Saturday, January 07, 2023

Scenes From Florida

Folks, I will be away from my computer today, on a secret mission! I probably won't be home until the wee hours. But it should be a fun day!

Some of you may be surrounded by snow and sleet at this time of year, so let's go to vintage Florida! We'll start back in June of 1966, at The Castaways - a tiki themed ("Oriental Modern/Neo-Chinese" pastiche)  hotel in Miami Beach that opened in 1958. One article stated that The motel boasted 540 rooms, 5 swimming pools, tennis courts, and a putting green all on 10 acres of land with access to 1000 feet of emerald coast. 

But the feature that cemented the hotel's reputation was the Wreck Bar; open daily from 11 AM to 5 AM, the sunken galleon themed bar had porthole windows which provided an underwater view into the pool and drowned its patrons with live rock and roll and bikini wearing go go table dancers; while in true Miami spirit, also providing maracas, tambourines and mallets for added ridiculousness. The Wreck, always a celebrity hotspot, hosted the likes of The Beatles, The Monkees, and Jimmy Hendrix. 

The Castaways closed in 1981 due to dwindling tourist visits, and the building was razed in 1985.


I love vintage postcards!



Next are two scans of slides from Ben B. Gaines' "Sahara" hotel, also in Miami Beach - "Where the world relaxes in luxurious surroundings". Some fun-lovin' tourists are frolicking next to a tableau featuring life-sized camels and some non-PC "Arabs" in their traditional desert garb.


For many this would be as close as they would ever get to riding a camel. Hey, did I ever tell you that I rode a camel? In Egypt? It's true! You may have my autograph for $5.


More vintage postcards!




15 comments:

TokyoMagic! said...

Fun stuff today, Major! And cool mid-century buildings! I'm assuming the Sahara is also no longer with us anymore? Why do they have to go and literally ruin EVERYTHING?

Now I've got to get back to the Eden Roc Hotel, and check on that large fish I'm storing in the bathtub.

Thanks for the trip to vintage Miami, Major!

Nanook said...

Major-
There's something so 'compelling' and 'real' about the design of these hotels, which today's 'over-thought' designs pale in comparison so much of the time. I'm particularly smitten with the 'Asian/Oriental-themed' "lounge" of the Castaways, with the curved, turquoise seating center stage, surrounded by even more seating - all within a stones-throw of an ashtray-! That's for me.

Thanks, Major.

JB said...

1: "Wreck Bar"? I guess that's a reference to "Castaways".

2: Ah! So that's what Wreck Bar means. Sounds pretty cool. I can see why the hotel had to close down. With so many rooms, pools, etc. it must've cost a fortune to keep everything up and running. Even a small drop in paying customers would be catastrophic.

The 2nd postcard: Interesting lobby. I'm sure some would say it's a bit 'over the top'. But I like 'over the top'!

Sahara pics: Those 'Arabs' look a little like Egyptian mummies; desiccated, parchment skin draped over dried bone. The camels look a bit mummified as well, with their ribs showing through their sides. Still, I have to applaud the effort.

Thanks for the Saturday travelogue, Major. Can I get the camel's autograph instead? :-b

Chuck said...

The Castaways must have been amazing!

I love the vintage signage. “3 out of 5 lifeguards in South Florida tan with Sea & Sky.” Somehow “3 out of 5” sounds like more than “only 60%.” Those marketing guys knew their psychologicalisms.

In the second photo, you can see who’s performing where at the hotel. I can’t make out everything, but we can see the Mar-vells are playing at both the Shinto Temple Room and the Wreck Bar and the Peridots and the Afro-Beats (sorry - I couldn’t find anything on them) are appearing at the Wreck Bar.

What these photos don’t capture well is that the hotel was located on an island, connected by a causeway underneath the big gate in the first photo. That helps explain why there are boats next to the parking lot in the first photo. Here’s another 25 postcards of the place, including some from the air to give you a better idea of the lay of the land.

TM!, the Sahara is still standing and doing business as the Sahara Beach Club, a mixed hotel/condo facility. The camels and Arabs are also apparently still there, although they seem to be a bit more politically correct today.

Major, good luck on your “secret mission.” And I recommend lowering your expectations - colonoscopies are never fun.

Mike said...

WOW! I would have loved to have had a chance to stay at this place. Were it open today it might have offered a GREAT budget-friendly alternative to Disney's Polynesian, which was once my favorite. Alas, I've considered myself priced out of Disney for years. Thank you for making my vicarious travels possible through this blog!

JG said...

