b-W2c7Ze53mph8gTAza2zhPyAA2n0WkJRkIRTcJWIAZ2RDLCI6_ylvupS6WmsnKw2NNRPkJ9iHfdJz6lrOcVF/s1600/Jungle+Island+sign+-+1960s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1179" data-original-width="1600" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFKLaJ_fDXNds92dnVq5KHBlqWwqhZDdLFFHryEVkvb8n5LTg_Nn8r65b-W2c7Ze53mph8gTAza2zhPyAA2n0WkJRkIRTcJWIAZ2RDLCI6_ylvupS6WmsnKw2NNRPkJ9iHfdJz6lrOcVF/s400/Jungle+Island+sign+-+1960s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jungle Island at Knott's Berry Farm. Photo courtesy Orange County Archives.</i></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Shortly after grading land at Knott's Berry Farm for use as an amazing South Seas Island Boat Ride, theme park legend <a href="http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2011/01/bud-hurlbut.html">Bud Hurlbut</a> abandoned the tiki theme for the boat ride. Either on his own, or under advisement from Russell or Walter Knott, Bud decided that another "Old West" type ride would suit Knott's Berry Farm better. Other than some Hawaiian-style patio decor for sale in the Basket Shop, Knott's didn't have much of anything that evoked the South Pacific. </div>
<br />
So it was that plans for the South Seas Island Boat Ride were transformed into plans for the Northwest Fur Trapper Boat Ride. It was essentially the same ride, but with different set dressing and no flow of "red hot lava" to simulate. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8maL9YcDvBoOEIbH7hj0DCgdZI_MmBZALpObBNJa9CJpXXFPOCHI5LB0xy89DDsn5-PdlJGIZvGkfaWiMGJFqIer4SoEt0pT7RawRJEvWwvW9GWfVAnrML0BzTyScEvvf03KOe5XMajQ/s1600/furtrapper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8maL9YcDvBoOEIbH7hj0DCgdZI_MmBZALpObBNJa9CJpXXFPOCHI5LB0xy89DDsn5-PdlJGIZvGkfaWiMGJFqIer4SoEt0pT7RawRJEvWwvW9GWfVAnrML0BzTyScEvvf03KOe5XMajQ/s400/furtrapper.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Concept painting by Mentor Huebner for the Northwest Fur Trapper Boat Ride. Note the incongruous Polynesian island motif still depicted on the far shore of the lagoon. Image courtesy Christopher Merritt.</i></td></tr>
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But beyond some attractive concept art by Mentor Huebner and some additional design work by Dick Bagley, the Northwest Fur Trapper project also went nowhere. The "dry islands" continued to sit unused.<br />
<br />
Bud and his crew at Hurlbut Amusement focused on making improvements to the mine ride, and on a variety of new projects -- some of which came to fruition and some not. There were unrealized plans for a monorail with 2,000 feet of track, and plans for a variety of attractions that were built near the farm's seal pool.<br />
<br />
However, in 1963, there were new signs of life across the highway. With no progress evident on the boat ride, John Holland -- an employee of Knott's stagecoach concessionaire Bill Higdon -- suggested using the boat troughs as the pathway for an outdoor "Tallyho Ride," where guests would be taken past scenes of animated woodland animals and deserted pioneer wagons in a horse-drawn Omnibus. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5nwejLbFdg4fC3RF9Ov4KIBb_ERy4_NVAuSB0fqSgS4hxvn2o81qbs_TOIb1AK8_ws6EfTX4-x9RDkJUpmNXPort1Peno5LgufNWlCPnaCh0fn1ns3rSlEwp90Q0c4d9_e1cjrQ5rTJC/s1600/overland_closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1600" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5nwejLbFdg4fC3RF9Ov4KIBb_ERy4_NVAuSB0fqSgS4hxvn2o81qbs_TOIb1AK8_ws6EfTX4-x9RDkJUpmNXPort1Peno5LgufNWlCPnaCh0fn1ns3rSlEwp90Q0c4d9_e1cjrQ5rTJC/s400/overland_closeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Concept model for Overland Trail, 1963. Photo courtesy Orange County Archives.</i></td></tr>
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The Overland Trail Ride, as it was known, opened on June 5, 1964. It was about seven minutes long and took guests "through the enchanted area and past a sizable desert scene." It seems Bud was skeptical about its future. <br />
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Indeed, the Overland Trail Ride only lasted a few years. But it seemed to ensure that the boat ride plan would never rise again. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5QocTQMJGWwbWXYhVsUBxAB4J-TN6QIPQoSZ5j5CmkMZFl_pRW-J6LvK9-to5ee9BSpEp29CPA_8Ewa2QNLwncdNnqHo08ch3xZ-8Ovf5jtyl-WI6XqXSZrYPmUxHCDd9t_YrNcR01ml/s1600/Overland+Trail+Ride%252C+1964+1+KBF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="1600" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5QocTQMJGWwbWXYhVsUBxAB4J-TN6QIPQoSZ5j5CmkMZFl_pRW-J6LvK9-to5ee9BSpEp29CPA_8Ewa2QNLwncdNnqHo08ch3xZ-8Ovf5jtyl-WI6XqXSZrYPmUxHCDd9t_YrNcR01ml/s400/Overland+Trail+Ride%252C+1964+1+KBF.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Overland Trail Ride at Knott's, 1964. Photo courtesy Orange County Archives.</i></td></tr>
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At about that same time, the small paddle-wheel steamboat Hurlbut originally intended to have circling the entire South Seas Island Lagoon, was completed. It would have served something of the same purpose as the old <a href="http://www.yesterland.com/keelboats.html">Mike Fink Keelboats</a> at Disneyland. But with no water in the South Seas Lagoon, the steamboat Cordelia K (named for Walter Knott's wife) was put to use in a small manmade lake also on the property. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYMXCOu33UNLCeOAWjkQ_Y6eL6ZV4KMb9HgogFl2cV9s7MLZV-PPNwMFVOckmvaoOXQr5HGuInY3oP11QocgikGUqBVGQGV3bTKmqEEcgGeMqrrAfrzfcqDconbHCn24-OpRQ4EX9fx3f/s1600/Cordelia+K+ca+1963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1042" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYMXCOu33UNLCeOAWjkQ_Y6eL6ZV4KMb9HgogFl2cV9s7MLZV-PPNwMFVOckmvaoOXQr5HGuInY3oP11QocgikGUqBVGQGV3bTKmqEEcgGeMqrrAfrzfcqDconbHCn24-OpRQ4EX9fx3f/s400/Cordelia+K+ca+1963.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Cordelia K paddle-wheeler. Photo courtesy Orange County Archives.</i></td></tr>
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But at the same time, the adjacent Jungle Island -- which Hurlbut had abandoned -- was about to live up to its promise. Walter Knott had hired landscaper and folk artist Forrest L. Morrow, Sr., of Elgin, Illinois, to restore the old "Catawampus" wooden animal which was displayed in his Ghost Town. Knott was pleased with the restoration work and he invited Morrow to bring his "Wood-imals" to the Farm. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOPFXuCV-zuaGlAy6DCJN8R7ZOEG1towUjs-l7QLiz-_Czb9WFTEsracZSyIooB4Qx5HZYAnygRKlTd_hIpFnMfVx4z1PjliT1q8QUJbH0yr5R6VlhkqUpgysST_VmBt4TqBE1v6eTYTo/s1600/forrestmorrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="542" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOPFXuCV-zuaGlAy6DCJN8R7ZOEG1towUjs-l7QLiz-_Czb9WFTEsracZSyIooB4Qx5HZYAnygRKlTd_hIpFnMfVx4z1PjliT1q8QUJbH0yr5R6VlhkqUpgysST_VmBt4TqBE1v6eTYTo/s400/forrestmorrow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Forrest Morrow carving one of his Wood-imals: "a completely unique race of 'Natural-Art' creatures in a fantastic Jungle setting." Photo courtesy Orange County Archives.</i></td></tr>
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Morrow's Wood-imals were fanciful depictions of various animals (and occasionally people) made from twisted and gnarled tree branches and stumps. </div>
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It was decided that Morrow would populate Jungle Island with his Wood-imals and operate it as a children's playground with a 25-cent admission fee. Finally, the portion of the Lagoon immediately around Jungle Island was lined with gunnite and filled with water, the existing tropical landscaping was supplemented, and Morrow moved himself and his family to California to run the operation. At the time, he was 77 years old. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_04SZ0lMyYGHQd9B0T480NgNDkL_LFqTxlz2E0SLgMWgBDBThdJyO6sRTnbbA7pziw2L6QeplNh-AEB6FOTU1zHdhPZYEGqt17pIWmSKd-mDUTb-mNhnTYIV-z1vug9n5GfDwtTAyhtV/s1600/Jungle+Island+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="734" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_04SZ0lMyYGHQd9B0T480NgNDkL_LFqTxlz2E0SLgMWgBDBThdJyO6sRTnbbA7pziw2L6QeplNh-AEB6FOTU1zHdhPZYEGqt17pIWmSKd-mDUTb-mNhnTYIV-z1vug9n5GfDwtTAyhtV/s400/Jungle+Island+Map.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Map of Jungle Island, courtesy Orange County Archives.</i></td></tr>
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Jungle Island opened May 2, 1964. A brochure distributed at that time stated, "The island is managed by Mr. and Mrs. Morrow, their daughter, Evalee, and her husband, James F. Webb. The two Webb children, Johnny, 11, and Hillary, 16, often help out after school hours and in vacation periods, while one of the Morrow grandsons, Bobby Eggler, the photographer of the family, takes publicity pictures of the Wood-imals as their tribe increases." It went on to state that Morrow's work had previously been displayed in "New York's Long Island, Wisconsin's Dells, forest preserves, restaurants, Santa's Village [in Dundee, Illinois] and private estates all over the mid-west. Recently, the Chicago Park District ordered Wood-imals for flower shows and the chidren's zoo..."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopxxcZFzs1I_unmGIDqHjlTi-HNPxbDvhKWV3xbxbatYdeCZKDEC-QxHE2ysnQhfXGXE3Fbkuw1lixk7T_lRasIo3LqLyj_FLbiB8x7_bo3l3t3H7EYnEQ9hjtdI4E6pZ8ZdytgOvr-Ri/s1600/28684973_1667911689934988_105428695026888005_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="680" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopxxcZFzs1I_unmGIDqHjlTi-HNPxbDvhKWV3xbxbatYdeCZKDEC-QxHE2ysnQhfXGXE3Fbkuw1lixk7T_lRasIo3LqLyj_FLbiB8x7_bo3l3t3H7EYnEQ9hjtdI4E6pZ8ZdytgOvr-Ri/s400/28684973_1667911689934988_105428695026888005_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Evalee Webb, Walter Knott and Forest Morrow at Jungle Island, circa 1964. Photo courtesy Stack’s Liberty Ranch.</i></td></tr>
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Theme park historian Christopher Merritt wrote, "Jungle Island was more than just the Wood-imals scattered about. It was a dense, Jungle-like area where a kid could get lost, and dirty, and be adventurous with minimal parental supervision. My fondest memories of Jungle Island are in the 1970s, when my brother and I would get dropped off there... It was kinda like 'Knott's lite.'"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii40bEvxvLj27kzROKBS5Zc9Db-ZFfKtgiqCu_80En-uqCCmuoyLU3BIFdaL-PuPNLmDUn6QecM71Nl2V1MQS0AgS7iOTCK8iF3XlM01lQnu1Nqwa7EwXVv0vTPxPRT8bwJg4rlOlBhnBz/s1600/Jungle+Island+-+pc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1157" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii40bEvxvLj27kzROKBS5Zc9Db-ZFfKtgiqCu_80En-uqCCmuoyLU3BIFdaL-PuPNLmDUn6QecM71Nl2V1MQS0AgS7iOTCK8iF3XlM01lQnu1Nqwa7EwXVv0vTPxPRT8bwJg4rlOlBhnBz/s400/Jungle+Island+-+pc.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Entrance bridge to Jungle Island. Postcard courtesy Orange County Archives.</i></td></tr>
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But like most of the concessions located across Beach Boulevard from the main portion of the farm, Jungle Island struggled financially. Still, it survived for almost two decades. <br />
