tikiwithray

Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #138 Kokomo Oasis Portland OR

Posted by Ray on in Home Tiki Bars
Kokomo Oasis

Remember that Beach Boys song from the 80’s, Kokomo?

Can you tell me how to get to Kokomo? Is it a real place? I really don’t know. But I can tell you that I’ve found a home tiki bar that was inspired by that Beach Boys tune, it’s call Kokomo Oasis. Kokomo Oasis can be found behind Paul and Jayme Obais’s home in Portland OR. The devil is in the details and the closer you look, the more you’ll discover, like a hidden message carved out in Morse code underneath the bar! It took me a little bit to decipher but I got it! Here’s Paul to clue you into more details way down in Kokomo…. Oasis!

Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #138 Kokomo Oasis Portland OR” →

Tiki Video Spotlight #1 Cinerama South Seas Adventure Movie

Posted by Ray on in Tiki Video

South Seas Adventure
South Seas Adventure

Slice of life. It’s one of my favorite forms of entertainment. I have always loved looking at old photographs or watching home videos of people just living their lives. I like to see what people were wearing, what the homes looked like, what the cars looked like, etc. No one has invented a time machine yet, so slice of life videos and photographs are the closest we can get to going back in time…

Continue reading “Tiki Video Spotlight #1 Cinerama South Seas Adventure Movie” →

My Tiki Origins #1 The Haunted House At Knoebels Grove, PA

Posted by Ray on in Tiki Lifestyle 2 Comments

Knoebels Grove
Knoebels Grove

Every journey starts with a first step, but sometimes you may forget when and where that first step might have been. When it comes to the living the Tiki lifestyle, it usually starts by walking into your first Tiki bar. Then you hit another. Then you buy a Tiki mug. Then you buy another, etc.

I can remember my first Tiki bar. It was Hula Hula in Seattle, WA…

Hula Hula
Hula Hula

The year was 2006. In theory, Hula Hula should’ve been my first step in the Tiki world, but actually, it wasn’t. My first step was at an amusement park in Pennsylvania called Knoebels Grove…

Continue reading “My Tiki Origins #1 The Haunted House At Knoebels Grove, PA” →

Tiki Bar Review #15 Tiki Ti Los Angeles. CA

Posted by Ray on in Tiki Bars 2 Comments

Tiki Ti
Tiki Ti

I have a guilty pleasure: Kodachrome pictures!

Time machines haven’t been built yet, so the closest you can get to going back in time is looking at old pictures. Sadly, most pictures were taken in boring black and white back in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. Usually the film was cheap and those pictures have faded away anyway. Kodachrome pictures are different. They look vibrant, colorful, and alive. These pictures really are the closest you can get to seeing what the past was like. Or maybe there is another way to experience the past:

By tasting it!

Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #15 Tiki Ti Los Angeles. CA” →

Sophista-Tiki Togs Custom Made Aloha Shirts From Dawn Frasier

Posted by Ray on in Tiki Lifestyle

Sophista-Tiki Togs made to order shirts by Dawn Frasier
Sophista-Tiki Togs made to order shirts by Dawn Frasier

If you’re looking for cool a Hawaiian (Aloha) shirt, your search can be a little difficult. There are some stores that may sell Aloha shirts new, but usually the designs are not that cool or the material is cheap. Another route you can take on a search for a cool Aloha shirt is going to thrift or antique stores. I can tell you from my own experience that finding a shirt that is cool and actually fits from an antique shop is next to impossible, especially if you’re a bigger person.

Sophista-Tiki Togs custom made Aloha shirts
Sophista-Tiki Togs custom made Aloha shirts

Don’t fret though. Dawn Frasier has you covered! Dawn Frasier, aka Sophista-Tiki, makes custom made shirts that are super cool and guaranteed to fit every body type.

Continue reading “Sophista-Tiki Togs Custom Made Aloha Shirts From Dawn Frasier” →

Tiki Bar Review #13 The Golden Tiki Las Vegas, NV

Posted by Ray on in Tiki Bars 2 Comments

The Golden Tiki menu
The Golden Tiki menu

It’s all about escapism. It really is.

We all work hard and we all get into our own routines. One day turns into the next and before you know it you’re a decade older. Sometimes being able to escape from your day-to-day life and pretend you’re somewhere else is not only fun, but I think needed! Besides Disney, no place does escapism better than Las Vegas, NV.

Just walk down the Las Vegas Strip and choose your own adventure. Want to stay in a medieval castle? Want to be whisked away to Paris? How about New York City? Or even spend a weekend in a pyramid? You can do all these things and after a couple drinks, you’ll forget that you’re in the middle of the desert!

Yes, the people who design the hotels in Las Vegas have escapism down to a science. If you run a Tiki bar there, you have to up your game! Branden Powers, the owner of the Golden Tiki, rose up to the Las Vegas escapism challenge and came back with a full house! The Golden Tiki is awesome!

Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #13 The Golden Tiki Las Vegas, NV” →

Tiki VIP Spotlight #7 Martin Cate

Posted by Ray on in Tiki VIP

Rebecca and Martin Cate
Rebecca and Martin Cate

If there is anyone that should be considered a Tiki VIP, it has to be Martin Cate. Martin’s Tiki “resume” is just incredible! He has had his hand in several Tiki bars, including Forbidden Island, Hale Pele, Smuggler’s Cove, and San Diego’ False Island. Did I mention he also wrote one of the most important books on Tiki? It’s called Smuggler’s Cove, named after his bar. This book covers everything you want to know about Tiki and Tiki culture. It really is an essential read for anyone into the Tiki lifestyle.

Continue reading “Tiki VIP Spotlight #7 Martin Cate” →

Tiki Bar Review #12 Frankie’s Tiki Room Las Vegas, NV

Posted by Ray on in Tiki Bars

Frankie's Tiki Room Las Vegas
Frankie’s Tiki Room Las Vegas

The punk rock/Tiki connection is alive and well with Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas, NV. If you’re a touring punk rock band, you’re well aware of the Double Down Saloon, which is “the” place to play in Vegas. Punk shows at the Double Down are legendary and the man behind such a cool place is P. Moss. P. Moss got together with Chris Andrasfay and bought Frankie’s, an old Vegas bar that only locals knew about, and made it what it is today: an incredible Tiki bar!

Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #12 Frankie’s Tiki Room Las Vegas, NV” →