Post #109230 by freddiefreelance on Thu, Aug 19, 2004 6:48 PM

I'm finally back and (mostly) dug out from under my mess of emails (over 200 messages, not counting spam, at home. Over 300, with no spam, at work).

I wasn't able to visit any places in Oklahoma, we crossed the state in the middle of the night and visited family in OKC. We tried to get to Hawaiian Don's but mixed up the 2 10th Streets & had to give up.

Lotus Garden, 49 Mercator Dr., Greenwood, IN 46143 (317) 881-5531

I did get pictures of Lotus Gardens, the last Tiki Bar in Indiana, including bar, some mugs, the drink menu & some decor. I'm going to put those pictures on CD & post'em soon. I can't give a good review of the food there, we only had Egg Rolls & Pork Fried Rice and both were marginal & very greasy (it's a very old school Chinese retaurant, but it's still popular with the older Hoosiers), but the drinks were quite strong & very tasty. My wife had a Rum Cow (rum, milk & coconut milk served on crushed ice in a coconut cup), & I had a Dr. Wongs Tonic (I couldn't tell you what's in it, but it's served in a classic Fu Manchu mug & the old Chinese waiter thought it was very funny how well it matched my droopy handlebar moustache). If you enter through the main door to the dining room you cross a bridge over a stream that runs from a waterfall to the checkout. The posts holding up the railing of the bridge are Moais, I actually got a good picture of one of them and the waterfall together. I wouldn't suggest a trip to the Far South Side of Indianapolis just to visit Lotus Garden, if a trip or business takes you out there stop in & mention Tiki Central.

McDonald's, 5389 Ludington Ave, Ludington, Mi.

While I was up in Ludington I was surprised to find a Tiki in the jungle-themed Playroom of the local Mickey D's! Nothing else Tiki about the place, but how come Michigan has so many Tiki themed places & Indiana has only one?

Tiki Lounge, Stearns Motor Inn, 212 E Ludington Ave., Ludington, Mi. (231) 843-340

Much more Tiki than I remembered, with lots of masks, Tiki barstools, Tapa cloth on the walls, enough Pufferfish lamps to count as a Pufferfish Chandalier, and what looks like a nice Witco on one wall. On the down side, don't bother to order a Mai Tai. The bartender pretty much only serves longnecks & the house specialty: the Shark Attack. A Shark Attack tastes like Kool Ade or Gatorade with vodka & light rum added, and it's serverd in a fishbowl with a rubber shark & a couple plastic fish. I drank 3 & was hardly buzzed. Compare this with barely being able to walk straight after 1 Dr. Wong's Tonic at Lotus Garden. I tried to meet the owner of the lounge, but the bouncer kept putting me off saying he'd be in "in an hour." After almost 3 hours of this answer we left the locals to their Buds.

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance on 2004-08-19 18:49 ]

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance on 2004-12-14 11:47 ]