Wow, that pavilion roof defies the laws of physics, and good sense simultaneously. Come to think of it, neither physics nor good sense were ever much fun, so, let’s GO, throttle to the firewall!

The Wreck sounds like a blast and the lineal forerunner of the Dive Bar in Sacramento (divebarsacramento.com), where mermaids cavort in the aquarium over the bar. I wonder if the Wreck had its own tiki mugs? Love to see a menu too!

What a shame this place was lost, it should have been made a monument… to something, not sure what, but I love it.

The Sahara, just wow.

Nanook, chains today have to overthink everything for fear of upsetting the audience, which leads to pale and anemic style, which is then sold as relaxation, when it’s really only the lack of stimulus, quite a different thing entirely.

Chuck, thanks for those extra links, wonderful stuff.

Major, have a great time, don’t forget the ejector seat button under the gearshift cap, and only the yellow cushions float.

JG

Bu said...

I would like to drag a giant tuna into the Eden Roc as well...just for "old times sake". The Eden Roc is still alive and kicking. Too expensive for my companies humble nightly limits, but I always watch the deals. The Castaways..what a wreck! Both figuratively and literally. Asian/Island/Floridian Fusion in it's zenith. I'm glad I got to use the word Zenith outside of referring to television sets. And why did we say "set". Was it always two? Now we say "monitor". Like a lizard. All makes sense. Love that the bar opens at 11am and closes at 5am. Perfect! How Floridian. I did go to clubs in Berlin and other places where they didn't even open until past midnight, so I am one to talk. Those were the days. I also rode a camel around the pyramids, and will also give autographs when I have my book signings. Camels I would not say are "cuddly", and in Egypt they are very much "commerce". If you haven't been to that part of the world, I highly recommend it. Many out of body experiences that do not need to be drug induced. I would totally stay in these style hotels today, but when with co-workers they often frown upon such things and have specific needs. I'm not sure if I told this story, but when I stayed at the Disneyland Hotel I asked for the worst possible room in the original tower: now the Adventure tower. I wanted to experience "old style" dirt and grime and possibly find some rare feature not in any of the "normal" rooms. Because I asked for something that no one as ever asked for, they actually upgraded me to a much better room than I actually paid for- still in the tower...just next to the elevator...I guess no one likes those rooms (?) Perfect for me...don't need to drag wheelie luggage over laborious carpeting...Thanks for the Miami scenes Major! Miami is an awesome place and has little to do with the US. Awesome food and always a great time: even when working. Enjoy the Mystery Misson! (are you going to space?)

Nanook said...

@ Chuck-
Thanks for the other links. Now I'm very-interested in knowing more about "Stanley The Great, Master Entertainer Appearing Nightly in the Tahitian Bar The Castaways." You can find more info HERE. Who knew-?

Anonymous said...

Whenever Miami is mentioned the theme from "Surfside 6" starts going through my head:
"Where is it?"
"IN MIAMI BEACH!!"

JB said...

Chuck, thanks for all the links and research! I gotta say, the 'Arabs' look quite a bit better now. But the camels looked better before, IMO. Now they look like something you'd see on top of a kid's birthday cake. Also again, I applaud their effort.

Bu, I guess I've always assumed that we say TV 'set' because there are a set (lots) of vacuum tubes inside. Other than that... I dunno.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go looking for some insects; my monitor is getting hungry.

Chuck said...

I think the term “TV set” is a carryover from the term “radio set,” which I guess refers to a set of electronics.

Anonymous said...

Raised? So there is hope that that turquoise round lounge sofa parasol planter ceramic display lamp temple is out there somewhere! Maybe it went back to Tony Duquette’s house? The only thing missing is the oil-drip bead strings. Though those humble mums could certainly stand to be ungraded to an orchid spray, or eight. That custom contoured floor under it all must be gone though.
I can just about smell the smoke and expect Auntie Mame to swirl by any moment waving a very long cigarette holder, while Aunt Matchy Blouse (popped collar, natch) currently regales her rapt audience with hilarious tales from the tour bus.

MS

JB said...

Chuck, it also occurred to me that 'set' might be derived from the (very) early TVs that had their screen on top, sort of separate from the box with 'the works' in it underneath.
'Ham' radios have a microphone as well as a receiver, with the mic being separate from the rest. Maybe very early radios consisted of separate parts; hence, a 'set'. If only there was a way to know for sure! ;-)

JB said...

OK, I couldn't stand it any longer. I did about 5 seconds of research and discovered that, yes, early TVs consisted of multiple parts with the screen being separate from the 'guts'. I will sleep well tonight.

Anonymous said...

Sahara still there:)