Post #138740 by Bargoyle on Tue, Feb 1, 2005 3:32 PM

So, I didn't get to Kahunaville this weekend, and someone already had a pic of the mug posted ...so it's all good.

And when I saw said mug (monday) I decided we were off to Kahunaville for dinner (only about a 45min to 1 hour drive) as I needed to have one immediately!!

So we schlep up to Holyoke, Mass.... to the mall. Park on the lowest level and giddily rush in, past the deals at Filene's Basement....dragging the wahine past DSW and its siren song of designer shoes for low low prices, and reach the bottom of the escalator.

I step on and holler back to her to keep up...no time for shopping today!!!

The elderly couple in front of me prevent me from rushing up the steps so I decide to enjoy the ride. I crane my neck to the left and see the middle level of the mall comming into view....yes, yes...there it is!! I see the wild colors of the top of the Kahunaville sign.

As the escalator rises, I can now see the tops of the tiki idols who flank the entrance in all their goofy glory...and Im beginging to remember that I dont really like this place....poor food, worse drinks, noisy atmosphere, neon riddled, giant tvs everywhere....

ok wait...i like tv...but it totally ruins the tropical mood they almost set....almost.

Never-the-less...i MUST have the volcano mug... I MUST press-on!!!

And as the entrance comes into view I notice something large and white. "What is that??? Its covering the entrance?!?!" The entry way is maybe 25 feet wide and 15 feet tall....this is a BIG obsticle.

From here it kind of looks like drywall...

Did they seal the patrons inside in some kind of twisted homage to Edgar Allen Poe?? The tell-tale-tiki?? The cask of Amontillado??

There's a door on the side of this drywall creation. I try it. Its locked. I ask one of the nearby shoppers, "excuse me...do you know whats up with this place here?"

I get a blank stare, followed by the slightest of shugs, almost indescernable to the naked eye. He shuffles off to continue his window shopping at Fredrick's of Hollywood, and I'm left to ponder what has happened to Kahunaville....

The wahine finally catches up to me, muttering something under her breath about how its the fastest she's seen me move all winter.

"It cant be closed" I say.

"Ummm...it IS" she replies.

"No, I mean shutdown. I checked the website. Got the hours of operation before we left. What happened here?!?!"

And suddenly, I'm struck with a deep sadness and a heartfelt nostalgia for the place.

Its true, it wasnt near the top on my list of tiki spots...I'd only been a few times and was never really impressed....but it had its own eletricfied tiki spirit, and if its gone, I'm gonna miss it.

If anyone knows whats up with the Holyoke Mass Kahunaville, please let me know. Their web site still shows it operational. I've emailed them and not heard back yet.

I also called their phone number and got no answer.

Be a shame to lose another tiki spot in the northeast. We dont have any to spare.

http://bargoyle.yafro.com/

[ Edited by: Bargoyle on 2005-02-01 15:36 ]