tikitomtom

Buddy’s great great grandpappy was a nefarious pirate, a total bad guy. Well, ok, maybe not. To be honest, Buddy is not sure. He likes to make up odious stories to add some dark overtones to the old, torn picture of his great great grandfather, which is now prominently hung at the Orr Oasis, his […]

I had to look up the listing. Arne’s Royal Hawaiian Motel. What would it take to resurrect this forgotten paradise in the middle of this searing desert hell? Closed motel available for reposition opportunity. 40 unit single story property with pool. Price, $450,000. Baker, California is a HOT spot for travelers on their way to

Trader Pup invited me to pour the shot of lime juice into my highball cocktail. The drink was uplit and garnished with butterflies, so there was already a sense of mystique. I used a swizzle to stir, and, like magic, the drink’s color dramatically changed from blue to purple. The Butterfly Tai, Trader Pup’s original

Chase needed a good backdrop for photographing his cocktails, so he put up some bamboo in the back room to his rented house. That wasn’t enough, so he built a full-fledged tropical bar and called it Trader Sampson’s Cocoanut Canteen. Trader Sampson – aka Chase – named his home bar as an homage to two

As a kid in the 1980s, Rick was an active boy scout. One day, his scouting troop was invited to visit the shop of LeRoy Schmaltz, the father of Chris, one of Rick’s fellow scouts. Mr. Schmaltz showed the scouts several wooden poles that he planned to carve into Tikis, and Rick’s curiosity was sparked.

Kinikimo wore pineapple tablecloth shirts as a teenager. Well, he wore them when he wasn’t on the water skimboarding in his hometown of Laguna Beach. Gene – Kinikimo in Hawaiian – participated in skimboard competitions in Oahu and Maui when he was growing up. Since I know nothing about surf culture, Gene gave me a

I drove 3,451 miles to enjoy this sunset. It was worth every mile. In 1976, our family set out in our classic green and white Winnebago for three weeks of a whirlwind tour across the western United States. From Texas to California to Oregon to South Dakota and back home to Louisiana, I loved that

Caren – aka Atomic Chick – bribed Bosko with an offer of shrimp tacos in hopes he might be willing to do a consult. She wanted to transform a bare room in her home into a Tiki bar. Bosko agreed, came to her home in Upland, and gave clear and decisive ideas, all while Fabio,

Family life with two young boys, age 5 and 3, can at times be chaotic. When it gets a little overwhelming, David steps into the Jurupa Hideaway for 30 seconds for a time out. David takes a look at his mugs, inhales deeply, and steps back into reality. At other times, it’s a cool place

Mike has to keep a pair of flip flops in his car. Teresa has to remind him. Otherwise, he might show up to pick up the grandson at daycare and forget he’s barefoot. He’d be shoeless all the time if he had his way. So, it was no surprise that when I arrived at Pele