Bowl-O-Rama: Linbrook Bowl

Apologies for the complete radio silence - I have been BUSY!  The kid sis has gone legit and is a bonafide performer!  She will be playing the Wild Records pre-show at Viva Las Vegas 15.  In turn, I have been commissioned to make an entire wardrobe of clothes, so the only electronic device I have seen in the last week is my sewing machine.  I'm pretty excited about some of her get-ups so posts with those will be sure to follow.  Until then, I hope you enjoy yet another one of Southern California's premier bowling alleys.

I am so enamored with the glory of Linbrook Bowl's sign that I feel it alone is reason enough to stop what you're doing and wherever you are in the world, find your way to Anaheim, CA.  All the other pictures in this post are purely informational; they exist simply so you can understand that bowling is actually provided at Linbrook Bowl, but really, come on...the sign!!!  I haven't even mentioned yet that the pin spins, have I?

1958 seems to have been a magic year for bowling alleys.
You might remember that our last Bowl-O-Rama entry,
Palos Verdes Bowl, also sites 1958 as its year of birth

One of the other amazing features of Linbrook Bowl is the original coffee shop.

Apparently, the coffee shop is the "Cheers" of Anaheim.
If "sometimes you want to go where everybody knows
your name," then head to Linbrook.  I can't endorse their
 Friday fish special, but I can guarantee that it will be
packed with friendly regulars.

The coffee shop could stand some minor restoration,
 but Mary seemed to enjoy her milkshake in the
orange, vinyl booths.

According to some very reliable sources, the Kopa Room at Linbrook Bowl
hosts some of the best karaoke in Orange County!  The bar was too dimly lit
for me to get any good pictures, but don't you want to make plans to meet
at the Kopa?

Every table in the bowling alley features old pen & ink drawings about
Victorian bowling history

Strangely enough, I forgot to get a picture of the lanes, themselves.  Again, I assure you, Linbrook Bowl is a place for bowling; they have 40 lanes!  I just can't get past the sign.  Every time we drive by it, I want to stop and take more photos.  Neon, twinkle lights, a giant, spinning bowling pin - who could ask for anything more?

Linbrook Bowl

201 S Brookhurst St

Anaheim, CA

(714)772-2253

OPEN 24 HOURS!!!

linbrookbowl.com

"Ten Pins" - Sesame Street

Bowl and learn about subtraction!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Bowl-O-Rama: Palos Verdes Bowl

We grew up in Kona Lanes territory.  It really never occurred to us that any other bowling alleys existed.  Now that bowling is back on the wacky tacky map, we decided that we need to explore all of the other vintage bowling alleys that still dot our landscape.  When we see one of these temples of 20th Century leisure, we have committed to stopping in and checking out the greatness.  On a little jaunt up to Torrance, CA, we saw the five-story, orb-topped spire of Palos Verdes Bowl (est. 1958), and we couldn't help but pay our respects.

I'm not a drinker, but sometimes I think it would only take seeing one more
simple, white light box with the word "cocktails" in black, block lettering to
get me removing my teetotalers membership badge. 

AMAZING!  Studded among the natural rock wall

 are giant, orange and aqua, glass rocks that are lit from within.

The original bench in the locker room repeats the color
scheme found throughout the whole bowling alley.

The best part about Palos Verdes Bowl is their stellar marketing campaign headed with the slogan, "PV Bowl is a simple, yet nice bowling alley without any craziness."  I think I'll have that needle-pointed on a pillow.  Truly, PV Bowl is a great place and if you live in the area, you have no excuse for not patronizing your local bowling alley.  Don't let it go the way of Kona Lanes (a weed-ridden, empty lot for the last 9 years where once stood a majestic temple of tiki).

Palos Verdes Bowl

24600 Crenshaw Blvd

Torrance, CA

(310)326-5120

pvbowl.com

"The Bowling Alley-Cat" (1942)

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Bowl-O-Rama: Rim Bowling

Vintage bowling cake toppers
Image courtesy of A. Foxx (Europeans will know who I am talking about).

