Old tiki bar in Daytona Beach

So, after drinking a Mai-Tai with Muck, we decided to head go down the street to the Hawaiian Inn and catch the luau show -- which turned out to be the Christmas luau show -- which we had never seen.
Since the last time we visited in early 2002, Wayne and Frank have added a huge volcano to the showroom which now rumbles and smokes over in a corner. It's a really great touch. I think they also suspended more of their vintage tiki lamps from the ceiling because I didn't remember so many the last time. The bar is looking better as well, with more decorations, and a stock of Orchids Hawaii lookalike volcano bowls they bought from Myriah's Polynesian Bazaar. Wayne also told me they now have a private party room that is decked out with other tiki stuff from his collection (I didn't ask to see it, however.)
For those of you in Florida that have not been to this show, I really encourage you to do so. It isn't a slicked up Disney spectacular, and it's not the mind-blowing trip you get at the Mai-Kai, but it is the authentic polynesian dinner and show that must have been common when tiki culture was in its heyday. Plus, Frank makes all your favorite tiki drinks for cheap and the place is completely decked out in Witco! Vat more you could you vant dan Vitco and vahines at the Havaiian Inn.

We went to the New Year's Eve Luau show at the hawaiian. I have to say we were a bit disappointed; the band only played about 4 hawaiian songs, and after mid-night lapsed into bad wedding band songs... Perhaps the normal Luau is more on theme?

I heard the same thing about the 2001 New Year's Eve party. The normal show is all hula and Polynesian/ hapa haole music.

[ Edited by: kailuageoff on 2003-05-28 11:37 ]

hey KG how far is that from orlando fl? what's orlando like as far as tiki and the hawaiian culture? Is it as fun as southern Cals? could a man make a living over there doing what I do?

tanks cuz

Daytona is about an hour's drive from where I live in Olrando, so we go there alot. It has some of my favorite tiki spots and some good antique and thrift stores. Tiki was once very popular in Florida with a half dozen major Polynesian restaraunts that I know about and a couple of really nice tiki resorts. That was in the 50's and 60's before Disney World and Jimmy Buffet took hold, back when Florida seemed to market itself as sort of a poor man's Hawaii. You could drive here, afterall.
Thanks to Sven and folks out on the west coast, the tiki spirit is starting to take hold here again -- but slowly. The Hukilau in Atlanta, Georgia helped alot and next summer's event at the Mai-Kai will too.
Meanwhile, I keep pestering people from Florida to get together for some face time.
As far as making a living from tiki carving, Wayne Coombs of Mai-tiki is probably the most successful carver here. Times seem pretty good right now, but I sense there have been some pretty lean years as well.

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2003-01-09 13:39 ]

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2003-01-09 13:40 ]

Me & the Mrs. spent part of the Memorial Day weekend sipping Mai-Tai's at the Hawaiian Inn. The hula show and luau is happening four nights per week now -- Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat. -- so check it out. Teauila's is also running the outside tiki bar and snack shop, so they're providing poolside entertainment on the weekends. Kind of nice to see guys playing a uke, or to be able to listen to recorded Hawaiian tunes by the pool.
The bad news is some poor bastard got drunk, fell in the pool and drowned awhile ago. Then the TV news came out and did a story about how it was dangerous to swim there at night because it was too dark by the pool.
I guess tiki torches don't illuminate to code.

Kailuageoff

It would be great to get all of us Florida Tikis' together for some events like the socal braz. Maybe we can all do some event planning while at the Hukilau 2003.

Yea Mon!

kailuageoff has tried at least twice offlist to get us orlando people to do stuff together, but some of us lameasses (me included) couldn't get our s--t together to make it out. i foresee hukilau being a bonding experience - good idea about possible event planning there. i'm moving out of state the week before, though, so i won't be able to participate in anything after the big one. :(

The idea for moving the Hukilau from Atlanta to the Mai-Kai started as a plan to do a Florida tiki gathering in Ft. Lauderdale. Ken-Tiki, the guys at Kreepy-Tiki and a few of us other run-addled Floridians started making plans, when Swanky and Tiki-Kiliki generously offered to move their show south. The rest is history and many thanks to them for taking charge.
I'm definitely up for doing some smaller scale gatherings that anyone wants to propose. We did a party at our place last November, and then a dozen of us went to the Hawaiian Inn in January.
KG