Author's posts
Aug 09
Tiki Resort Lake George: Retro Tiki Hotel, Pools, Bar & Dinner Show
A Polynesian-themed hotel surrounded by the Adirondack Mountains may sound like something dreamed up for a 1960s road trip. At Tiki Resort in Lake George, New York, that is essentially what you get. Palm trees and tropical motifs appear hundreds of miles from the nearest tropical coastline. A vintage tiki bar dating to the early …
Feb 13
Sun, Sand, and Stardom: The Top 10 Beach Blanket Movies
Sunshine, surfboards, bikinis, motorcycles, catchy songs, improbable romances, and teenagers who somehow always had time for another dance on the sand—the beach-party movie was one of the most wonderfully escapist products of 1960s Hollywood. These films weren’t documentaries about California surf culture, and they certainly weren’t trying to be serious dramas. They created a fantasy …
Nov 15
The Moais: The Remarkable Legacy of Easter Island’s Stone Giants
Standing silently against an immense Pacific sky, the moai of Rapa Nui are among the most recognizable monuments ever created. Their long faces, powerful brows, prominent noses, and monumental proportions have inspired centuries of fascination. Images of the statues appear in documentaries, movies, advertisements, souvenirs, and American tiki décor around the world. Yet the real …
Oct 03
4 Must-Visit Tiki Bars in Palm Springs: Paradise in the Desert
Palm Springs may be surrounded by desert, but step through the right doorway and you can suddenly find yourself beneath bamboo, glowing lanterns, carved décor, tropical plants, and the unmistakable atmosphere of Polynesian Pop. The California desert city is famous for its midcentury architecture, resort culture, swimming pools, vintage style, and dramatic mountain scenery. It …
Sep 05
The Brady Bunch Tiki Idol: TV’s Most Famous Curse
A family vacation to Hawaii should have meant sunshine, sightseeing, surfing, and a few unforgettable photographs. For the Brady family, it also meant a mysterious little carved idol that seemed determined to ruin everyone’s trip. In 1972, The Brady Bunch opened its fourth season with a three-part Hawaiian adventure that became one of the most …
Jun 12
The Top 10 Beach Movies That Defined the 1960s
Surfboards leaning against convertibles. Bright swimsuits. Beach blankets spread across the sand. Guitars, bikinis, romance, sunshine, and an apparently endless supply of teenagers who never seemed to have jobs. Few movie trends captured the fantasy of early-1960s youth culture quite like the beach movie. Hollywood had made seaside films long before the 1960s, but during …
May 28
Bungy Hedley: Sailor, Author & Daughter of Tiki Pioneer Eli Hedley
Bungy Hedley grew up in a house built from driftwood beside the Pacific, learned to see possibility in objects other people left behind, went to sea while still a teenager, sailed from California toward Hawaiʻi and Tahiti, and eventually became one of the most important firsthand storytellers of the extraordinary Hedley beachcomber family. Born Lady …
May 01
Lomi Lomi Salmon Recipe: A Classic Hawaiian Side Dish
Cool, salty, juicy, and wonderfully refreshing, lomi lomi salmon is a beloved Hawaiian side dish made with salted salmon, ripe tomatoes, onion, and green onion. The ingredients are simple, but together they create an irresistible combination of savory salmon, sweet tomato, crisp onion, and fresh scallions. Everything is chopped into small pieces, gently mixed together, …
May 01
Haupia Recipe: Traditional Hawaiian Coconut Pudding
Cool, creamy, and full of coconut flavor, haupia is one of Hawaii’s most recognizable traditional desserts. At first glance, it looks almost like a firm white pudding or coconut gelatin. Traditional-style haupia, however, has its own distinctive texture: smooth and creamy enough to melt in your mouth, yet firm enough to chill and cut into …
Apr 20
Exotica Music: The Enchanting Soundscape That Transcends Time and Space
Close your eyes while an exotica record is playing and almost anything can happen. A vibraphone drifts through the room. Bongos and strange percussion begin somewhere in the distance. A bird calls from an imaginary jungle. Frogs answer from a lagoon. Strings swell dramatically, a gong appears unexpectedly, and suddenly an ordinary living room feels …