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However, in 1982, Knott's new C.E.O., Terry Van Gorder, who had wrested artistic control from the Knott family, decided that Jungle Island had to go. In 1983 it was turned into a park like "nature area."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oODSw8zq0WRm0qaE9aNUXalk2YUq4xCQenYbh0CzToVrgPQPl90xk_Ul93oyMjES9-qi4ZmPyUsCAttWsgwLxMzpN-kv1HxhGWZdf470Q1vyg0N2Codllac-B8EuhfMNEvMZue4BpWmW/s1600/Jungle+Island+waterfall+and+pool+monster+woodimal%252C+KBF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="983" data-original-width="621" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oODSw8zq0WRm0qaE9aNUXalk2YUq4xCQenYbh0CzToVrgPQPl90xk_Ul93oyMjES9-qi4ZmPyUsCAttWsgwLxMzpN-kv1HxhGWZdf470Q1vyg0N2Codllac-B8EuhfMNEvMZue4BpWmW/s400/Jungle+Island+waterfall+and+pool+monster+woodimal%252C+KBF.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lush, tropical, silly Jungle Island.</i></td></tr>
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[Ed - A certain blogger once visited the nature area as a lad and was yelled at by "one of the Knott girls" for swordfighting with his friends using fallen bamboo poles from the landscaping.]<br />
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Eventually the nature area was turned into an area for corporate parties and events. The small lagoon bordering part of Jungle Island still remains, as does some of its tropical landscaping. Coincidentally, the large picnic shelters constructed in the 1980s were designed with a Polynesian look. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="1063" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkJ9ajCiNXARqHHFH6iq1TCV4L0taAXK9DEFfdXX-bsO0Joxnb23FO4csEY82p2w7uOKhiLXggiMljt7QMF8SZb0HIO06TahhJAVQVBOMChLb1cdj1_Ne9xR21Hdgbvdn9jYbi2leSsY3/s400/KBF+11-8-2007+013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Current corporate picnic area at Jungle Island/Knott's Lagoon. Photo by author.</i></td></tr>
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Just to the north of Jungle Island, the planned site of the South Seas Island Boat Ride is now another corporate picnic area, called "Gold Rush Camp." The slightly rolling terrain still hints at how Hurlbut once carved the land to fit his vision.</div>
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Why Bud never built his elaborate South Seas paradise remains a mystery. But by looking at the remaining evidence, and by knowing his innovative and impressive work on the Mine Ride and Log Ride, we can be sure we missed out on something very special.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8QhfGxbmYPyJx5m9FUL_YKO-DZjgLXI7uQn5JIW7i6MR4FM2tJywiGi19AYThewp5bJvtsftzZkVUymV0_1WzDq35t4RwmWLqhah2Pr9priPukNqlEOPthhcdMOZd2Lj0iAS0kAthqGQ/s1600/Jungle+Island+and+woodimals%252C+KBF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1180" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8QhfGxbmYPyJx5m9FUL_YKO-DZjgLXI7uQn5JIW7i6MR4FM2tJywiGi19AYThewp5bJvtsftzZkVUymV0_1WzDq35t4RwmWLqhah2Pr9priPukNqlEOPthhcdMOZd2Lj0iAS0kAthqGQ/s400/Jungle+Island+and+woodimals%252C+KBF.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another view of Jungle Island. Postcard courtesy Orange County Archives.</i></td></tr>
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<i>(<a href="http://tikilagoon.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-islands-of-knotts-part-i.html">Click here to see Part I</a> of this article.) </i></div>
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<br />Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-31889448529308218362018-02-23T23:08:00.001-08:002018-03-02T22:57:47.068-08:00The Islands of Knott's (Part I)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiebZk7zl9b9u6uUo5vzTurHCGwYE1ZuTWo98XprSFri-MRr0vVwz82IUg7tb3pRvvoDfNUnPg8XvCdnKxaQx8n5jvLdlaek-A6E-hJqA3wGWlG6UqkB8R63Jb_2lIBb948srDzJUOUF9x/s1600/dummiedup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="705" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiebZk7zl9b9u6uUo5vzTurHCGwYE1ZuTWo98XprSFri-MRr0vVwz82IUg7tb3pRvvoDfNUnPg8XvCdnKxaQx8n5jvLdlaek-A6E-hJqA3wGWlG6UqkB8R63Jb_2lIBb948srDzJUOUF9x/s400/dummiedup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail from ride concept art, with Tiki and volcano added by author based on comments by Bud Hurlbut.</i></td></tr>
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The greatest tiki theme-park ride of all time was nearly built in the last place you'd expect: The Old West-themed Knott's Berry Farm, in Buena Park, California. And at least a few reminders of that unrealized dream can still be found today. The lush tropical vegetation and Tiki-style picnic huts of "Jungle Island" (now called Knott’s Lagoon) are just a tiny hint of what was and what almost was.</div>
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The story of Knott's Berry Farm is a fascinating and complicated one, beginning with an actual berry farm in the 1920s, a wildly-popular chicken dinner restaurant (and diversions for waiting guests) developing in the 1930s, and a replica "Ghost Town" appearing in the early 1940s. But aside from rides on the Butterfield Stage, there weren't any real rides at Knott's until the 1950s, when ride builder and operator Bud Hurlbut approached a skeptical Walter Knott with the idea of putting in a Carousel. Ultimately he sold him on the idea. This hand-shake deal led to a second ride, and a third, and eventually to a decades-long business arrangement with Bud having the concession for most of the rides at Knott's. His most legendary achievements there were the Calico Mine Ride (1960) and the Timber Mountain Log Ride (1969) -- both of which are signature Knott's attractions to this day. Bud dreamed up, financed, built, owned and operated both of these landmark rides. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9JGhiY4v5biLQ6VVcZASzWOHl7-hdDLYQ8771R2D7IjDZmhLRdGyMlPaRFKd5xsnVPTCvKLWnh3bPNHKvrjA3_6qtQ2fOCGIUoj0uSGGbt8NrKFlC5ZEmmQI52TPqvKvu4izKc7fq8qw/s1600/01+Image5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1228" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9JGhiY4v5biLQ6VVcZASzWOHl7-hdDLYQ8771R2D7IjDZmhLRdGyMlPaRFKd5xsnVPTCvKLWnh3bPNHKvrjA3_6qtQ2fOCGIUoj0uSGGbt8NrKFlC5ZEmmQI52TPqvKvu4izKc7fq8qw/s400/01+Image5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bud Hurlbut inspects a scene in his new Calico Mine Ride, 1960.</i></td></tr>
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It was in the midst of those prime "thinking big" years -- when the mine ride was still incomplete -- that Bud began planning a South Seas "land," with an elaborate and ambitious South Seas Island Boat Ride. In their book, <i>Knott's Preserved</i>, authors Chris Merritt and Eric Lynxwiler describe the area: "Clearly inspired by Disneyland's Jungle Cruise, the developing Lagoon area across Beach Boulevard would become home to an exciting tour around tropical islands with thrills along the way."<br />
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It was all to be built on land Knott owned on the opposite side of Highway 39 (Beach Boulevard) from the rest of "the farm." Plans (shown below) were drawn in April of 1959. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlGZQn5VtQbMeVPstGof-EYj6B4BA1CGmPaiLLJOl5Obhg8g1DlrjQMEDfUOF37wiW-lX3o9q4lbIZ3jY-ljIF72dufLreAgevCbBvHQS-MpzVFtj8WTOJU1P-HqLfPsw21B9AaM8uREf/s1600/southseas_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlGZQn5VtQbMeVPstGof-EYj6B4BA1CGmPaiLLJOl5Obhg8g1DlrjQMEDfUOF37wiW-lX3o9q4lbIZ3jY-ljIF72dufLreAgevCbBvHQS-MpzVFtj8WTOJU1P-HqLfPsw21B9AaM8uREf/s400/southseas_crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Drawing of islands for Hurlbut Amusement by Dick Bagley, courtesy Christopher Merritt</i></td></tr>
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In early January, 1960, Russell Knott, Walter's son and a key manager of the Farm, stopped by Bud's shop and found him mulling over ideas for the South Seas ride. He asked Bud to focus on getting the mine ride finished first. But just days later, Bud and his associate, Dick Bagley, (who had worked on designing Disneyland's steam trains) were out eyeballing the proposed South Seas area again. Bud would also go for walks on the land with his wife, Lou, and his dog, Beagle, turning over the possibilities in his mind. Still perpetually steeped in the mine ride project, his mind naturally turned to mountains and caverns. Whatever else the boat ride had, it should certainly have both of those. But he really didn't have time to do more work on the project until the mine ride was completed. </div>
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When the Calico Mine Ride opened on November 22, 1960, it was an immediate booming success. And it also allowed Bud to get back to his other plans. By Thanksgiving, he was already starting to think about the South Seas ride again. By New Years Eve he was discussing plans once again with his employees.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtmZr7jI3yEQt00h7fgUKLteu_7ij6FRj0OAH1PZUNLHEl6zsu32TrhOU4DyyHd3N3qX5BNfcaNOyh12aIht5OaBf3kvCDe_8FfCEX5TA526Dw2FBlg_UL3tVzKVlgJPkrGdChtJ0sN8N/s1600/Calico+Mine+Ride+-+exterior%252C+ca+1960s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1126" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtmZr7jI3yEQt00h7fgUKLteu_7ij6FRj0OAH1PZUNLHEl6zsu32TrhOU4DyyHd3N3qX5BNfcaNOyh12aIht5OaBf3kvCDe_8FfCEX5TA526Dw2FBlg_UL3tVzKVlgJPkrGdChtJ0sN8N/s400/Calico+Mine+Ride+-+exterior%252C+ca+1960s.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Exterior of the newly opened Calico Mine Ride, circa 1960.</i></td></tr>
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In early 1961, Bud went to work creating the new ride's waterways, building up its islands, and planting the banks with tropical-looking foliage.<br />
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“...I got a couple of bulldozers, you can see all the passageways in there," Bud told Chris Merritt in a 1998 interview. "One was the South Seas with the big volcano and lava running down. I was kinda concerned on how I was gonna make lava red hot running down. I don’t know if I ever really got that all worked out or not…”<br />
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Later concept art, referencing South Seas plans, showed an Island village scene, with thatched huts on stilts and outrigger canoes on the beach. And the ride almost certainly would have included waterfalls, large tikis, and a variety of fake wildlife.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-rXPPBwDLpI168J5xU4_wllEg-by5h0abLO23nepKjL3FTw7hgJl2kBNIEuKBlDf3Qc3QQOEe83VGNiQ81DWdMTyPzr9m4ncqr0TfDW-wqZn6mP2CqfKK1nFev59AylOLIcIzZLXEAfU/s1600/furtrapper_detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="622" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-rXPPBwDLpI168J5xU4_wllEg-by5h0abLO23nepKjL3FTw7hgJl2kBNIEuKBlDf3Qc3QQOEe83VGNiQ81DWdMTyPzr9m4ncqr0TfDW-wqZn6mP2CqfKK1nFev59AylOLIcIzZLXEAfU/s400/furtrapper_detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Leftover" South Seas Island Boat Ride scene in background of later "Fur Trapper Ride" concept art.</i></td></tr>
