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A stop at Kahuna Tiki in the Los Angeles area for tropical drinks. The red cocktail pictured here comes topped with fruit and a paper umbrella, very much in the classic tiki tradition.
Southern California has a long tiki history going back to the mid-century Polynesian craze, and it’s still a great region for tiki bars today.
This stop was part of a summer trip to LA that also included Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Cafe Sierra at the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City, right next to Universal Studios Hollywood, is known for its all-you-can-eat seafood buffet featuring king crab legs and lobster.
The photos show plates piled high with shellfish, along with some of the other buffet stations. It’s a convenient dinner option if you’re spending the day at Universal Studios or CityWalk.
Pricing and the seafood nights vary, so check the restaurant’s website (cafesierrala.com) for current details and reservations before you go.
Jamaica is known for its beaches, music and food, and the island has plenty to see beyond the resorts, from historic sites and museums to waterfalls and mountain views.
These pictures capture a few moments from the visit.
Dinner at Manteca in London, an Italian restaurant in Shoreditch known for its fresh pasta and nose-to-tail approach to meat.
The photos show some of the dishes from the meal, including a beautifully cooked cut of meat. Manteca is a popular spot, so it’s worth booking ahead through the restaurant’s website (mantecarestaurant.co.uk).
Shoreditch is packed with good restaurants and bars, making it an easy place to spend an evening in East London.
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street is one of London’s most famous historic pubs. It was rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of London in 1666, and its warren of dark, wood-panelled rooms and cellars has changed little since.
Over the centuries it has been linked with literary names including Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens. The photos show the pub’s sign, the narrow alley entrance off Fleet Street and the atmospheric interior.
It’s an easy stop if you’re walking between St Paul’s Cathedral and the Strand, and well worth a pint just for the setting.
Our first West End show in London: Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the stage prequel to the Netflix series, playing at the Phoenix Theatre.
The show is known for its ambitious stage effects and illusions. The photos show the theatre’s exterior with the show’s signage, plus a few moments from the evening.
The Phoenix Theatre is on Charing Cross Road, close to Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square stations, right in the heart of theatreland.
Trying out Snapple, received complimentary from Influenster in exchange for an honest post.
Snapple has been a staple of American convenience-store coolers for decades, known for its fruit-flavoured teas and juice drinks and the “Real Facts” printed under the bottle caps.
The photos show the bottles that arrived in this Influenster box.
A Seattle Kraken game at Climate Pledge Arena, the home of Seattle’s NHL team since it joined the league in 2021.
Climate Pledge Arena sits at Seattle Center, right next to the Space Needle, and was rebuilt inside the historic roofline of the old KeyArena. The photos show the ice with the Kraken logo at centre ice.
Seattle Center is easy to reach on the Monorail from Westlake Center downtown, which saves a lot of hassle with parking on game nights.
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Back at The Golden Tiki in Las Vegas in December 2024, this time for the holiday season. The tiki bar sits on Spring Mountain Road in Chinatown, a short ride off the Strip, and is known for its over-the-top decor, strong tropical cocktails and late hours.
At Christmas the whole place gets a festive makeover: Santa hats on the shrunken heads, lights everywhere, and a dedicated holiday cocktail menu alongside the regular tiki list. (I also wrote up an earlier visit in November 2023.)
Inside the bar
The bar is packed with skulls, carvings, pufferfish lamps and themed nooks – the photos and video below give a sense of the atmosphere, along with a few of the drinks.
The holiday menu
The December 2024 holiday menu ran alongside the usual tiki classics. A few highlights:
Mai Tai for a Holiday – two rums with orange curaçao and a winter-spiced pumpkin orgeat ($14)
Pumpkin Batida – cachaça, pumpkin, coconut cream and pineapple ($14)
Tom & Jerry – the creamy hot holiday classic with Armagnac and dark rum ($15)
Get Your Goat: A Pagan Christmas Miracle – goat’s-milk eggnog with smoky mezcal and maple ($16)
Balls of Jolly #2 – dark rum, rye, cinnamon raisin, cranberry and pineapple, with an optional souvenir glass ($15 / $25)
Holiday Flight – all the holiday sippers for $24, plus a Dole Soft Serve section with boozy add-ons
More drinks and decor
Tips if you go: it gets busy on weekend nights, so reservations are worth making through the bar’s website, and the shareable Kuuipo pineapple and fishbowl drinks are built for groups. Prices and menus change, so check what’s on before you go.
The Seattle Seahawks hosted the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field in November 2024, part of a run of NFC West games late in the season.
Lumen Field is known as one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, thanks to its roof design and the famous 12s. The photos show the view of the field and the stands, with the downtown Seattle skyline beyond.
Lumen Field is within walking distance of Pioneer Square and the International District, and the Link light rail stops right next to it.
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