Snow Tiki

   

A portrait I made of one of my tikis in the back yard after the snowfall last week. A portrait can still be a portrait if it's non-living, right? It's still a face.

Tiki carvings available today are, for the most part, limited to Party City or Big Lot's plastic interpretations of the word "luau" and are usually adorned with bright colors and giant teeth...things that are more associated with "tacky" than "tiki."  There are some "real" tiki carvers that sell their carvings online or at special events, but they're usually a bit more expensive. BUT, you get what you pay for as far as the quality, craftsmanship and detail. I have lot's of those and keep them INside and out of the weather. The ones I keep OUTside are the Big Lot's, Hobby Lobby, etc. hard resin tikis. I usually end up repainting them.

The one pictured above stands about 18" tall and was purchased at Big Lot's about 5 years ago. The design is a direct rip-off of the signature tiki from Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. It's weathered nicely sitting out in the garden. It almost looks like real wood!

Tambu

While I was in Florida last November I couldn't resist dragging my sister to the Tambu Lounge at Disney's Polynesian Resort. I had been to the Tambu Lounge several times before during family vacations to Disney World. Since I wasn't there for vacation, I hadn't actually planned this visit but was thrilled when my sis agreed to go.

Walking through the archway that leads into the main lobby of the hotel, you pass several gardens and small waterfalls. I can never resist a waterfall when I have my camera with me (photo above). I didn't have a tripod but luckily there was a fence post I was able to set the camera on. Two second exposure.

Upstairs is the Tambu Lounge. The drinks are good, and the atmosphere generally relaxing even though it can get quite crowded.  During our family vacations, the Tambu offered a pleasant escape after a long day of chasing the kids around Adventureland. The Polynesian decor contains some really interesting pieces if you know where to look.

The drink below is called a "Backscratcher." It's a rum based drink with passion fruit and (I think) pineapple. It's served with an actual backscratcher that stuck out of the glass another 12". I couldn't fit it in this particular shot.

This is a Marquesan style tiki at the O'hana restaurant adjacent to the Tambu Lounge. While traveling in FL I stopped in an antique store and found this bamboo frame. Went perfectly with the picture.

 

There are rumblings going around my household that some people want to go to Disney World again this year for our family vacation. We've been there 3 times in the last 8 years. During our last visit, I promised my kids the next time they visit Disney World will be with their kids.

So, it appears I'l be visiting the Tambu Lounge again soon.

Maidens of the Mai Kai

My friend Kiki isn't one of the Mai Kai calendar girls (although she could be), but certainly knew how to give a proper pose in the midst of such tiki nostalgia. The light coming from above was aimed directly onto this carving, which made a small area with nice and somewhat mysterious lighting. A little extra tweaking in PS and PhotoFrame gave it a more retro feel. 

There are so many great photo spots inside and outside of the Mai Kai. It's a shame I only get there once per year.

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Escapism in Austin

 Since 2007, Texans could experience Hawaiian "escapism" the way it was done 40 years ago by visiting Trader Vic's in Dallas. Although the music they played there would sometimes spoil the experience, the decor and the drinks certainly would make you forget where you were and when you were, pulling in elements of escapism from the golden age of Polynesian Pop.

Alas, Dallas Trader Vic's is no more. After less than 3 years, it's now gutted like a dead fish. Soon we're sure to have another run-of-the-mill sports bar (and maybe some ping-pong tables). Wowee...sounds like a winning concept! 

So now where can one go to get a similar experience that Trader Vic's once offered? The answer: nowhere in Texas, unless you build it yourself.  

For me, that place is at a friends home in Austin. She and her husband have built an oasis that could easily rival any "official" establishment that touts the escapism tag. Outside is not only a pool, hot tub, koi pond and tiki bar, but a night sky far enough from downtown Austin that you could easily imagine you're on an island out in the middle of the Pacific.

Inside their home they've nearly completed a yet un-named tiki room, complete with more hidden treasures than you'd notice in one visit. They've also managed to rescue a few artifacts from the now closed Trader Vic's. 

This is where I now go to experience this type of escapism. If there are similar places, I haven't heard about them, and if they exist they are definitely privately owned. Trader Vic's was the only authentic tiki bar in the entire state.  

If you're interested in local tiki culture or would like to get a heads up for any tiki related events in the state, there is a Texas Tiki mailing list. Send an email to txtiki@gmail.com and request to be added. 

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A Living Piece of Poly-Pop History

You can almost tell just by looking at the Mai Kai sign what you're in for when you walk through the front door.

Talk about escapism....why is it that most restaurants (including my local Trader Vic's) are too busy trying to be all things to all people rather than being what they are? There's no TV's blaring sports in the Mai Kai. The music you hear is appropriate to the venue....classic Hawaiian and Exotica. Would you walk into a place like this and expect to find beer swizzling sports fans yelling at the TV? Certainly not here. You can get that just about anywhere so why spoil the experience?

Hear that Dallas Trader Vic's??

Tiki in the Mai Kai Garden

Another from the Mai Kai garden. Also a 3 second exposure. I wrapped my gorilla pod around the bridge railing to make the shot.

No info on this carving, but it's definitely old.

Mai Kai Garden

I was in Ft. Lauderdale recently attending The Hukilau and had the chance to visit the amazing Mai Kai. Behind the restaurant there is a beautiful exotic garden you can wonder through with new surprises at every turn. If you're interested in Polynesian Pop era of the 20th century, the Mai Kai is a living time capsule of Polynesian dining at it's best. The garden is filled with carved tikis produced over 50 years ago. I love walking through the garden after a couple of Rum Juleps.

Getting a good picture is easy is you have a tripod and can make exposures that are a few seconds long, but all I had was my gorilla pod. For the picture above I strapped it onto the railing where I was sitting and pointed it toward the waterfall near the entrance to the garden. This was a 3 second exposure at f5.6, ISO 250

A "Real" Tiki Bar

This is where I spend most of my time...

This is a wide angle shot of the lounge area next to the bar. I've been to so many bars & restaurants that call themselves a "tiki bar" when they're actually the farthest thing from it. Just because you have some bamboo and serve tropical drinks (probably bad ones) does not make you a tiki bar. It's about atmosphere and escapism. Trader Vic's is the ONLY place in the state of Texas where you'll find it.

Frontiers Of Flight II - Braniff

I don't know much about Braniff Airways other than they operated a major hub out of Love Field in Dallas.

While visiting the Frontiers of Flight Museum right next door to Love Field, I couldn't help but notice a big display on the 2nd floor dedicated to Braniff. I enjoyed the progression of flight attendants clothes from mid century on up. My favorites were these lovely numbers. Why don't flight attendants dress like this anymore?

In a display case nearby there were some model planes and other artifacts from Braniff. I couldn't help but notice a Braniff tiki mug, since collecting tiki is one of my hobbies. I've seen this one before in an antique store but they wanted $40 for it which I think was overpriced.

This mug was given to passengers during their Hawaii route but I'm not sure when. My guess is late 60's to early 70's. This mugs design is known in the collectors world as "Leilani" and was manufactured by a company called Orchids Of Hawaii.