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Bud said the ride "would have been pretty much like the Jungle Cruise." But the addition of tunnels and a huge erupting volcano hint at the way Bud's ideas tended to grow and become more elaborate over time. The boats would actually pass through caves UNDER the volcano, and one can only guess what the inventor of the beautiful stalactite/blacklight cavern in the Calico Mine Ride would have cooked up for the volcano's interior. Just as the mine ride project grew from a straightforward dark ride into a multi-story mountain with special effects and many elaborate scenes, certainly the South Seas ride would have grown into something very special and unique. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxZdM88tCFVMhnp4-vuo-2fFR3e7KMXjqVBlRdkiEiHrbnMJJCL5WlnkTiP2rbmZdwp7HUWpo_VHaEiFVjlXFS2p2Wvlv0QJBrn5_fZ3li7Xf3V9pxjBO0gL6CWbDNNycUk9d_yIuoR19/s1600/lagoon1961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxZdM88tCFVMhnp4-vuo-2fFR3e7KMXjqVBlRdkiEiHrbnMJJCL5WlnkTiP2rbmZdwp7HUWpo_VHaEiFVjlXFS2p2Wvlv0QJBrn5_fZ3li7Xf3V9pxjBO0gL6CWbDNNycUk9d_yIuoR19/s400/lagoon1961.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aerial photo of graded "islands" in South Seas area at Knott's, 1961.</i></td></tr>
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Bud not only carved out the islands for the boat ride, but also an adjacent peninsula which he'd already identified as "Jungle Island." It's long been unclear what his plans were for Jungle Island, but according to an August 1961 article in Amusement Business magazine, Bud's plans for the overall area included not just the boat ride, but also "others in a South Sea theme." Dick Bagley served as the project's design engineer. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHarmBNfQPUysIFWd-lfo35lp-PA8uB21J9gg5dGDllpKLLAhsKKhxzbmjXnq3QBvY-m4ho_JI8Hub8HaAHZVfkug_Yx-f6DJMRqpg9RvXiVTmBzmoN9Vwf2jZgsDql3A9Yj7YtDsWU_j/s1600/map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="960" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHarmBNfQPUysIFWd-lfo35lp-PA8uB21J9gg5dGDllpKLLAhsKKhxzbmjXnq3QBvY-m4ho_JI8Hub8HaAHZVfkug_Yx-f6DJMRqpg9RvXiVTmBzmoN9Vwf2jZgsDql3A9Yj7YtDsWU_j/s400/map.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail of Hurlbut map of proposed Jungle Island features. Courtesy Stack's Liberty Ranch</i></td></tr>
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In 2018, the Facebook feed for Stack's Liberty Ranch -- an in-progress theme park museum and movie ranch -- posted two small portions of a March 19, 1959 "preliminary drawing" by Bagley for "Knott Jungle Island" featuring "some suggestions for points of interest, trails and signs." Elements depicted among the presumed tropical foliage included a climbing tree, a "boysen-berry bog" with a large plastic berry, a 10-foot by 15-foot "Knott's Cabin," a "Giggling lions den", "gay stepping stones," an underpass tunnel, another tunnel through dense brush, and such landmarks as "Laughing Springs," the "Chocolate River," "Ice Cream Cove," "Angry Cross-Roads," "Whispering Creek," and more.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhOMaItZQ5vGBSOXXPt3MMR9dQmgtw28uTTQ9II9GxMlDIqfdjLBH0eYVUMFnpDuuA4-5TCzh65K4uLt9-8i1APRbF04W0dvM2pkHRmVQcAF8lvipWXKJ0awWAbY3A9SILA3phzB7V70M/s1600/southseas_ebay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="615" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhOMaItZQ5vGBSOXXPt3MMR9dQmgtw28uTTQ9II9GxMlDIqfdjLBH0eYVUMFnpDuuA4-5TCzh65K4uLt9-8i1APRbF04W0dvM2pkHRmVQcAF8lvipWXKJ0awWAbY3A9SILA3phzB7V70M/s400/southseas_ebay.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This drawing for the South Seas Island Boat Ride appeared a few years ago on Ebay.</i></td></tr>
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But something happened, and suddenly the whole South Seas project was on hold. The" islands" just sat, with no water around them. In another interview, for "E" Ticket Magazine #35, Hurlbut told Merritt, "We got as far as digging the troughs... and then we abandoned the idea because we had some other more important things to do."</div>
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Today, Merritt says that during his many conversations and formal interviews with Bud, he was never given a definitive answer about why the South Seas project stopped. John Waite, an longtime employee and good friend of Bud's, said the subject was never raised. He says he was only aware of the project because he once saw a "neat sketch of the boat" that was to be used for the ride. (Evidence suggests the final boat design would have looked similar to Disneyland's Jungle Cruise boats, but possibly with thatched awnings.)<br />
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Today, there's little known evidence of the great South Seas project at Knott's. The sources cited in this article and a single crude tiki mask -- which I acquired at Bud Hurlbut's (home) estate sale -- provide some evidence of his interest in the Polynesian theme. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0RjQBNnYZgO8lCVEnFkZYJXOiprNkE5kivBQV8Tdzg_5PZUfYYTSty0W_6KWrda8zyNae487VgkwXcfCYOJQr6VNpRdignL3pvxRXSy2SvIqbpk9vPTYO9WhKzXFxzOKyxlAsjFSP3lS/s1600/mask.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="778" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0RjQBNnYZgO8lCVEnFkZYJXOiprNkE5kivBQV8Tdzg_5PZUfYYTSty0W_6KWrda8zyNae487VgkwXcfCYOJQr6VNpRdignL3pvxRXSy2SvIqbpk9vPTYO9WhKzXFxzOKyxlAsjFSP3lS/s400/mask.JPG" width="327" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bud Hurlbut's Tiki mask. From the collection of Chris Jepsen.</i></td></tr>
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<b>Next time: <a href="http://tikilagoon.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-islands-of-knotts-part-ii.html">Part II -- What Became of Jungle Island</a>!?!</b>Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-14473110755251850112017-08-06T23:17:00.000-07:002017-08-06T23:17:18.910-07:00Tustin's Tahitian Terrace<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXH8c5E2TFl0u8HtTPIFlbZ8FTuuhovZx2kxntoFmozWVdoX_QJRpso88QTX6osjIbydWaaiP8n2mtwHn0PezE4gQ4aZL0BQzrorHbQWbn1fwsSILsz4ZCfWX96HpZnd1iPq94ApD4OoO/s1600/20170803_175224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="1141" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXH8c5E2TFl0u8HtTPIFlbZ8FTuuhovZx2kxntoFmozWVdoX_QJRpso88QTX6osjIbydWaaiP8n2mtwHn0PezE4gQ4aZL0BQzrorHbQWbn1fwsSILsz4ZCfWX96HpZnd1iPq94ApD4OoO/s400/20170803_175224.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pool house at the Tahitian Terrace, Tusin, 2017</i></td></tr>
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Sometimes the best way to do urban archaeology is just to find a spot that interests you and start digging. This is one of those times. I'll get the ball rolling, and perhaps someone else will jump in with additional information or new leads to follow.<br />
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Years ago, an apartment complex (now called Waterstone Garden Apartments), at the north corner of Red Hill Ave. and Walnut St. in <b>Tustin</b>, California, caught my eye for it's mid-century Tiki design. Recently I stumbled across a couple photos of the place when it was only four years old, and I was inspired to not only drive over and photograph the place anew, but also to spend a bit of time looking for more of its story. Here's what I've found so far,...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHithVuUxZHOqX3RZonvLdioDmbr2ZucsqobAU5mT4W_c9JDT_7zXqwcQ7ZRzD1QWYeRv6lQvJnlcm01XbW6oaESdMfKjqOEU2twXmH_HU9qfYXL5ZvuwV9VTG1oUf_PLS1X1zHpDm4Nr/s1600/Red+Hill+Ave%252C+Tustin%252C+1967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1250" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHithVuUxZHOqX3RZonvLdioDmbr2ZucsqobAU5mT4W_c9JDT_7zXqwcQ7ZRzD1QWYeRv6lQvJnlcm01XbW6oaESdMfKjqOEU2twXmH_HU9qfYXL5ZvuwV9VTG1oUf_PLS1X1zHpDm4Nr/s400/Red+Hill+Ave%252C+Tustin%252C+1967.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Tahitian Terrace apartments in 1967</i></td></tr>
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Waterstone Garden was once two separate developments with complementary Polynesian themes. The first, situated right on the corner at 14441 Red Hill, was the Tahitian Terrace complex. <br />
The Tahitian Terrace was built in 1963 -- just a year after Stouffer's Tahitian Terrace restaurant opened at nearby Disneyland -- and began renting units that same summer. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQNy6briyTNEanVVvPenQ5Q4LxliO7AH3cT5uC5xdgx_1JeYLJfF6djUd9hjabGJP75OWEthZBQzBbH49rEcpydl2WNarE7F-sftCU40BkmsLwAJ7xyfSbd4eFQKCdk8Tw_fjc-yu5NOU/s1600/20170803_175425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1382" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQNy6briyTNEanVVvPenQ5Q4LxliO7AH3cT5uC5xdgx_1JeYLJfF6djUd9hjabGJP75OWEthZBQzBbH49rEcpydl2WNarE7F-sftCU40BkmsLwAJ7xyfSbd4eFQKCdk8Tw_fjc-yu5NOU/s400/20170803_175425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
It's one of a relatively small
handful of Orange County complexes that have made it to 2017 with much
of their original Tiki style still in place. One must assume that a good
deal of Tiki decor has disappeared, including the pitched A-frame
entryway which has now been replaced with a conventional awning. But much of the original vibe remains.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0lYBlbJYyZ4I9Y6jfjBAlc0lzCLXwiJnJ5A58zsjXvVDs2dRzfKb1LCmUJxSNKkEw8eUQB9o3W7YEkJuWXimENa6Ksej4gCqVWp1iKXJDUyy2YkxsoC0MsKxKdWh-AWcA_KVhMgF_9pW/s1600/T+Terrace+Tustin+1963+construction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="730" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0lYBlbJYyZ4I9Y6jfjBAlc0lzCLXwiJnJ5A58zsjXvVDs2dRzfKb1LCmUJxSNKkEw8eUQB9o3W7YEkJuWXimENa6Ksej4gCqVWp1iKXJDUyy2YkxsoC0MsKxKdWh-AWcA_KVhMgF_9pW/s400/T+Terrace+Tustin+1963+construction.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aerial photo from 1963 courtesy the Orange County Archives.</i></td></tr>
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The aerial photo below shows the Tahitian Terrace under construction (on
the left and center), with another complex next door, the Whispering
Woods, still only in the process of being graded (on the right). Notice
that both complexes were -- like so much local development at that time
-- simply carved out of the orange groves. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ShR1iH1r9n7X431_8qhLjzM1nAbsrsEKCBEDc8Sm7hAgsqITShrr3bGCETOUgpES4O51u9QlmPA0JBirYZNp3CsGS02X8zTcOuJa_MQExilOZYWQaPdXBj3RnHjJwtvpM9ol6xJ9xIrZ/s1600/Tahitian+Terrace%252C+10-12-1963+LAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="540" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ShR1iH1r9n7X431_8qhLjzM1nAbsrsEKCBEDc8Sm7hAgsqITShrr3bGCETOUgpES4O51u9QlmPA0JBirYZNp3CsGS02X8zTcOuJa_MQExilOZYWQaPdXBj3RnHjJwtvpM9ol6xJ9xIrZ/s400/Tahitian+Terrace%252C+10-12-1963+LAT.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Some newspaper ads for Tahitian Terrace promoted "island luxury."</i></td></tr>
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The second complex now folded into "Waterstone Garden" was the thirty-unit Whispering Woods, at 14421 Red Hill Ave. This second complex was built
for real estate investment wiz James T. Bakos of Rossmoor by the
Valencia Construction Co. The landscaping was designed by Hugh Paulsen.
