“You need to get your Arizona tiki shit together.”
That’s what Cathie, a Tiki friend from California, told Richard when she introduced him to Verity – Veritiki – at the Kon Tiki’s 50th anniversary back in 2014. A few days later, they started the Tiki AZ Facebook page, and people flocked to the site. Now with more than 1,200 members, it’s an active connector for Tiki folks in Arizona.
The Atomic Lagoon is Richard and Steve’s courtyard Tiki bar, a feature of their 1963 midcentury modern home designed by architect Al Beadle in Paradise Gardens, a time-capsule neighborhood in Phoenix. Six years ago, the courtyard had the ambiance of an unfinished basement. Today, with loving labor from both, the Atomic Lagoon is an angular, swanky gathering space with a clean and comfortable vibe.
Read the rest of the story in Polynesiacs: Tiki at Home, page 267.
Atomic Lagoon, Phoenix, Arizona
