Tiki Tuesday: The Kon Tiki, Tucson, Arizona

On our epic roadtrip of the Southwest, the hubby and I visited just one lonesome Tiki bar...there's not much Tiki out there in the desert, where they need it the most, in my opinion!

The Kon Tiki, in Tucson Arizona, opened in 1963.  It has a great history, and used to host big celebrities back in it's heyday, such as Clint Eastwood.

A pretty fun sign (please ignore the tacky banner in photo, left)

We pulled our rented RV up to this little glowing gem, and it was like an oasis in the desert, beckoning with promise of tropical drinks!

The Kon Tiki supposedly boasts  "the largest collection of Milan Guanko tikis in the world"...perhaps these are a couple?

The decor is pretty cool & authentic, including the obligatory Tretchikoff Chinese Girl.

He's happy there are no piranhas around!

In the entry way there is a big tropical aquarium (I'm such a sucker for a pretty fish tank) which apparently used to house piranhas!!! Pretty awesome. I think it's illegal to have those, now...

The Kon Tiki is a restaurant as well as a bar, and it's really big inside with lots of little rooms, each with a slightly different variation on the tiki decor. The Yelp reviews say the food is pretty mediocre, but hey...you don't go to a bar for the food, am I right?

 You go for the drinks!!! The bartender, Marcos, made me a mighty-tasty Mai Tai. It's a little odd to drink a Mai Tai in the middle of the desert...oddly delicious :-)

The Kon Tiki was an interesting spot. On the one hand, it has a fun history and lots of great, authentic details like this fab lamp.

Mr. Tiki says "please don't use me to hide junk!"

 On the other hand, it has things like the offensive-to-the-eyeballs giant banner out in front that advertised some drink special, and the junk stashed behind the tiki in the front entrance next to the trash-picker-upper and bucket combo. The freebie newspaper stand is a nice touch, too.

Me, in Mai Tai buzzed RV'ing mode

 Paradise? Perhaps not, but it'll do. We're lucky it's still around, and maybe someday the Kon Tiki can get away from the frat-bar thing and back to what I imagine might have been it's original form!

If you're in the Tucson area, definitely stop by the Kon Tiki for a Mai Tai and tell Marcos I said "Hi!"

Leftover Cuties and Dustbowl Revival at The Mint

Last night the Hubs and I went to a great little club here in Los Angeles called The Mint.
It's actually not far from our house, and after driving by it a million times, it was fun to finally go inside!

The Mint opened in 1937.
It's a tiny place with a small stage, a dance floor, and tables & booths surrounding. A long bar runs along one side. It's a really intimate-feeling place, and a fun spot to see a band because you're so close!

We got there WAAAY too early and had to wait around for eternity, which equals too many drinks!

And too many random bordom-killing photo ops...

It was so cold in there, I kept my coat on the whole night!

 We saw a band that I really love called Leftover Cuties. They've had their songs featured in a number of commercials lately, so if you haven't heard of them perhaps you've actually heard their music.
Here's one of my favorite songs, called Smile Big:

They were fantastic. The lead singer, Shirli McAllen, has such a great voice and she plays a mean little ukelele. The base player makes crazy faces when he plays, which I love!

Then we saw Dustbowl Revival. They're a huge band with a revolving cast of members. They play fantastic bluesy retro jazz stuff, plus they like to have a bit of a vaudeville thing going on from time to time. Last night they had a little swing dance exhibition, and then a guy came on stage and demonstrated how he could get out of a straightjacket in less time than Harry Houdini. Tons of fun!

Here's a little Dustbowl Revival:

The Ebell Club - A Glimpse into L.A.'s Past

Yesterday I was lucky to be able to visit one of the true gems of Los Angeles...The Ebell Club.
The Ebell Club was started in 1894 by two sisters as a private club for women to enrich their lives with education, culture and the arts. The clubhouse, built in 1927, is a massive Renaissance-style mansion on Wilshire Boulevard~ I bet there isn't an Angeleno who hasn't driven by it and wondered what it was! It's been the location for filming many TV shows and movies including Mad Men and a favorite of mine- Catch Me If You Can.

The first-ever open house yesterday allowed a rare glimpse inside...and it didn't disappoint! The interior was truly as beautiful as I thought it might be. Every room is full of baroque furnishings, Persian rugs, exquisite
chandeliers and priceless artwork.


   There is a gorgeous old-fashioned theater and several small stages. The lady members are allowed to borrow from a huge closet of vintage clothing and accessories for special events.

 

The artwork is truly a treasure. Most of the paintings are Plein-air oils (they were very fashionable in the 20's & 30's), and there are unique items mixed in. Outside the president's door is this great (and enormous) vintage poster of Josephine Baker!

The Ebell Club can be rented out for weddings...what a beautiful place it would be for a vintage-themed
wedding!

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