Although grading began while Tahitian Terrace was still under construction, Whispering Woods was still unfinished as late as spring of 1964. Once finished, no children or pets
were allowed, and like its neighbor, it bragged about being "all-electric."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMXUOEKJgp2sljJxgryXsNVtqUSduWHnFMajO7FH8IzU-jBqw1bo9Dl802upyK-UtEUQfMjsiS-72IZUZ61C5QYvoF8gt_1iDzbA0CYMpYSv0cqN0fNhUvB9-IomzT7P3MfPaeVROs_bR/s1600/20170803_175631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1411" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMXUOEKJgp2sljJxgryXsNVtqUSduWHnFMajO7FH8IzU-jBqw1bo9Dl802upyK-UtEUQfMjsiS-72IZUZ61C5QYvoF8gt_1iDzbA0CYMpYSv0cqN0fNhUvB9-IomzT7P3MfPaeVROs_bR/s400/20170803_175631.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Whispering Woods, 2017</i></td></tr>
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Unfortunately, much less is known about the origins of the Tahitian Terrace, except that the land was surveyed in 1957 by then-owners Mr. & Mrs. Albert Nieblas, who seemed to be movers-and-shakers in the Tustin business and social scene at the time.<br />
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In its first years, newspaper ads promoted Tahitian Terrace as featuring "Island Luxury," which sort of sounds like an oxymoron. (I'm picturing Thurston and Lovey Howell driving around in a pedal-powered Mercedes made of bamboo.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cxUO9EmXhV75rRGqK_TniXPa8-Rf_xXuSLNQRjhe5LiQWzYoikirRjRkZ4HuJyPJTFghAGbiDNqfUi9lUYq4f6OMOBuux6hLj1TJblHTCN1bJDQznSHcAXG9uXBN_6uk_cV78QF0K1qQ/s1600/20170803_175607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1311" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cxUO9EmXhV75rRGqK_TniXPa8-Rf_xXuSLNQRjhe5LiQWzYoikirRjRkZ4HuJyPJTFghAGbiDNqfUi9lUYq4f6OMOBuux6hLj1TJblHTCN1bJDQznSHcAXG9uXBN_6uk_cV78QF0K1qQ/s400/20170803_175607.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Whispering Woods, 2017</i></td></tr>
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Although taking a less-than South Seas-inspirted name, the Whispering Woods' lava rock chimneys and planters, A-frame pool house, nautical wormwood facades, tropical landscaping and other details reflect a faux-Polynesian influence, even today. Was it intentional?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQ2ILT3G49ApTTrU2qqLQ_E6M-orMFfYhxM5USuYvpVIBXYvQkhGSHcH4OQwCzAb7hz6w5hl2Crlr4JyJBKmu8bC3f-qrLI_vauaxzmwVozy-Poq2zAfgBWSNFWWUm5rs2fxdGVwIVs4d/s1600/Tahitian+Terrace+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="423" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQ2ILT3G49ApTTrU2qqLQ_E6M-orMFfYhxM5USuYvpVIBXYvQkhGSHcH4OQwCzAb7hz6w5hl2Crlr4JyJBKmu8bC3f-qrLI_vauaxzmwVozy-Poq2zAfgBWSNFWWUm5rs2fxdGVwIVs4d/s400/Tahitian+Terrace+2017.jpg" width="391" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aerial photo of the Tahitian Terrace apartments, late 2010s</i></td></tr>
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Eventually, the Tahitian Terrace and the Whispering Woods were brought together under the flavorless yet Flintstones-like moniker, "Waterstone Garden Apartments." Of the two, the Tahitian Terrace half offers the most reward for today's Tiki-appreciating urban archaeologist. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2XP2ojUr6F9-Fedg8jqG4aw59Ejc9wRMuVwc8IVUJ-j24Kw4cLrC1bku0gP2_aOaHhDo3ApOKwG0kLH36It0A2IVG0CKoEaxiKc5SrFM6f8EQXmEpeG_HvYEfd1_pyTISc9MXjPqPCJk/s1600/20170803_174932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="1156" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2XP2ojUr6F9-Fedg8jqG4aw59Ejc9wRMuVwc8IVUJ-j24Kw4cLrC1bku0gP2_aOaHhDo3ApOKwG0kLH36It0A2IVG0CKoEaxiKc5SrFM6f8EQXmEpeG_HvYEfd1_pyTISc9MXjPqPCJk/s400/20170803_174932.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Even the carports behind the Tahitian Terrace have South Seas rooflines.</i></td></tr>
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One suspects that there was more of decorative element to some of the buildings once, especially the two-story buildings that now seem so bland once you get below their Tiki rooflines. So many of these kinds of places lost a great deal in being de-Tiki-fied, and it seems like that happened here as well. Still, the rooflines, the outrigger beams, the lush tropical landscaping, and the wonderful pool house make the Tahitian Terrace worth a stop. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTU3dLy08ou6k4lOe1s2abbvSsJOF2bgFiDZ9dQXF_qck0CJlZgPomLsfRzp4u5hSTfalGj5Pqu0MlPtX8Lx1d45-SR6g-uLcoFf28I23N-vlyr1fWI3o5HUUBBVHjTJ9Epqd5GCKgbJU6/s1600/20170803_180148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1246" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTU3dLy08ou6k4lOe1s2abbvSsJOF2bgFiDZ9dQXF_qck0CJlZgPomLsfRzp4u5hSTfalGj5Pqu0MlPtX8Lx1d45-SR6g-uLcoFf28I23N-vlyr1fWI3o5HUUBBVHjTJ9Epqd5GCKgbJU6/s400/20170803_180148.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inside the Tahitian Terrace courtyard, 2017.</i></td></tr>
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The Whispering Woods seems to continue with its identity crisis: Is it or was it Polynesian themed, or did its rustic version of 1960s architecture combined with tropical landscaping and lava walls just give that impression? Perhaps more information will come to light on both complexes in the future. In fact, part of why I'm posting this is in the hope that those who know the story of this corner of Tustin will come forward and share what they know. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmauadFNaYLrORLp0crvSvrTy4cLr1eZ4nL6aEY6KnP2nH5OGqSww0U7S-FS80u3ykIaNZAvRqxCsNylhbC9VMENE14q9xMRUNw9RwyHn5r2Ysc9V5azQ8IS2bkgfzVj0fKeoEWVm_guc/s1600/Red+Hill+Ave%252C+N+of+Walnut%252C+Tustin%252C+1967+01+RD%252C+Ac1988-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="791" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmauadFNaYLrORLp0crvSvrTy4cLr1eZ4nL6aEY6KnP2nH5OGqSww0U7S-FS80u3ykIaNZAvRqxCsNylhbC9VMENE14q9xMRUNw9RwyHn5r2Ysc9V5azQ8IS2bkgfzVj0fKeoEWVm_guc/s400/Red+Hill+Ave%252C+N+of+Walnut%252C+Tustin%252C+1967+01+RD%252C+Ac1988-20.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Tahitian Terrace apartments in 1967</i></td></tr>
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Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-11025228342914524952017-06-29T22:24:00.001-07:002017-06-29T22:25:52.092-07:00Photos from "Tiki In Orange County"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesisYe4B5_UkIXIdsAmV_4ij0Q90SFqmP21Ij3hal5MTuxyoV2x4TifA94kCcOLA5hHsKFBrZXQJGLjD9T_8IgAyk9y4ARjGg8dDm2lx-JC9VQAE2D24cyrVUumnCAUBMNAJPkAlebA_n/s1600/tikiexhibit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="1600" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesisYe4B5_UkIXIdsAmV_4ij0Q90SFqmP21Ij3hal5MTuxyoV2x4TifA94kCcOLA5hHsKFBrZXQJGLjD9T_8IgAyk9y4ARjGg8dDm2lx-JC9VQAE2D24cyrVUumnCAUBMNAJPkAlebA_n/s400/tikiexhibit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Many photos from my <i><b>Tiki In Orange County</b></i> exhibit at Chapman University are now posted in <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/traderchris/albums/72157677673181063">an album on my Flickr account</a>. If you took more photos, let me know and I'll post them, too! The exhibit remains up through late August.Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-33362298834603752212017-02-21T10:14:00.003-08:002017-02-21T10:14:51.617-08:00Tiki on KUCI<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt3NnIMOL5WnJMfzxOn7BN-6ZrKwsqzdn9WPqGHjP04HNh3dtyvPMklI_HSy0sQvB3OkP98yPgCcau9KcMrFG9OrNoQ3kU5USZO0O6BdaCbYHZUrfDl70VO0JxJRc0enV8IX5POH49A31/s1600/ellen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt3NnIMOL5WnJMfzxOn7BN-6ZrKwsqzdn9WPqGHjP04HNh3dtyvPMklI_HSy0sQvB3OkP98yPgCcau9KcMrFG9OrNoQ3kU5USZO0O6BdaCbYHZUrfDl70VO0JxJRc0enV8IX5POH49A31/s400/ellen2.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellen Bell, host of "Vintage Orange"</td></tr>
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I’ll be talking about my new “<strong>Tiki In Orange County</strong>” exhibit and all things Polynesian Pop on <strong>Ellen Bell</strong>’s <strong><em>Vintage Orange</em></strong> radio show on <strong>KUCI</strong>, 88.9 FM on Wed., Feb. 21, 2017, from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Podcast version should be posted to <a href="http://vintageorangekuci.blogspot.com/">her blog</a> sometime later in the week.<br />
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Visiting with Ellen is always great fun, and I’m looking forward to the interview!<br />
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I’ll also be giving a little tour of the exhibit to Chapman University staff and faculty on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. This will be the little sneak preview sampler platter version, and not the <em>big</em> opening event, which will be on March 4th, which anyone can attend (if they <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1890812404488105/"><strong>RSVP</strong></a>).Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-31924420658303947112017-02-13T22:54:00.005-08:002017-02-21T08:50:56.038-08:00"Tiki In Orange County" exhibit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm curating an exhibit at Chapman University called "<b>Tiki In Orange County</b>," which through August 25. The big kick-off event/reception/program is March 4th, and I hope to see you there! (Bring your friends and family, but <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1890812404488105/">please click through and RSVP</a> so we know how many little paper umbrellas we're gonna need.)<br />
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Quoth the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1890812404488105/">promotional blurb</a>,...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Chris Jepsen, Guest Curator, presents Tiki in Orange County, on display in the Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives. From architecture, décor and music to literature, theme parks and backyard luaus, the South Seas was a wildly popular theme throughout mid-twentieth century America. Artifacts, photographs, documents and music, offer a look at the origins of Tiki in the South Pacific, its interpretation in mid-century Orange County (and Southern California), and how both have inspired today’s Tiki revival.<br />
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Opening Reception: Saturday, March 4, 2017, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.<br />
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Location: Special Collections and Archives, 4th Floor<br />
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Exhibit hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.<br />
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Visitor parking is available with purchase of a temporary permit. For parking fees, maps &amp; directions, visit: <a href="http://www.chapman.edu/map">www.chapman.edu/map</a> </blockquote>
Thanks not only to my gracious aforementioned hosts at Chapman, but also to the amazing folks who loaned, installed, or helped me create parts of this exhibit, including Stephanie George, Carlota Haider, Kevin Kidney, Jody Daily, Ben and Vicki Bassham, Bob Van Oosting and Leroy Schmaltz of Oceanic Arts, Scott Schell, Dylan Almendral, Sven Kirsten, Jason Schultz, Gail Griswold, Eric Callero, Laurie Gates Cussalli, David Eppen, Patrick Jenkins, the Orange County Archives, the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society, the American Heritage Museum, and Jane Newell and Patricia Grimm of the Anaheim Heritage Center. It's an honor to know these people and I apologize in advance if I've forgotten anyone. <br />
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<br />Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-12583236808167099732016-08-04T22:13:00.002-07:002016-08-04T22:16:02.144-07:00A Word On Home Tiki Bars...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74iVAKxqDRTTX3qG5NkIZpB6cjDHkAkZhuDCfx9ZSKYYxiZjKnWSjKqG3iqJhy22kQrTCXGfk7O9C_Bb4gUh2-n9Th58vV7hEBq2Dp-4XQagHZX0ie9jl5c7OMxcDJ8lLYYf2yhZxMssE/s1600/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74iVAKxqDRTTX3qG5NkIZpB6cjDHkAkZhuDCfx9ZSKYYxiZjKnWSjKqG3iqJhy22kQrTCXGfk7O9C_Bb4gUh2-n9Th58vV7hEBq2Dp-4XQagHZX0ie9jl5c7OMxcDJ8lLYYf2yhZxMssE/s400/Image1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Hawaiian Airlines</b>' in-flight magazine just did a photospread about home Tiki bars. Of course, I love to see the photos, but what really grabbed me was this quote, courtesy the always-insightful <b>Humuhumu Trott</b>. See her review of the article -- from whence I stole the image above -- at <a href="https://news.critiki.com/2016/08/04/hawaiian-airlines-photo-spread-of-home-tiki-bars/"><i><b>Critiki.com</b></i></a>.Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-71201035958980045302016-06-01T00:32:00.000-07:002016-06-01T00:38:06.579-07:00The Royal Hawaiian Rides Again?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just before Christmas, I was walking through downtown <b>Laguna Beach</b>, California and stopped to photograph the old <b>Royal Hawaiian</b> (331 N. Coast Highway) through the windows. The landmark restaurant closed in 2012, after 65 years in business, and has been vacant ever since. <b>Francis Cabang</b> originally opened the place in 1947, and it was amazing. It was like walking into a native village deep amid the jungles of a South Seas island. There were Tikis, puffer fish lamps, bamboo, tropical gardens, thatched huts to dine under, "wiki wiki platters," and a delicious signature Lapu-Lapu so big it gave the waitresses carpal tunnel syndrome. Prices were low, portions were ample, and it was a favorite both of locals and out-of-town visitors.<br />
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But the Cabang family sold the place in 2006, and the new owners did a major remodel. The amazing decor was mostly removed, their prices went up, their Lapu-Lapu shrank (a common problem when reaching age 65), and Hawaiian music was replaced with live rock in the evenings. Although this half-assed Royal Hawaiian was better than no Royal Hawaiian, few were surprised when it closed in 2012.<br />
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Flash forward again to this past December. As I was shooting photos through the Royal Hawaiian's windows, a man came up and asked what I was doing. I explained about being a historian. He introduced himself as Mo, the restaurant's new owner, and that he planned to re-open the Royal Hawaiian. He also very kindly offered to let me go inside to take better photos. He was waiting for other people to join him there for a meeting. I shot a whole bunch of photos inside, some of which I'm posting here. (More of my Royal Hawaiian photos, past and present, are posted on my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=36942952%40N00&view_all=1&text=%22Royal%20Hawaiian%22%20-apartments" target="_blank"><b>Flickr account</b>.</a>)<br />
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While snapping photos, I tried to sound Mo out on his thoughts re Polyensian Pop and
Tiki, but he didn't have much to say one way or the other. I suggested
he research the subject if he was going to reopen this iconic Tiki establishment. I told him a little about the Tiki revival and suggested he read Sven Kirsten's books, visit the Tiki swapmeets, wander the aisles at Oceanic
Arts, etc. He was polite, but I wasn't sure if I was connecting or not. He did say that he wanted to reflect the kind of atmosphere one sees in today's better restaurants on the Hawaiian islands.<br />
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So today I saw this article entitled "<a href="http://localemagazine.com/royal-hawaiian-reopens-in-laguna-beach/" target="_blank"><b>Royal Hawaiian Reopens in Laguna Beach</b></a>" in the online version of <b><i>Locale Magazine</i></b> (May 31, 2016).
