Rose Bowl, episode 2. In which Mari does the hula pie.

When my biological clock decided it was time to tick-tock past fifty, I was more than well-prepared with plane eTickets, TPIR reserved-seating tickets, and Nobu table-with-ocean-view reservations booked as far in advance as the powers that be would allow (that was thirty, not thirty-one, days if you recall).

And while Mari's 50th birthday technically landed on our August calendar, so did back-to-school and thus we were open to exploring a new-to-us Southern California fleamarket a couple months later when the weather would be (we hoped) a bit cooler and our experience more comfortably cooperative than 2016's mid-September steamy perusals at the Long Beach flea.

Occasionally, Mari will make a special request while I am trip planning, and I'm all about honoring a request and fulfilling her dreams... Yada yada yada.


Yada also includes a 25th proposal anniversary re-proposal at the top of the Eiffel Tower on Valentine's Day a few years ago if you recall. 

This time, Mari made her request while we were celebrating my 50th birthday. On our way up Pacific Coast Highway to my sunset birthday dinner in Malibu (I know how that sounds, but I'm owning it) Mari and I made a spectacularly surprising foodie favorite discovery.

We sighted our favorite restaurant along the way to Nobu. It wasn't exactly the site of our favorite restaurant because this was our first time driving PCH, but it was a new-to-us location of a favorite, Duke's Waikiki, where we had enjoyed one of our most memorable meals over seven years prior while celebrating our 20th anniversary.

We later learned that there are three Duke's locations in Southern California as well as two additional Hawaii locations, all of which honor Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, five-time Olympic swimming medalist and champion of the sport of surfing.

The restaurant chain's main site has a nice tribute to Duke and a timeline of his accomplishments which include heroic and humanitarian efforts.

Visit the site also to explore the menus at the different locations because if you are in SoCal or Hawaii, you'll want to add a relaxing meal of fresh seafood in an amazing oceanside setting to your travel itinerary.

dukesrestaurants.com

Mari and I exchanged cameras with a friendly young couple celebrating their own special dinner for this photo with a life-size statue of Duke himself.

I was fired up to share Mari's celebratory "Hula Pie" that was generously provided by our friendly server. Although I was tempted to lick the plate clean and drop it into Mari's purse for a shanghaied souvenir, we behaved ourselves and made a quick stop at the gift shop on the way out and purchased a pair of souvenir plates to enjoy with our own celebratory treats at home when overcome with travel cravings.

Like a couple of expert fleamarketers,

we are never hard-pressed to find a gift shop.

Our Rose Bowl fleamarket experience, dear reader, what can I say?

We would have been overwhelmed had I not explored the site before our visit to get the "lay of the land" and had it not been for the color map (and great scrapbook embellishment) thoughtfully provided at the market entrance.

Now, about that other thing...

You know, that thing I don't like talking about...

You know how I feel about paying to enter a fleamarket, but at least there was a plethora of free parking surrounding the stadium and plenty of friendly staffers to guide us to that perfect parking spot.

Although unfortunately unable to find any online discounts or coupons for admission, I did learn that all admission tickets must be purchased in person with cash on the day of the monthly flea.

Take a date because if you pay your $18 admission for two with a Tubman (still trying it out) you'll receive a crisp two-dollar bill in return along with your souvenir color map.

Visit the helpful site to plan

your own visit as a shopper

or to apply to be a vendor.

rgcshows.com/rosebowl.aspx

Trusty souvenir map in one hand, beautiful birthday girl with empty market tote in the other, I steered Mari into the heart of the vintage section to begin our Saturday morning hunt.

The colorfully eclectic and charmingly disheveled booth above yielded our first purchase of the day. Three of our six vintage tomato juice glasses are pictured here and have already been put to good use on a few weekend occasions.

More stories and rescued treasures from the Rose Bowl next time.