I'm not a bowler.  It may seem odd because bowling is the penultimate mid-20th Century leisure activity.  The shirts, the shoes, the leagues, and the snacks all scream wacky tacky.  Is there is a sport more suited to the wacky tacky lifestyle than bowling?  Probably not.  If there is, let's hope that it does not include the heaving of leaden spheres down a wooden alley polished to a retina-burning glare.  Seriously, why do the really lightweight, bowling balls come in pink and have holes drilled far too small for my sausage fingers?

The real reason I am not a fan of bowling is because I have never been very gifted in the bowling arts.  Essentially, every game I play consists of nine frames of gutter balls and strangely enough, one strike.  Yep, every game I have ever played, I get one strike.  Just because I am not a fan of my own personal participation, does not mean that I don't appreciate the spirit of the game and all of it's merchandise.   The following images represent what bowling means to me.

Get a load of those pins!

(Source)

Vintage Bowling Salt & Pepper Shakers

(Source)

If that kangaroo can teach her how to bowl,
I should be able to learn too.
(Source)

Vintage Bowling Charm Necklace

Available for purchase at socaljewelbox on etsy

(Source)

Nice form...and a pretty good stance too!
(Source)

Vintage Bowling Shoes
Available for purchase at joolaholic on etsy
(Source)

Which is harder and more aerodynamic, the bowling balls or the hair?
(Source)

On a relatively-recent trip, our local mountains provided a nightlife so boring that I broke my non-bowling cardinal rule, "Never go bowling."  I went bowling.

Rim Bowling & Entertainment Center.
How could I not go bowling with a directive so clearly lit?
This was my favorite part of the evening - the sign!

You had me at "bowling shoes."

They saw us coming and almost immediately installed the bumpers, but we decided to play like grown-ups and let the pins fall where (if) they may.  Here is the gang each displaying their best bowling stance.

Erika & Mary

Mr. Tiny

Ben & Lisa

I think our combined scores would make a real bowler chuckle,
but I, in fact, had the last laugh.  The non-bowler won!

Our little bowling league may have lasted only one night, but it taught me that I like bowling more than I thought.  My problem is that I am the type who will dive headlong into bowling, not by practicing, joining a league or even visiting an alley; I would be satisfied just buying the perfect shirt, shoes, ball, and bowling bag.  The clothes make the bowler, right?

Everyone's favorite bowler, Fred Flinstone, conquers 

the raspberry seed stuck in the wisdom tooth of every

bowler, the 7-10 split!

Rim Bowling & Entertainment Center

23991 Lake Dr

Crestline, CA

(909)38-5550

rimbowling.com

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

wacky tacky in Tiki Time

The legendary Kona Lanes - Costa Mesa, CA

No discussion of wacky tacky would be complete without acknowledging the profound impact of tiki culture.  The influence of the tropics by way of music, style, food and fantasy began as soon as explorers started charting the globe and discovering the beauty and richness of the island lifestyle.  The general prosperity of the 20th Century combined with major advancements in both technology and travel allowed regular folks to start exploring places about which they had only ever heard or dreamed.  Given its predilection for Hollywood spectacle and its proximity to the South Pacific, the "tikification" of Southern California was inevitable.  From the earliest part of the last century until the present day, America's fascination with and glorious bastardization of Polynesian culture has never waned.

Fortunate enough to have been born and raised in a veritable hot bed of Polynesian Pop, Mr. Tiny grew up around the now demolished, but still world-famous, Kona Lanes and other South Seas inspired landmarks like the Ala Moana apartments.

Ala Moana Apartments - Costa Mesa, CA

In the quest to bring wacky tacky to the world, we decided to explore but a few of the many tiki-inspired watering holes around Southern California.  This is in no wise a complete examination or definitive list of the all that is tiki in our area; it is simply a jaunt to a few fun places that had us longing to watch the sun slowly sink into the Pacific while palm trees sway and tropical breezes carry the lilting melody of ukuleles.  Interestingly enough, of the three places we document here, the closest to the ocean is Don the Beachcomber, yet even there we had no view of the ocean.  Perhaps, that is the fundamental thing that made tiki culture so popular - a desire to embrace the tropics wherever one happens to be!