It reads, in part,...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Today, it is owned by Mohammad
Honarkar, and he and his hospitality team—Eric Bostwick, Carlos Godinez,
Hasty Honarkar, Dylan Marsh and Brian Smith—are dedicated to bringing
this historic restaurant back to life with a new and improved twist. <br />
"...The
Royal Hawaiian will feature décor that will only be slightly updated
from the previous renovations. Classic tiki vibes will be present, but
will be combined with a new age feel that will ...make Laguna feel as though it has
become a modern version of Hawaii. The Royal Hawaiian’s return will
feature a menu that is filled with classic Hawaiian dishes made more
unique with creative twists and many colorful handcrafted cocktails.
Returning customers will also see the homecoming of the famous Royal
Hawaiian Ribs and the popular cocktail dubbed the Lapu Lapu." </blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmupzknhMLJbXg2vfyt-WTmZ3Lray29Ah47jok2SO1bDTQNGv56WkHeepk8D3fB83vkGtMH54QNB-wDzIFN2FWmtNvJXOD_1TP0mZAuFdghja2DcsOOPo4YumpOLo8Me-2JSy1EgLvfBm/s1600/23597844716_77cf750b88_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmupzknhMLJbXg2vfyt-WTmZ3Lray29Ah47jok2SO1bDTQNGv56WkHeepk8D3fB83vkGtMH54QNB-wDzIFN2FWmtNvJXOD_1TP0mZAuFdghja2DcsOOPo4YumpOLo8Me-2JSy1EgLvfBm/s400/23597844716_77cf750b88_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I'll start by thanking these folks for reopening what was once among the last great vintage Tiki establishments. I wish them luck and I'll definitely come try it shortly after it opens. And if it's good, I will certainly be a repeat customer. But here's my two cents:<br />
<br />
First, they need to roll back the misguided changes made by the last owners, not
double-down on them with more modernization. It's time to hire <b>"Bamboo
Ben" Bassham</b> or <b>Daniel "Tiki Diablo" Gallardo</b> to re-tikify the
interior, and hire someone who knows vintage Tiki cocktails to get the
bar off to a good re-start. And yes, the menu needs some amusingly non-authentic favorites, like the old "Pele
Goddess of Fire" (a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a flaming sugar cube in the middle).<br />
<br />
When you buy a restaurant like the Royal Hawaiian,
nostalgia is your biggest asset. You get a built-in audience and a line at your door on opening night. But that same nostalgia requires a certain willingness to commit. Let's hope the new folks "get it." There's
nothing worse than disappointing an enthusiastic built-in audience.
(Just ask George "Stinky Prequels" Lucas.) On the other hand, play your cards right and you'll be the most popular place in town. Again!Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-47592799333120857002015-01-01T14:06:00.001-08:002015-01-01T14:06:06.807-08:00Hoola Boola<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/B86NWeSEeP0?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
Thanks to our pal <b>Sven Kirsten</b> for drawing my attention to "<b>Hoola Boola</b>" (1941), a wonderful South-Seas-themed "Puppetoon" stop-motion feature from the studios of <b>George Pal</b>.<br />
<br />
Some of the stop-motion animation was done by the famed <b>Ray Harryhausen</b>.
If IMDb is to be believed, the voice actors included <b>Rex Ingram</b>, <b>Victor Jory</b>, <b>Patrick McGeehan</b>, <b>Eloise Rawitzer</b>, <b>Sam Edwards</b>, and (providing the voices of the cannibals) <b>Mel Blanc</b>. <b>Dorothy Lamour</b> provided the inspiration for island girl Sarong Sarong.<br />
<br />
Sections of this short were re-cycled into Pal's "The Little Broadcast" Puppetoon in 1943.
Pal was an animator and film maker known for such sci-fi flicks as "When Worlds Collide," "The War of the Worlds" (1953), "The Time Machine" (1960), and (in collaboration with <b>Robert Heinlein</b>) "Destination Moon" (1950).
Happy New Year, everyone!Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-68239206228295411262014-12-25T00:59:00.000-08:002014-12-25T00:59:57.212-08:00Christmas on Christmas Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vcBVVCbdVjRPv34e1HogLD9Ql3JLcOWRzS-hj_tbUohTRw7YYPVswnVdfBRaZUZkYE_9tjM0g1gtb3kvh7DVl9Glw2NX2ZtLAr4DGJPN5U0WcyLbuPTs-ARS7dOBVdPuW6g1edK22a2T/s1600/xmas+island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vcBVVCbdVjRPv34e1HogLD9Ql3JLcOWRzS-hj_tbUohTRw7YYPVswnVdfBRaZUZkYE_9tjM0g1gtb3kvh7DVl9Glw2NX2ZtLAr4DGJPN5U0WcyLbuPTs-ARS7dOBVdPuW6g1edK22a2T/s1600/xmas+island.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></div>
I've been hearing the old novelty song "<b>Christmas Island</b>" a lot more these past couple Decembers, and I thought it was high time to find out where it came from. First, here are the lyrics...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Let's get away from sleigh bells<br />
Let's get away from snow<br />
Let's make a break some Christmas<br />
Dear<br />
I know the place to go</blockquote>
<blockquote>
How'd ya like to spend Christmas<br />
On Christmas Island?<br />
How'd ya like to spend the holiday<br />
Away across the sea?<br />
How'd ya like to spend Christmas<br />
On Christmas Island?<br />
How'd ya like to hang a stocking<br />
On a great big coconut tree?<br />
<br />
How'd ya like to stay up late<br />
Like the islanders do?<br />
Wait for Santa to sail<br />
In with your presents in a canoe<br />
If you ever spend Christmas<br />
On Christmas Island<br />
You will never stray for everyday<br />
Your Christmas dreams come true</blockquote>
<br />
The song was written by<b> Lyle
Moraine</b> (1914-1988) in 1946 and was first recorded that same year by the <b>Andrews Sisters</b>, backed by <b>Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians</b>. It made it to #7 on the
pop charts that year and stayed in the public eye throughout the 1940s. It's been recorded by a number of other folks over the decades. (The recent version I keep hearing on "Musak" is from <b>Jimmy Buffett</b>.)<br />
<br />
Moraine had lots of bit parts in movies, but never became a
star. He also wrote other songs, but "Christmas Island" was his most
noteworthy hit. <br />
<br />
So, how WOULD ya like to spend Christmas on the<i> actual</i> Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean?<br />
<br />
That depends. But it seems unlikely that "your Christmas dreams" would come true." <br />
<br />
Discovered on Christmas Day in 1643, by an English East India Company ship, tiny Christmas Island is now home to just over 2,000 people and scads of horrifying-looking "coconut crabs" -- the largest land-living arthropod on earth. They have powerful claws and can climb trees. (So there might be several <i>right above your head</i> just waiting to drop down on you!) They are also known as "robber crabs" which lead me to believe they may have long arrest records we should be concerned about.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjug6luzjMaz1sa1dIEOXH_tZJU_XuWxgK01Wov3IVvVa3ltv4T6MJHaiD46Hv3oDjLC7KpwisSt2tE6Y_sACZMnFqVfl7ZHKjW5Petzf6p_1oT5zBwfKVjSXEtLO5QlLFusYPwo7B9Cs_5/s1600/coconutcrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjug6luzjMaz1sa1dIEOXH_tZJU_XuWxgK01Wov3IVvVa3ltv4T6MJHaiD46Hv3oDjLC7KpwisSt2tE6Y_sACZMnFqVfl7ZHKjW5Petzf6p_1oT5zBwfKVjSXEtLO5QlLFusYPwo7B9Cs_5/s1600/coconutcrab.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A coconut crab looking for Christmas leftovers. Ho, ho, ho!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If that weren't enough, another <i>100 million</i> red crabs migrate across Christmas Island each year in one enormous herd, or gaggle,... or whatever you call a large group of crabs. (I think a "floozie of crabs" has a certain ring to it.)<br />
<br />
And once you get past the fauna, you'll find that only a minority of Christmas Island residents even celebrate Christmas. Although it's a territory of Australia, the population is mostly of Chinese descent. The religious break-down is about 75% Buddhist, 12% Christian, and 10% Muslim.<br />
<br />
But those who do celebrate the day do so with a combination of Christian and Micronesian traditions that include multiple days of dance and choir performances.<br />
<br />
No, you won't see "Santa sail in with your presents in a canoe." But you may meet some Asian refugees who've drifted around the ocean in various rickety boats. These days, Christmas Island is largely known as a way-station and detention center for refugees wanting to come to Australia. <br />
<br />
And although, as a Southern Californian, I'm all in favor of a sunny Christmas, it does seem like there should be a <b><i>little</i></b> snap in the air during the holidays. You won't find that on Christmas Island either. The average low temperature is 65 degrees, and the average high temperature is in the low 80s,... all month,... <i>every</i> month.<br />
<br />
In short, you're probably better off enjoying Christmas wherever you already live. Please do so.<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas to all!Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-56910620168311689832014-05-05T19:21:00.003-07:002014-05-05T19:26:58.682-07:00Tiki Talk Tomorrow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqstAFXQn8nqilgbj1ItQO6YDK-3OERBg2XOwnkFMzHWlVMx-dtP46GqPzadAJ3uh3cmRAXBdMWKI4ldeQo7xASP8ccK4yC44X_LV3cusnAgY0lknatdwKRRlQcWkFmO2Wm89J2MdrUaBy/s1600/OC+Tiki2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqstAFXQn8nqilgbj1ItQO6YDK-3OERBg2XOwnkFMzHWlVMx-dtP46GqPzadAJ3uh3cmRAXBdMWKI4ldeQo7xASP8ccK4yC44X_LV3cusnAgY0lknatdwKRRlQcWkFmO2Wm89J2MdrUaBy/s1600/OC+Tiki2.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>It's strange to post about myself in the third person, but here's the blurb that's being used...<br /> </i><br />
<b>Chris Jepsen</b> will speak about the history of the "<b>Polynesian Pop</b>" phenomenon of the 1950s and '60s as it applied to <b>Orange County, California</b> at the <a href="http://www.stanleyranchmuseum.com/"><b>Garden Grove Historical Society</b></a>, 12174 Euclid Ave., <b>Garden Grove</b>, (tomorrow!) Tuesday, May 6, 2014, at 7:00 p.m . Island attire is encouraged but not mandatory. The event is open to everyone -- not just Society members.<br /><br />From architecture, décor and music, to literature, theme parks and backyard luaus, the South Seas was a wildly popular theme throughout Mid-Century America. This was especially true in sunny Orange County, where primitive carved figures, grass huts, 'Aloha shirts,' and lush jungle landscaping seemed right at home.<br /><br />Chris Jepsen is a local historian, Assistant Archivist at the <b>Orange County Archives</b>, and president of the <b>Orange County Historical Society</b>. He also writes the "Ask the O.C. Answer Man" column for <b>Orange Coast Magazine</b> and operates two blogs: <a href="http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/"><b>The O.C. History Roundup</b></a> and <b>Tiki Lagoon</b>.<br />
<br />
<i>(Note: The photo above was shot in <b>Dana Point</b>, overlooking <b>San Juan Capistrano</b> and <b>Old Saddleback</b>. </i><i>The tiki is bit of original 1960s backyard </i><i>décor that has been in the same family for many decades now.)</i><br />
Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-86983628608570065402013-09-08T19:57:00.000-07:002013-09-08T19:57:18.440-07:00Ìxtahuele!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv8yYXrZM43CBIW6pJb5JsYLf-PdzdRNcT02t7dPC6crxSD6LOmJQqwEJFS5RS4DdPA1BqkedgRujG7One3-kcjSqyeWn3FOUCuWVTpxa6Z_QKQO-w1grkEhN7pfAahnV4KC_2kzNOQ5j/s1600/pagan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjv8yYXrZM43CBIW6pJb5JsYLf-PdzdRNcT02t7dPC6crxSD6LOmJQqwEJFS5RS4DdPA1BqkedgRujG7One3-kcjSqyeWn3FOUCuWVTpxa6Z_QKQO-w1grkEhN7pfAahnV4KC_2kzNOQ5j/s400/pagan.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
I stumbled across <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Ixtahuele"><b>Ixtahuele</b></a>'s EP, ""<b>The Exotic Sounds Of Ìxtahuele</b>" in 2012, and was pleasantly shocked to discover a modern group that <i>truly </i>captured the classic sound of exotica.<br />
<br />
Many other modern takes on musical exotica diverge from the sound (if not he spirit) of their inspiration. Often the instrumentation is off (e.g. synthesizers), the songs are indistinguishable from one another (i.e. the "New Age" effect), or it's merged with some other form of music like surf rock. Some of this updated exotica is excellent in its own right, but it often does not transport you to the heyday of Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman.<br />
Ìxtahuele, however, is exactly on target. They write their own material and perform it, expertly, on good old fashioned musical instruments. The group includes vibraphonists/percussionists Wictor Lind and Mattias Uneback,
percussionist Johan Hjalmarsson, pianist Carl Turesson
Bernehed, and bassist Henrik Nilsson.<br />
<br />
The group hails from Gothenburg, Sweden, which is not the locale that comes to mind while listening to their music. But what better enviornment to dream up tropical landscapes than in a place that commonly drops to 23 degrees in the winter? Escapism has long been a key factor in Polynesian Pop. Anyway, if Thor Heyerdahl, Sven Kirsten and Christopher Lars Jepsen are any indicator -- Northern European types have a natural affinity for all that relates to tiki.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DFBWTL2b_Xs?rel=0" width="500"></iframe> <br />
In May 2013, Ìxtahuele released their first full album, "Pagan
Rites." If anything, it's even better than their EP. It's been in "heavy rotation" on my
MP3 player for several months now. Like the best of Martin Denny's work, it doesn't grow stale with repeated listening. If you didn't know better, you'd swear "Pagan Rites" was a lost,
Mid-Century classic of the genre.<br />
<br />
Tracks include Black Sand, Rarohengan Dance, Brugmansia, Stone Gods of Bimini, Orust Luau, Lotus Eaters, Searching For Souq, Huahine, Dengue Fever, and Gardens of Mu. A few of these also appeared on the EP, but get somewhat different arrangements for the album.<br />
<br />
A quick search of the Interwebs will turn up several ways to purchase the album. I <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Rites-Ixtahuele/dp/B00CDZM4YK">bought the actual CD</a></b>, and I'm glad I did. The recording quality is good, and I can only assume that it would loose something in MP3 format.<br />
<br />
Ìxtahuele's appearance at this year's Hukilau in Florida was well received. If there's any justice in the world, these gifted fellows should soon be wildly popular in the tiki/exotica revival scene.Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-61458974308105413722013-07-10T19:59:00.004-07:002013-07-10T19:59:52.680-07:00Don the Beachcomber Goes to War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmDVU1ufzm49tLM40uAfzAbZyC524G9K6S_WUjXCG7Eo2fwFiQ1sfuRcw1y8lotxGIjhJjsWWm_7CcF0DxKTmRHxjF7SdM9cM0FCDu-NNVHoZ5xrK-hgljUPg_brH2bwwR5kvoLM7s4u2/s1600/Donnsearly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmDVU1ufzm49tLM40uAfzAbZyC524G9K6S_WUjXCG7Eo2fwFiQ1sfuRcw1y8lotxGIjhJjsWWm_7CcF0DxKTmRHxjF7SdM9cM0FCDu-NNVHoZ5xrK-hgljUPg_brH2bwwR5kvoLM7s4u2/s400/Donnsearly.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I discovered an interesting new bit of <b>Don the Beachcomber</b> lore, and wasn't sure <i>where </i>to share it. It could have ended up on either this blog or my <i><b><a href="http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/">Orange County History Roundup</a> </b></i>blog. The other blog won out this time, but tiki fans will want to read the story too. Here's a link: "<a href="http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2013/07/keeping-costa-mesa-safe-for-democracy.html"><b>Keeping Costa Mesa Safe For Democracy, One Mai Tai at a Time</b></a>."Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-83095941154971703492013-06-24T20:37:00.003-07:002013-06-24T20:37:32.446-07:00Trans-Pacific Musical Mish-MASH<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0deBd3HscRVSMVWx5zRepptJuaCKIvbMyayiUc1yjIvu8vjSrN6E3hoX0Ks4SR1t2-u4d8pWyd1v47GeNR49h_8pXNj2qJLh8BJfn-QYRAxxn1YiBDp9Gz3mvKK4u_5sQgVt4Hlq0bc8h/s1600/music_pilot_00_my_blue_heaven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0deBd3HscRVSMVWx5zRepptJuaCKIvbMyayiUc1yjIvu8vjSrN6E3hoX0Ks4SR1t2-u4d8pWyd1v47GeNR49h_8pXNj2qJLh8BJfn-QYRAxxn1YiBDp9Gz3mvKK4u_5sQgVt4Hlq0bc8h/s400/music_pilot_00_my_blue_heaven.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hawaiian shirts in Uijeongbu, Korea, as seen in the first episode of M*A*S*H. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I just started reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1864620471"><i><b>Widening the Horizon: Exoticism in Post-War Popular Music</b></i></a>, edited by <b>Philip Hayward</b>, and while the writing style is often as dry as packing peanuts, it includes a lot of excellent food for thought regarding all the kinds of music we associate with tiki: Exotica, hapa haole, faux-Asian, etc. All of these styles of music blend familiar sounds with sounds of far-off lands. <b>Martin Denny</b>'s music, for instance, mixes
popular music styles of the 1950s with bird calls, Asian
instrumentation, and percussion that hinted at mysterious jungles.<br />
<br />
About the same time I started the book, I happened to catch a <b>M*A*S*H</b> marathon (both the movie and the TV show), it dawned on me that<a href="http://www.mash4077tv.com/features/music_of_mash/"> the music played over the 4077th's P.A. system</a>
would fit perfectly into the "tiki mix." Most of these songs were sung
in Japanese (i.e. the "exotic" element), but many were popular songs
from the U.S. A few were recent hits of the early 1950s, like <i>"Hi-Lili,
Hi-Lo."</i> But most were well-worn tunes by the start of the <b>Korean War</b>:
<i>"My Blue Heaven," "Happy Days Are Here Again," "Chattanooga Choo-Choo,"
"The Darktown Strutters' Ball,"</i> etc. The camp's familiar pole-mounted speaker
also played "G.I. Songs" from occupied Japan, like <i>"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejkt16MsxHs">Tokyo Shoe Shine Boy</a>,"</i> by <a href="http://terukoakatsuki.com/info.php">Teruko Akatsuki</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1hL9ckU149UeWFlvP8lzHy00-dCPK5MEUbjZv4kQnjut-bEB-pVI5HyA91-SvAuQc4cnUJorBa958ulA0eMO4vQis1A9IxoL0kq6edgKTD0t8eOTst0H6I_RalKtyAN988jIUHT-tpIT/s1600/speaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1hL9ckU149UeWFlvP8lzHy00-dCPK5MEUbjZv4kQnjut-bEB-pVI5HyA91-SvAuQc4cnUJorBa958ulA0eMO4vQis1A9IxoL0kq6edgKTD0t8eOTst0H6I_RalKtyAN988jIUHT-tpIT/s400/speaker.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Attention all personnel. Due to circumstances beyond our control, lunch will be served today."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The idea in M*A*S*H seemed to be either that 1) G.I.s were bringing these records back to camp
after being on leave in Tokyo, or 2) Radios in Korea could pick up
stations from Japan.<br />
<br />
Sadly, I can't seem to find these
recordings anywhere. I suspect they may exist only in the Fox Studios,
or perhaps in thift shop LP bins somewhere in Japan. The closest I've
come across is <b>Tokie Tamaki</b>’s version of <i>"<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001153LIG/">Sayonara (Japanese Farewell Song)</a>"</i> on Amazon. (As I continued reading <i>Widening The Horizon</i>, I found that contributor <b>Shuhei Hosokawa</b> even mentions this song's appearance in the series, albeit peformed by another artist.)<br />
<br />
If
anyone knows where I can get copies of these background tracks, I'd
certainly appreciate it. It may be unorthodox, but a few of these songs
sprinkled into a mix of more traditional choices could really liven up
the luau. In the cultural hodgepodge of Polynesian Pop, what blends in better than American songs, sung in Japanese, from a TV show set in Korea, which was really an extended metaphor for
Vietnam?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0D_EGPQNFrczQTFHI02X7oac3_03L41PeTRScp7W3EC7g32c-Tt8sV_3NA5HllfH-boIuzV-CBOXMRp-E4igZte8R8iXzSCg6nrgXLmKNsbZ4UIkgshGKErAeK9wTrcGojHkv7pYzazR/s1600/hawk1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0D_EGPQNFrczQTFHI02X7oac3_03L41PeTRScp7W3EC7g32c-Tt8sV_3NA5HllfH-boIuzV-CBOXMRp-E4igZte8R8iXzSCg6nrgXLmKNsbZ4UIkgshGKErAeK9wTrcGojHkv7pYzazR/s400/hawk1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hawkeye, wearing a lei, auctions off a trip to Tokyo with Lt. Dish.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-34004020959273219372013-06-01T16:56:00.002-07:002013-06-01T16:56:29.799-07:00The Kahiki Remembered<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdatUu0KzZiy3b_b95-fFjbYuNAznLGMJcKP6jCdekPaUWHo9Q54l7cYGU2BiYEiUZKtX6oJeBYrXrQfZQn1RK9B4tOdeHRtNM4ahNQHN_qZzI0BxxrQoiu0GofYeJX_u71G-AN6WmqxVR/s1600/kahikiexterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdatUu0KzZiy3b_b95-fFjbYuNAznLGMJcKP6jCdekPaUWHo9Q54l7cYGU2BiYEiUZKtX6oJeBYrXrQfZQn1RK9B4tOdeHRtNM4ahNQHN_qZzI0BxxrQoiu0GofYeJX_u71G-AN6WmqxVR/s400/kahikiexterior.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Columbus Ohio</b>'s late, lamented <b>Kahiki Supper Club</b> is the subject of <a href="http://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com/2013/05/28/ohio-tahiti-kahiki/"><b>the latest entry</b></a> on <b>Jan Whitaker</b>'s brilliant blog, <a href="http://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com/"><i><b>Restaurant-ing Through History</b></i></a>. Click on over and check it out!Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-89137072576721006952013-05-06T23:24:00.001-07:002013-05-06T23:27:37.146-07:00The Other Trader Sam<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKCMJVnKo55_AG67GyrmgMJXNzOQUiFRd-bmQi1qsQW7UFU2tsuey7jO8DIRwinsGm6XnMFadkZZ5Q03ZVHMf4QF828fHvTHiFskgk2spopa_YJVUvawx5TuNm42gFxjAeeTTlBhZ2KbU/s1600/Trader+Sam%27s+Seafood,+Garden+Grove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKCMJVnKo55_AG67GyrmgMJXNzOQUiFRd-bmQi1qsQW7UFU2tsuey7jO8DIRwinsGm6XnMFadkZZ5Q03ZVHMf4QF828fHvTHiFskgk2spopa_YJVUvawx5TuNm42gFxjAeeTTlBhZ2KbU/s400/Trader+Sam%27s+Seafood,+Garden+Grove.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Postcard image of Trader Sam's Seafood in Garden Grove, circa 1966.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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You’ve heard of <b>Trader Sam’s</b>, the snazzy modern tiki bar at the <b>Disneyland Hotel</b>. And you’ve probably heard of <b>Sam’s Seafood</b>, the landmark tiki palace in Sunset Beach, which recently became <b>Don the Beachcomber's</b>. But what’s "<b>Trader Sam’s Seafood</b>?" Could it be a mash-up of the two locations? <br />
