HAERR TRIPPIN'

Scenes from the Safari Park

Karen graciously invited me to an afternoon of animal magic and I accepted. What an afternoon!

We began as we often do... Ogling the tigers.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park breeds critically endangered Sumatran tigers through a collaborative partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). This breeding program carefully pairs specific tigers to maintain genetic diversity in the zoo population.

We were informed that this was the first time the Park has put tigers, who are procreating, out in the public. This couple, Jillian and Dumai, had a male cub born in 2024. Hopes are high for another cub soon. We felt a bit like voyeurs as we, and the masses, followed the pair to watch the magic happen (the 13th attempt at impregnating occurred while we were there).

It was exciting to see the newest addition to the African fox family. This adorable animal is known for its enormous ears that are over 5 inches tall.

Baby bat-eared fox kits weigh just 3.5 to 5 ounces at birth and are fully grown by 6 months.

We spent quite a bit of time delighting in the new litter of four male cheetah cubs born to first-time mother Kelechi. The brothers, named Nyasi, Owadgi, Ohani, and Nkala, were napping for the most part but any movement (a stretch, a yawn, etc) was oohed and ahhed at my the observers. Hysterical.

The remainder of our visit had us enjoying just exploring and being out and about together.

“People forget the good that zoos do.

If it weren’t for zoos,

we would have so many species

that would be extinct today.”

-Betty White

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Tiki Culture: My Outfit and Bali Hai

Since Tom Selleck really became famous in the television show Magnum P.I. I felt it only fitting that I dress the part for seeing him.

I learned, after purchasing this vintage 1970s outfit, that Sears once had a line called Hawaiian Fashions. Prominent in the 1960s and 1970s, it represented a significant, high-quality, and affordable entry of Hawaiian-style garments into the mainstream market. These pieces often featured classic rayon or cotton prints designed for a "casual look" that surged with the 1970's aloha boomlet. The line was often produced by or in collaboration with local Hawaiian manufacturers. With this line, Sears played a massive role in bringing Hawaiian fashion to the masses.

These fashions are ones that I will keep an eye out for. What fun!

And what better place to wear my new favorite outfit than the Bali Hai Restaurant in San Diego.

Its beginnings are the stuff of movies... literally. In 1935, the movie Mutiny on The Bounty was filmed on Catalina Island starring Clark Gable. An entire Tahitian village was built on Catalina for the film, and in order to support the cast and crew, a bar was located just below Gable’s sleeping quarters and became known as Christian’s Hut, named after the character Gable played, Fletcher Christian. When the shooting finished the bar was moved to Newport Beach, and was a major power spot for locals and celebrities alike. It spawned other franchises, but none of them survived, including Newport Beach (burned down in 1963), except for this one here.

Opened in 1953 as "Christian's Hut" on Shelter Island, this iconic San Diego institution was rebranded as the ⁠Bali Hai Restaurant in 1954 by savvy local entrepreneur Tom Ham, who named it after a song in the hit musical South Pacific.

To align with Shelter Island’s post-WWII mandate requiring Polynesian architecture on new buildings, the two-story bayside structure was designed with heavily exotic flair. The restaurant houses thousands of authentic Polynesian artifacts. It is a very magical place in which to dine.

The Bali Hai is legendary for its incredibly potent, proprietary Mai Tai. The recipe uses no fruit juice and boasts a loyal following. Over 2 million of these iconic cocktails have been served yet, due to its strength, the restaurant maintains a strict two-drink maximum per guest. Steve had one I had to be the driver to see Tom Selleck.

What a fantastic day by the Bay in a totally groovy outfit. As they say in Hawaiian, Noho me ka hauʻoli" (stay happy/be happy).

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TOM SELLECK!!!

I have been a fan of Mr. Selleck since admiring him in this 1979 CHAZ cologne ad which adorned a friend's bedroom wall.

The ad perfectly captures the masculine image that made him a breakout star. The fragrance was promoted with the memorable tagline, “The fragrance that’s almost as interesting as the men who wear it.” The campaign coincided with Selleck’s growing fame just before and during his iconic role as Thomas Magnum on Magnum, P.I., which would soon make him one of the most recognizable television stars of the 1980s. With his signature mustache and laid back charisma, Selleck quickly became a major pop culture figure and a defining television sex symbol of the era.

So how is it that we came to see this much loved man? I received this announcement, "Warwick's (one of my favorite independent bookstores), in partnership with Writer's Symposium by the Sea, presents Tom Selleck as he discusses the new paperback edition of his memoir, You Never Know: A Memoir, in conversation with Dean Nelson. Tom Selleck is an award-winning actor and producer best known for his iconic role as Thomas Magnum in the original Magnum P.I. television series. Among the many unforgettable roles he has played are PI Lance White on The Rockford Files, Peter Mitchell in Three Men and a Baby, Matthew Quigley in Quigley Down Under, and Peter Malloy in In & Out. He was beloved as Dr. Richard Burke, Monica's older boyfriend, on Friends and recently starred as NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan on the hit crime drama Blue Bloods, for 14 seasons."

His memoir is described as, "Frank, funny and open-hearted, You Never Know is an intimate Hollywood memoir from one of the most beloved actors of our time. In his own voice and uniquely unpretentious style, the famed actor brings readers on his uncharted but serendipitous journey to the top in Hollywood, his temptations and distractions, his misfires and mistakes and, over time, his well-earned success. Along the way, he clears up an armload of misconceptions and shares dozens of never-told, behind-the-scenes stories from all corners of his personal and professional life, including his rambunctious California childhood."