Tiki apartments were the rage back in the sixties during the height of the Tiki craze. Sadly most of these buildings were de-tikified, or left to disrepair as Tiki became an afterthought going into the 70’s and 80’s. It’s a shame because these buildings were so cool, and for the tenants living in them, a tropical escape was their home. I wish Tiki apartments would come back, and so does my friend Padraic. So he made one …
Continue reading “The Aloha House Apartments – Lake City (Seattle) WA”
I haven’t experienced déjà vu in a long time but I did at Red Rum …
Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #48 Red Rum – Bellingham WA”
McMenamins is known for restoring old, classic buildings but this time they built from the ground up …
Continue reading “McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge – Kalama WA”
I probably should state my name: Kimi Schroeder.
Quick history: Moved to Walla Walla from So Cal in 1992.
Started the roller derby league Walla Walla Sweets Rollergirls
Skated as Purl Slam in 2009.
Married to Layne for 30 years.
3 kids 14 year old at home, 22 year old in Bellingham, 20 year old in Berkeley.
Kimi, I don’t think I could write a better introduction than that!
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #39 The Pissed Mermaid Walla Walla WA”
On this episode of Secret Tiki Escapes the gang makes a special visit to tiki artist Dawn Frasier’s home, The Bamboo Bungalow Of Westwood located in Seattle Washington. Dawn doesn’t have a home tiki bar, her entire house is Tiki!
Continue reading “Secret Tiki Escapes – Episode 4: Dawn Frasier’s Bamboo Grove Of Westwood”
When Kym Wells isn’t playing bass for his 80’s retro band aptly called The Retro’s or working on pinball machines he’s relaxing in his home tiki bar with his wife Cheryl. The name of his tiki hideaway is called Kimo’s Hu-La-La Lounge and it’s truly breathtaking. I’ll let Kym take it from here…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #38 Kimo’s Hu-La-La Lounge – Everett WA”
On this episode of Secret Tiki Escapes the gang heads to Seattle Washington to visit The Bungalow. Sarah and Robb Sieger converted their indoor porch into an incredible home tiki bar!
Continue reading “Secret Tiki Escapes – Episode 2: The Bungalow”
You sometimes forget that there was a time before highways…
I drove Route 66 from Chicago to L.A. (just like the song) and it was bittersweet to see all these cool stores, gas stations, and restaurants that where left behind. Once the new freeway was built, traffic wasn’t going to pass by again.
It was around the ’60s when freeways started to crisscross America. When it comes to searching for cool Mid-Century establishments, you have to go where cars used to travel. Tiki was at its height in popularity in the ’50s and ’60s so it didn’t surprise me to learn that a cool Tiki motel was located on the main road that used to go right through the center of Mount Vernon, Washington.
In 2007, Sarah and Robb met for the first time in Austin, Texas and started dating.
In 2009, Sarah moved up to Seattle to be with Robb, full-time.
In 2014, Robb proposed to Sarah on top of the Fairmount Hotel. She said yes!
That was July. They celebrated by drinking Tiki drinks at The Tonga Room!
In October of 2014, they moved into a beautiful bungalow in Ballard and created a perfect Mid-Century home.
Then they decided they needed a Tiki bar, so they turned their porch into the Bungalow.
More importantly, Sarah and Robb got married in 2016! I will let Robb fill in the blanks below…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #27 The Bungalow Seattle, WA”
Back in the ’50s and ’60s, Tiki was big, I mean really big! Large Tiki establishments like the Mai Kai and Trader Vic’s were in every town. Many of the Mid-Century homes had bars and tons of those were being converted into home Tiki bars.
Polynesian pop was so popular that Tiki-themed hotels and motels started popping up. Taking things one step further, Tiki apartment complexes were built! Imagine walking out your front door and having a large Tiki to greet you every morning as you go off to work. Many Tiki apartments were built across the country, but by the ’70s, most of those apartments were torn down or converted to some other theme. I did find one survivor in Tacoma, WA. It’s named—yep, you guessed it—the Tiki Apartments.