<br />
Actually, Trader Sam’s Seafood was a third and separate establishment located at 8641 Garden Grove Boulevard (now a vacant lot), in Garden Grove, California. <br />
<br />
<b>Sam E. Frudakis</b> was born in 1918, in Bennywood, West Virginia, and served in the Army during WWII, in the 148 Field Artillery, Division 41. In 1953, he moved to Long Beach, California, where he ran the Checkerboard Cafe on the Pike and the Olympia Cafe on Ocean/Long Beach Boulevard.<br />
<br />
Around 1960, Sam had a stroke of great luck that would change his life forever. Sam bought a more-than-100-year-old piggy bank at a Long Beach second-hand store for $6.12. Inside, he found a handful of Hawaiian coins which proved to be rather valuable. The haul included railroad and plantation tokens, commemorative coins, and an 1856 penny which he sold for $1,200. He later discovered the penny was worth $2,100, but his piggy bank find still brought him a roughly $4,000 in total profit -- Enough to launch a successful career as a coin and stamp dealer. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEAoHsEK9E7JPr467TljuS9lZP7iqQ8kWJy0ZA9ZcXfpSNV74yHS5qYYS0vI1aI-MgIGjOoqiapSH7oGNJa8yiJoWZevS-9gWR7E87XAQnHYAfK4C91blcl_p2zkpyrrEqCtoBqvlAXbF/s1600/Hawaiian+Plantation+token.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEAoHsEK9E7JPr467TljuS9lZP7iqQ8kWJy0ZA9ZcXfpSNV74yHS5qYYS0vI1aI-MgIGjOoqiapSH7oGNJa8yiJoWZevS-9gWR7E87XAQnHYAfK4C91blcl_p2zkpyrrEqCtoBqvlAXbF/s320/Hawaiian+Plantation+token.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="block">This token, struck for the Haiku Plantation in Hawaii, represented
about one day's wages for a plantation worker.</span></div>
<xml>
</xml></td></tr>
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<br />
Sam opened a coin shop at 30 Long Beach Blvd., in Long Beach. Caught up in the Polynesian-Pop craze of the era – and perhaps inspired by those special Hawaiian coins – he called his store “<b>Trader Sam’s Coin Shop</b>.”<br />
<br />
In 1961, the Los Angeles Times reported that Sam had chased an armed man, who had robbed a neighboring store, over three blocks before catching him and turning him over to the police. He wasn’t just a success, he was a hero!<br />
<br />
Trader Sam’s Coin Shop eventually moved onto Ocean Boulevard, around the corner from the Olympia Cafe.<br />
<br />
Soon, Trader Sam and fellow numismatist Ray Lundgren launched the annual Long Beach Stamp & Coin Exposition, which was the largest event of its kind in the world. It was first held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in 1964, and is still held today at the Long Beach Convention Center.<br />
<br />
Flush with success, Sam opened a restaurant in Garden Grove called “Trader Sam’s Seafood.” He remodeled the place in 1966, adding exotic-styled décor and even a waterfall. But it doesn’t seem that the place survived very long. <br />
<br />
In 1975, Sam was convicted of transporting stolen stamps across state lines. He was part of a group indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy charges relating to $1.2 million worth of stamps stolen from another dealer in 1971. He was fined $10,000, put in jail for 10 days, given 800 hours of community service, and placed on four years probation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikid0qRfnfYVxtrsKr-N-hPky1PZ2MqNd2-HuzsKqlmSd-BQ_2GBCmBTZjFfEb8a1eUGFG_d34JVjEopoXrloXHMYglGQeN9rN0GBx9xxK2OG82U9FkPruoJ-TpRyguK_oTzdnwG9F-q5m/s1600/SamsSF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikid0qRfnfYVxtrsKr-N-hPky1PZ2MqNd2-HuzsKqlmSd-BQ_2GBCmBTZjFfEb8a1eUGFG_d34JVjEopoXrloXHMYglGQeN9rN0GBx9xxK2OG82U9FkPruoJ-TpRyguK_oTzdnwG9F-q5m/s400/SamsSF.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't order a rum-based drink at this Trader Sam's.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When his four years were up, Sam moved to San Francisco, where he opened another <b>Trader Sam's Coin Shop </b>at 498 Valencia St., in the heart of the Mission District. There he rebuilt a solid reputation as a coin dealer and spent the rest of his working life. He died in San Francisco on the last day of 2009. The obituary gave Sam E. Frudakis's full name, but said he was "better known as Trader Sam."Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-89215519714074178752013-04-10T19:55:00.002-07:002013-04-10T19:55:34.660-07:00Two articles worth reading<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6H6SYyhfecOdFr-FNuinujZDG383X_YEDd6TAtliyZUxxI21wDUjb3iyEkrwram5DKx2hMO-Ghyphenhyphen1pmMtmMfm3BQLilbLUIjdXzga69zAZCma4OIdRPZFxfwLsznPZ9s1tIJVYXOPFLhGw/s1600/tikitabu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6H6SYyhfecOdFr-FNuinujZDG383X_YEDd6TAtliyZUxxI21wDUjb3iyEkrwram5DKx2hMO-Ghyphenhyphen1pmMtmMfm3BQLilbLUIjdXzga69zAZCma4OIdRPZFxfwLsznPZ9s1tIJVYXOPFLhGw/s400/tikitabu.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiki Tabu Apartments, 3505 Artesia Blvd., Torrance, 1965. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Go read architect/author/histiran/architectural-guru <b>Alan Hess</b>' fine article, "<b>Long Live Tiki, the Whimsical Soul of Midcentury Modern</b>," on the <b>Getty Museum</b>'s <b><i>Iris</i></b> online magazine. (<b><a href="http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/long-live-tiki-the-whimsical-soul-of-midcentury-modern/">Click here for link</a></b>.) Alan writes, "...Tiki had something in common with Southern California Modernist
luminaries: where <b>Ray and Charles Eames</b> showed us whimsy, color, and
history, Tiki also showed us whimsy, color and history." He concludes, "Tiki satisfies a need that German architecture pioneer <b>Walter Gropius</b> could not have imagined." If those two lines don't get you to read the rest of the article, then you're on the wrong blog.<br />
<br />
Speaking of good articles, also check out <b>Jonpaul Balak</b>'s article about essential Exotica LP's in the new Spring 2013 issue of <a href="http://www.tikimagazine.com/"><i><b>Tiki Magazine</b></i></a>. I wish I'd had that article when I started collecting! (And no, Jonpaul's article is not online -- You'll have to actually <i>buy</i> a copy on <i>dead tree</i>. Remember paper?)Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-91271659091345979122013-03-10T20:38:00.000-07:002013-03-10T20:42:10.274-07:00Draining the Sleepy Lagoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeXU-Brij9jlTWU2k947-d01Tv0Ig8Pfvk9sOmAtVnjKQbjsK8rAxTz0XNqFfI2Kc-raAuY_GyrmuDkOiVCYT3CPxWt76W3ZJAqYa2Av6v61HflwjUIxUMWSbwdUtx6ZPbrD30XmZE5ze/s1600/The+Sleepy+Lagoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeXU-Brij9jlTWU2k947-d01Tv0Ig8Pfvk9sOmAtVnjKQbjsK8rAxTz0XNqFfI2Kc-raAuY_GyrmuDkOiVCYT3CPxWt76W3ZJAqYa2Av6v61HflwjUIxUMWSbwdUtx6ZPbrD30XmZE5ze/s400/The+Sleepy+Lagoon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
May 9, 2013 was a bad day for tiki fans. Not only did it turn out to be the one-day-earlier-than-expected last day of the <b>Bahooka</b>, it also saw the last post at <a href="http://thesleepylagoon.blogspot.com/"><i><b>The Sleepy Lagoon</b></i></a>. Since 2009, "<b>Musik-Kurier</b>" of Berlin has been posting digital version of great but often little-known Mid-Century exotica LPs on his <b><i>Sleepy Lagoon</i></b> blog. It was an outstanding way to discover artists that might otherwise has slipped under our radar. <br />
<br />
In a recent post on <a href="http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/"><b>Tiki Central</b></a>, Musik-Kurier wrote, "Since 2009, I've run 'The Sleepy Lagoon'-Blog. I think now it's time to introduce the blog to Tiki Central. It's a music-blog for Exotica and related music. I offer already more than 100 posts with the possibility to listen to complete albums direct on the website... I don't make many words in my posts, also because English is not my mother tongue... The motto is Pure Music, from me to you. Enjoy... and let me know what you think about it." <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVTtWVPZrhVWG-eZRXD2FZeC2tMqLQwrUqAjugYDTq1BkcZahJbYCsmE_EgUFvcer265msvi3CdsdaEu7F16-JldEVPhX3vN-Y25V-ykiWYo13r5wi85KyUUwT9lxJKGnJuY2okuhHNfZ/s1600/Kostelanetz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVTtWVPZrhVWG-eZRXD2FZeC2tMqLQwrUqAjugYDTq1BkcZahJbYCsmE_EgUFvcer265msvi3CdsdaEu7F16-JldEVPhX3vN-Y25V-ykiWYo13r5wi85KyUUwT9lxJKGnJuY2okuhHNfZ/s320/Kostelanetz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Personally, I think it was <i>great</i>. In fact, at least a fourth of the tracks currently on my MP3 player can be directly or
indirectly traced back to discoveries I made at <i>The Sleepy Lagoon</i>. These include rare tracks from the likes of <b>Alex Keack</b>, <b>Axel Stordahl</b>, <b>Don Ralke</b>, <b>Ethel Azama</b>, <b>Gene Rains</b>, <b>George Cates</b>, <b>Jimmy Namaro Trio</b>, <b>John McFarland</b>, <b>Johnny Spencer and the Kona Koasters</b>, <b>Rex Kona</b>, <b>Stanley Black</b>, <b>Ted Auletta</b>, <b>The Shangaans</b>, and one of my favorite new exotica groups, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Ixtahuele"><b>Ìxtahuele</b></a>.<br />
<br />
<i>The Sleepy Lagoon</i> led me not only to listen to its posted (generally long-out-of-print) albums, but also increased my downloadable music purchases on Amazon exponentially as I searched for additional albums by the best artists. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdvLgPkwWsZo9rPNBcjlqpSivvWV6mgDVH9zz5aJdSBbqoEr5Wc4Ia1ThCj8it7ZYhfW2003ULGcfBT-KnQ2usdFtK8wiSqEwCpOgEjp2z0sl4nV25g38flSmYgYDANGepaFzDz3OK3eN/s1600/Tiare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdvLgPkwWsZo9rPNBcjlqpSivvWV6mgDVH9zz5aJdSBbqoEr5Wc4Ia1ThCj8it7ZYhfW2003ULGcfBT-KnQ2usdFtK8wiSqEwCpOgEjp2z0sl4nV25g38flSmYgYDANGepaFzDz3OK3eN/s320/Tiare.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Musik-Kurier's last post, yesterday, was titled simply "THE END," and read as follows: "Divshare closed my account and all files and playlists are deleted. I thank everybody for the attention in the last four years. Aloha!" It was followed by a long string of well-wishes and farewells from regular readers.<br />
<br />
We can only assume that this shut-down is another example of the recording industry shooting itself in the foot -- discouraging sales of albums that haven't been in demand since the 1960s. One can only wonder what other musical horizons would have been opened to modern exotica fans had <i>The Sleepy Lagoon</i> been allowed to continue.Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-76583184504396452692013-02-16T18:04:00.001-08:002013-02-16T18:04:33.721-08:00Bahooka bazooka-ed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-sfqEVLZ9Pvkw88avMqpih2AP6S0zV8Jqn1dLdjmvoqnYfigYRNXkFEwUClJ8bVWzJ4kPiwIxi68_GIK_GXXNZbIc6Lz0ZvMaGngLPGeQv00RZi7dddR5ygj3bCM-tjRbOCcsIKLeoTI/s1600/bahooka1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-sfqEVLZ9Pvkw88avMqpih2AP6S0zV8Jqn1dLdjmvoqnYfigYRNXkFEwUClJ8bVWzJ4kPiwIxi68_GIK_GXXNZbIc6Lz0ZvMaGngLPGeQv00RZi7dddR5ygj3bCM-tjRbOCcsIKLeoTI/s400/bahooka1.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