Damon's Steakhouse (est. 1937)

317 N. Brand Blvd.

Glendale, CA

(818)507-1510

damonsglendale.com

Our first stop was Damon's Steakhouse.  Set on bustling Brand Blvd., Damon's first opened its doors on Central Ave in 1937.  The 1980 move to its current location allowed for both expansion and a renewed zeal in a beautiful island-inspired atmosphere.  Gorgeous murals line the walls of the foyer and dining rooms and the most amazing tiki lamps hang from the ceiling.  Damon's is a real treasure because of its longevity, its gracious service and its facade which stands out on a street lined with dreary, uninspired, downtown storefronts.  

Damon's current location opened in 1980. 

Beautiful examples of the hand-painted murals that line the walls

A thatched roof extends over vinyl booths 

lined with woven seagrass walls

 Damon's wins hands down where lighting is concerned

Detail of a carved tiki mask and the Ladies' room!!

Reasons to go to Damon's - the light fixtures & it's proximity to Porto's Bakery (enough said)

Critiki rating: 7.4

wacky tacky rating: 9.5 - what it lacks in delicious food (none of us ate steak), it makes up for in 

lighting, decor and island-style hospitality

Don the Beachcomber (est. 2009 - originally est. 1933)

16278 S. Pacific Coast Hwy

Huntington Beach, CA

(562)592-1321

donthebeachcomber.com

Donn Beach, of Don the Beachcomber fame, was actually Ernest Gantt, equal parts rover and Renaissance man.  He came to California from Louisiana in 1931 and worked in Hollywood before combining his love of the drink with his love of the islands.  In 1933 he took his collection of South Seas souvenirs and established his first, and probably the first, tiki bar - Don the Beachcomber.  While deployed in WWII, Beach's wife opened a chain of 16 Don the Beachcomber bars that spanned the continent.  After many years, the bars closed and the trademark on the name lapsed.  New owners are giving new life to the brand by recreating Beach's entire collection of signature tiki cocktails and serving island-inspired menu selections.  The current location is in the old Sam's Seafood restaurant with its very recognizable swordfish sign.

The facade of Don's is tiki heaven

We're glad they kept the landmark fish sign!

Mary gets in touch with the tiki spirirt

The Dagger Bar - where all 84 of Don Beach's signature tiki cocktails are 

still made to his specifications (aaah, if only I were a drinking man) 

A small part of the tiki mug collection at Don's 

Reasons to go to Don the Beachcomber - charming ownership & 

regularly-featured Polynesian entertainment

Critiki rating: 8.9

wacky tacky rating: 9 - good grub, super-friendly & attentive staff, incredible facade, 

                                    a lot to see and many rooms to explore

Tonga Hut (est. 1958)
12808 Victory Blvd
North Hollywood, CA
(818)769-0708
tongahut.com

Touting itself as the oldest, continuously-operating tiki bar in Los Angeles, the Tonga Hut opened in 1958 and has weathered many changes in decor and ownership but under current management maintains its tiki heritage and is a great place to have a birthday party.

Lovely wahines on black velvet

 While well-designed, the light fixtures were so few that my

 obsession with them was left with a little something to be desired.

"The Drooling Bastard"

Interior stone water feature

Another amazing, tiered water feature behind the bar

 A trio of tikis at the Tonga Hut

A smattering of tiki-inspired collectibles

Hand-carved outrigger wall art

                             Ashley, Cary, Christina & Rob                 The SideWynders 

Reasons to go to the Tonga Hut - great friends & great music.

Critiki rating: 7.4
wacky tacky rating: 8 - mellow vibe, great water features, friendly staff


Let us know what you think of these titans of tiki and share some of your favorites as well!

Also, check out Critiki for a very thorough listing of worldwide pockets of Polynesian culture.
critiki.com

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny