Post #127439 by ikitnrev on Thu, Nov 25, 2004 10:10 AM

I grew up in a heavily German/Polish part of Wisconsin. Lots of polka music and dancing, beer drinking, bratwurst and sausages, and all that stuff. I always associate the Bavarian architecture trimmings with the festive reception halls where the polka music would be played.

Polka music had its peak cultural impact in the U.S. during the early/mid 1950's, so perhaps for a certain generation (those born in the 1920's-30's) the Bavarian theme was the wild, partying theme of the day. The people who seem to have the fondest views of the touristy Bavarian themed towns (Solvang, Leavenworth)are the older generation who experienced that time period firsthand.

My theory is that when this generation got tired from too much polka dancing, they slid into the more quiet and sedate Polynesian/tiki culture, where they only had to swing their hips to an occasional hula dance, rather than sustain long, fast, amd mostly sweaty polkas on the dance floor.

Vern