Our friend <b>Chris Nicols</b> at <i><b>Los Angeles Magazine</b></i> writes, that the <b>Bahooka</b> restaurant in <b>Rosemead</b>, California, "will close its doors on March 10th after 46 years in business." (See <a href="http://www.lamag.com/citythink/askchris/2013/02/15/bahooka-the-craziest-most-wonderful-tiki-restaurant-in-la-to-close"><b>his full article</b></a> for details.) Asked if there was any chance of it being saved, Sven Kirsten (the man with his finger on the pulse of all things tiki) writes, "Sorry, but it's gonna be a goner, for sure. And there's nuthin' we can do about it."<br />
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<br />Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-64463745004130014292013-01-12T00:03:00.000-08:002013-01-12T00:03:20.964-08:00"Is that Tiki?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/2005/10/16/tiki-visiting-1310/"><b>Click through</b></a> to watch the complete <b>Oceanic Arts</b> episode of <b>Huell Howser</b>'s <i><b>Visiting</b></i>. Sadly, Huell <a href="http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2013/01/huell-howser-1945-2013.html">passed away</a> earlier this week. The photos on today's post show him with OA owners <b>Leroy Schmaltz</b> (above) and <b>Bob Van Oosting</b>. <br />
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<br />Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-19294612310836481812012-12-24T20:17:00.002-08:002012-12-24T20:17:16.167-08:00Mele Kalikimaka!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-34006683053896813732012-11-29T21:27:00.001-08:002012-11-29T21:27:27.015-08:00Quiet Night, Aloha Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Does a holiday known for snow and ice mix well with white sands and palm trees? I believe it does. Christmastime is sneaking up on us again, and I've been filling up my MP3 player with tiki-appropriate holiday music. I've waded through a lot of junk to come up with a few gems, and I thought I'd share the best of what I found (so far) here on the blog.<br />
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<b>Arthur Lyman</b>'s "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Merry-Christmas/dp/B000TQ0AP0/"><b>Merry Christmas (Mele Kalikimaka)</b></a>," from 1959, is a solid choice. Some tracks aren't quite as Exotica-infused as you'd expect, but others seem a perfect hybrid of Hawaii and the holidays. But you can never go too far wrong with Lyman at the helm. His take on "Winter Wonderland," may, in fact, be the best example of Christmas Exotica ever created. This album has also been re-released on CD as "With A Christmas Vibe," (with a fetching wahine on the cover,) but some find the re-editing on that version a little off-putting. I'd suggest sticking with versions of the album featuring the green (shown above) or silver "Christmas present" covers, which are essentially the original album without significant tinkering.<br />
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For straightforward hapa haole Christmas music, try <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-in-Hawaii/dp/B001C3J2ZS/"><b>Christmas In Hawaii</b></a> </i>by country music legend turned Hawaiian steel guitar revivalist <b>Jerry Bird</b>. (Some of you may already know Byrd from his take on the theme to "Adventures in Paradise.") This is fine instrumental background music, featuring holiday standards tasetefully rendered in ukulele, steel guitar, etc., along with a smattering of songs specifically written to evoke Christmas in the islands. I'm told this is a 2003 release, but it's pretty timeless. <br />
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Two specific tracks essential for your Tiki Christmas mix can be found on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Lounge-Christmas-Cocktails-Vol-2/dp/B000002TLS"><i><b>Christmas Cocktails, Part 2</b></i></a>, which is part of the now-classic<b> Ultra-Lounge</b> series of compilations from Capitol Records. (Yes, the series was revived recently in the form of new digital downloads, but the new incarnation doesn't measure up.) Notably, <i>Christmas Cocktails, Part 2</i> features "<b>Christmas Island</b>" by <b>Bob Atcher and the Dinning Sisters</b> (kitschy, but fun), and "<b>Exotic Night</b>," which was <b>Martin Denny</b>'s take on the traditional "Greensleeves"/"What Child Is This?" -- complete with his usual orchestration style and semi-exotic instrumentation, but happily without his usual bird calls. It's not one of Denny's best, but it's probably mandatory for any self-respecting list of tiki-fied Christmas songs.<br />
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I'd also like to point out a few individual songs that fit in well with this mix. "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-little-Drummer-Album-Version/dp/B001RZ4ASK/"><b>We Four Kings</b></a>," by the <b>Blue Hawaiians</b> (from their album <i>Christmas on the Big Island</i>) is a successful mashup of the carol "We Three Kings" with the Pyramids' instrumental surf-rock classic, "Penetration." In a similar retro surf rock vein is <b>King of Hawaii</b>'s take on "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Greensleeves/dp/B001N0U3T4/"><b>Greensleeves</b></a>" (from the album <i>Mele Kalikimaka</i>). Normally I'm not a big fan of mixing surf rock with tracks from the likes of Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny -- But I think these are two exceptions that work pretty well. But maybe that's just the eggnog talking.<br />
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And finally, what would a pseudo-Hawaiian-style Christmas be without <b>Bing Crosby</b>'s classic version of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047C1UBU/"><b>Mele Kalikimaka</b></a>," from his<i> Merry Christmas</i> (now renamed <i>White Christmas</i>) album? Der Bingle has been making people dream about spending the holidays in paradise since 1945! <br />
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I hope this helps give you a jump start on your aloha holiday listening this year.<br />
By the way, I'll probably be at the International Tiki Marketplace event at <a href="http://www.donthebeachcomber.com/"><b>Don the Beachcombers</b></a>' in <b>Huntington Beach</b>, California this Sunday, Dec. 2nd. It will run from 11am to 4pm, and there will be live entertainment and over 30 vendors of all things tiki. If you see me, stop me and say hello.Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6523347757486410855.post-8223701281412619872012-11-07T22:08:00.000-08:002012-11-09T21:33:32.787-08:00Arthur K. Snyder (1932-2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Don the Beachcomber</b> in <b>Huntington Beach/Sunset Beach, California</b> just posted the following:<br />
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"We are saddened to bring such news, but this morning <b>Arthur Snyder</b> passed away in his sleep at 79 years old. He was a United States Marine, a USC Law Graduate, a politician, a restauranteur, but most importantly, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He will leave a legacy for ages to come but what he left in everyone's hearts will last a lifetime. Burial information will be posted soon. We will be holding a celebration of his life this Saturday at Don the Beachcomber in the Longboard Room from 3pm - 8pm. For more information please email <a href="mailto:info@donthebeachcomber.com">info@donthebeachcomber.com</a>. We ask that during this time of grieving you do not try to contact the family or staff at Don the Beachcomber. More information will be posted shortly."</blockquote>
Sad and shocking news, indeed. Art was a significant and charming personality in the recent chapters of the tiki revival. He and his wife, <b>Delia</b>, have done amazing things in a very short time with the former <b>Sam's Seafood</b>, somehow restoring and preserving one of the last palaces of tiki (Sam's) while simultaneously creating a whole new one (Don's) at the same location.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art with Holden Westland of Tiki Farm last June at Don's.</td></tr>
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Art was born in <b>Los Angeles</b> in 1932 and went to school there all the way up through his law degree from <b>USC</b>. He was clearly never afraid to try a new line of work, and over his lifetime he was everything from a ditch digger, to a private investigator, to a PR man, to a lawyer, to a legal officer in the <b>U.S. Marines</b>, to a politician -- serving from 1967 to 1985 on the <b>Los Angeles City Council</b>. I knew him only in his last incarnation: Genial restauranteur and stand-in for the legendary <b>Donn Beach</b>.<br />
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A few months ago, Art took me on a personal tour of Don's, including the legendary basement, which features a mysterious tunnel leading toward the lagoons behind the property. Art said the basement was haunted, and asked that I be respectful and not too noisy. He also asked that I NOT take photographs, which was a far more difficult assignment. In any case, it was an interesting look at what was undoubtedly a smuggling tunnel back when brothers <b>Sam and George Arvenitis</b> owned the place. (No connection to Prohibition, however, since nothing was built on the property until the 1940s.) Anyway, Art was interested that I was a historian and that I'd already done a bunch of research on Sam's. I, in turn, was very grateful for the tour and information he shared with me. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art with members of the O.C. Historical Society's board, planning a luau over mai tais. </td></tr>
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A couple years ago, Art also helped me (and the rest of the <b>Orange County Historical Society</b>) plan a big luau event for the "Hidden Village" room at Don's. The event was a huge success and the place was packed right up to the fire marshall's limit. At our planning meeting, Art unexpectedly picked up the tab for our dinners. Sure, it was an investment in a larger business opportunity -- But it was something he clearly didn't <i>have</i> to do to clinch the deal. It was just the sort of generous gesture I later came to know as Art's "standard operating procedure": Going the extra mile for customers.<br />
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Art's funeral will be held Wed., Nov. 14, 9am, at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Dr., Los Angeles. (Drive to Old North Church once inside the cemetery.) Reception following interment at the Hall of Liberty. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you consider making a donation in Art's name to: <a href="http://www.solheimlutheran.org/">Solheim Lutheran Home</a> in Los Angeles.<br /><br />
Mahalo for being a great host, Art, and for all you've done to keep tiki alive and well. A lot of people are very grateful.<br />
<br />Chris Jepsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00207321906121901004noreply@blogger.com0