Home Tiki Bars
It’s been said that good things come to those who wait.
In the case of The Exotica Suite – a home tiki bar in West Bloomfield, Michigan owned by Matt and Nui Totsky – that certainly rings true. Matt shares how their story of patience and perseverance finally paid off with the room of their dreams.
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #116 The Exotica Suite – West Bloomfield MI”
Would you have a piranha as a pet?
During covid times, Wendy and Carl had a lot of time to kill so they decided to build a tiki bar behind their home in Seaback WA. Seabeck in located out on the Peninsula here in the Pacific Northwest and is about an hour and a half drive from Seattle. You need to travel on a dirt road through the woods to get to The Thirsty Piranha and I have to be honest is kind of creepy going through at night. It’s really dark out there! But once you get to Wendy and Carl’s home you start seeing the multicolored lights of the Thirsty Piranha. There are plenty of windows which would normally be frowned upon for a tiki bar but here, it works! You feel like your outside with nature and you don’t have to be worry about getting eaten by a bear, but inside, you have to watch out for the piranhas!
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #115 Thirsty Piranha – Seabeck WA”
Remember that movie Escape From New York?
Once you got in, it was hard to get out. But in reality, it’s quite the opposite. If you want to drive into Manhattan from New Jersey you have only three options: Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel or the George Washington Bridge. If you want to take a train in, you got two ways in, NJ Transit or you can take the PATH train.
So, if you want to tiki and you live in New Jersey, what do you do? You don’t escape to New York, you build a tiki bar in your garage and escape there! This is exactly what Shanna and Johnny did and here’s their story…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #114 Rita’s Lost Weekend – Matawan NJ”
Smuggler Rob doesn’t have a name for his home tiki bar yet but that isn’t going to stop me from doing a spotlight on his bar! You can find Rob’s tiki bar hidden in an add-on shop in his garage. It’s small and cozy and it’s the place you want to retreat with Spokane’s cold and snowy winters. Spokane is a five hour drive from my place in Seattle and once the weather gets nicer, I’m heading out to check out Smuggler Rob’s Tiki Bar!
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #111 Smuggler Rob’s Tiki Bar – Spokane WA”
If you know me, I like my tiki with a bit of horror thrown in for good measure. When I saw pictures of Darren Perks tiki bar, I had to do a post on it! I’d say that Darren’s bar is more horror than tiki but that’s ok with me. Darren actually created all the creepy things you will see inside. As of this writing, there is no name for Darren’s ultra-scary tiki bar but Darren can tell you the story so far…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #110 A True Creepy Tiki Bar in Florida”
All dressed up and no place to go…
I’ve been to Indiana many times. I’ve literally driven through the entire state from east to west and back again, mostly to go to Indianapolis to visit my tiki friends and visit The Inferno Room. Paula Kasun lives in Angola which is located in NE Indiana almost to the very top corner of the state. Needless to say, if Paula wants to Tiki, she has a long drive ahead of her. It’s about a three-hour drive to The Inferno Room! As they say, if you can’t get to the tiki, you bring the tiki to you. (I just made that up) and that’s exactly what Paula did. Paula built her own tiki bar in her basement. It’s called The Kraken Lounge and here’s Paula’s story…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #109 The Kraken Lounge – Angola IN”
Phil likes TV shows, a lot! He has a collection of tv shows and movies that’s so big that he has shelves and shelves of dvds. I honestly felt like I was in a video store but actually I was in his basement. What’s also in Phil’s basement is his home tiki bar. It’s called The Taratupa Lounge and it’s taken from the TV show McHale’s Navy.
Phil also likes 80’s video games, a lot! He has a second tiki bar with a bar top filled with almost every tv arcade systems from back when I grew up in the 80’s. He even has a Vectrex!
Phil also likes Tiki, a lot! And here’s his story…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #108 The Taratupa Lounge Denver CO”
Zach Marsh has a barber shop. It’s not just a barber shop, but a tiki barber shop! It’s called Southpaw Barbershop and it’s in Saint Francis WI. If you need a trim, I highly recommend Zach, you’ll leave with a fresh trim and a total relaxing tiki experience. Speaking on relaxing experiences, Zach has a tiki bar behind his home. It’s called The White Whale and it’s where Zach goes when he wants to relax. Here’s his story…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #107 The White Whale – Milwaukee WI”
Imagine being in the army and you’re on base. Imagine a tiki bar on this base. Think of the makeshift tiki bar on the TV show M.A.S.H. This is what Will Locksmith Hawkins created in the basement of his home and it’s so cool. I’ve been to many tiki bars but I’ve never seen anything like this!
Oh, did I forget to mention there’s an actually a wing from an airplane hanging about the bar?
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #106 The Lucky Star Tiki Bar – Whidbey Island WA”
Sometime life imitates art, or is it the other way around?
Mr. X’s Valet, a painting from Shag, was the inspiration for the Ka Laki Lolo Tiki. Art decided to use elements of the tiki bar in that Shag painting and Ka Laki Lolo Tiki was born! Art and Maria’s home tiki bar is in Dundee Michigan and when things get cold in the winter they have a wonderful tiki bar to escape to. It’s an enclosed patio turned tiki bar and Art and Maria can enjoy a Mai Tai or two even though it might be two below outside! Here is their story…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #105 Ka Laki Lolo Tiki – Dundee MI”
