NW tikiheads?

As so many new folks have joined since I was last an active member on this list, I found myself wondering if any new fellow Northwesterners had joined while I was away. Portland? Seattle? Anywhere in the great wet north?

count me in!

i moved to seattle in November ~ and have been searching out bits of Tiki-dom in the great northwest.

i've met Humuhumu (Michelle), who fixed me a wonderful drinks and pupus in the Incredible Humuhumu Room...

so how far away is portland? is it within crawling distance? :)

elicia

I pretty much just joined, but I'm in Portland. I actually just had lunch at the Alibi today - I got caught in a vision threatening hail storm and was looking for somewhere to pull the car over, and there was that beautiful glittering sign:)

dogbytes - Portland is a 3-4 hour drive from Seattle, depending on traffic (and ones respect for the speed limit).

Portland's about 3 hours south of Seattle and has a couple of decent tiki bars, most notably Alibi, and also the lesser Jasmine Tree. Then there's my own Castaway Cove:
http://www.geocities.com/maxton1/SeasonOpener2.html
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/maxton1/vwp?.dir=/Castaway+Cove&.dnm=Best_Of_2002.jpg&.src=ph&.view=t&.hires=t

I've been hoping to get a Portland crawl together for awhile - we could do Alibi and Jasmine tree, hit Bush Garden (Japanese place with a nice fountain and the best mai tais in town after mine), perhaps a stop at Mr.TikiBar's place, then finish the evening at the Cove. Or you could come down June 7 for the big Castaway Cove season opener, which usually features live entertainment. I'm hoping the TCNW contingent will eventually grow large enough to do 2 crawls a year, one in Seattle and one in Portland... We shall see...

A fellow Portlander! Welcome! We may be able to throw together a Portland crawl after all!

I'm in Portland too!

And I agree with TikiMaxton's estimate on the driving time from Portland to Seattle, rather than The Husband's (luminior) excessively-conservative one. He's just a whimp. If you don't drive like a little old lady, you can get to Seattle in about 2 1/2 hours from Portland, barring traffic jams. Just ignore the whimpering from the passenger seat. :)

We've been to the Alibi a couple of times, but only looked in at the Jasmine Tree. It seems like somewhere that could be fun with a group, but when we breezed by, it was just luminior, myself, and a bunch of guys swilling happy-hour beers-- not condusive to proper tiki appreciation. But a Portland Crawl would be great fun!

Kim, I'm jazzed to hear there are now more PDX TC folks than just Mr. TikBar and me! Didja happen to catch the write-up in WW's Best of Portland issue a few months back?

By the way, Jasmine Tree has some cool Oceanic Arts stuff, including the Marquesan Cannibal trilogy (Sven pointed it out to me when we were there). I've always wanted to promote a big lounge event there, with several lounge/exotica/hawaiian acts, including our own Lushy. Might still happen one day...

Best Karaoke Joint? Indeed! There was, in fact, Karaoke going on one of the two time we were there.

And I'm pleased to hear that Jasmine Tree has some stuff worth checking out more closely... it makes me more eager for a return visit!

Actually, I was referring to Best Backyard Tiki Bar...

...Although the karaoke scene [i]is[\i] wild at Alibi for sure! Many of you purists will claim that tiki and karaoke don't mix, but it manages to bring a hip, young crowd to Alibi, and thus helps spread The Word, so it can't be all bad, right? Trust me, after a few mai tais karaoke can seem like a really good idea, even when it's not...

Oooohhh!

Well, that's much cooler! Congradulations! I'll have to look it up on http://www.wweek.com!

Nice nice nice!

If other TCers want to read the blurb, here you go!
http://www.wweek.com/flatfiles/allstories.lasso?xxin=3013

Very, very snazzy! If luminoir & I ever have a backyard, there will certainly be a tiki bar... and if we never have a backyard, it'll have to go somewhere else!

:tiki:

By the way, TikiMaxton, your Castaway Cove photo link is down, which is too bad, since I want to see more pictures.

Maxton and I must be on some sort of NorthwesTiki vibe...Just an hour ago I was walking home (through a rain storm) pondering the possibility of making a Seattleville crawl out of what passes for Tiki bars here...The evening would start in the sort of cool interior but completely lame atmosphere of Tiki Bob's where we would enjoy (read: force down) some sort of stupid drink with a nudge-nudge-wink-wink name followed by Jello shots, then the gang would move the 13 or so blocks north to the nuevo-Polynesian-dive environment of the Lava Lounge where we would drink BEER because that's all they serve (but they do have Martin Denny, Frank, and Deano on the CD juke box), and finally we'd make a night of it one block west at Ohana which has a really swell thatch covered bar and low lighting but incredibly lousy drinks, sometimes lousy staff, and reggae on the sound system (though reggae is far better than "Walking on Sunshine" which was blasting in Tiki Bob's last time I braved the place). After we're properly soused we could stagger a couple blocks east and light a candle outside the Westin Hotel, last location of the Seattle Trader Vic's (now a sushi joint). A better Jet City Crawl would begin on an I-5 south on ramp and happen 2 or 3 or 4 hours later in Portland.

Yeah, I gotta fix that page and get some better photos on it. It's hard to show it, though, 'cause it's so dark. It occupies a 400'foot former rock cutting shop, so there's plenty o' space and plenty o' stuff to clutter it up...

"Waaaaayaavelength..."

The First Annual Portland Tiki Crawl sounds like it could be brewing...

Maybe Seattlites could ride down together on the train and start the party early...

Portlanders and willing commuters! Saturday, May 3rd, is Cinco de Polka night. The Polka Fools will throw their annual party (a blast)
at the Norse Hall on 10th and NE Burnside (or there-abouts.) Also that evening, over at The Dublin Pub in Raleigh Hills (close in)
will be some very talented friends playing some great vintage rock (Yardbirds, Animals, Stones etc.)
Maybe a tiki-crawl could be added to the mix. Or would that be just too much fun?

[ Edited by: mrtikibar on 2003-04-08 05:52 ]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF!
heeheehee
Helllllllo fellow NWsters!
hehehee
Don't fergit we kin go to Luau for
Shaggys chicken! hahahaha
hahaha, I don't really think Seattle has much crawl potential. But, I'd be more than happy to git myself and others down to Ptown fer a crawl or to see that famous tiki bar during the Castaway Call... hmmmmm
the lil hamster on the wheel in my brain is starting to run...
Pea

Almost fergot, Miss Humuhumu, we
gotta git together soon! I'll be giving you
a holler sometime in the next couple weeks. Maybe we can have a Seattle tiki folks git-together.

It's so crazy it just might work!

We could start the event with happy hour at Castaway Cove, then hit Jasmine Tree for dinner and more drinks, then go to Polka De Mayo, then Alibi for a nightcap. Mr. Tikibar, could we figure out a way to squeeze in some time at your place, too? I've yet to see it.

Whatdya think? Who's in?

Maxton,
I'd be glad to have folks over in the name of Polka-Tiki. Bowling shirts or Hawaiian shirts, it makes no difference. Maybe we have some traction with this thing.
Waaaaavelength on!

Miss 'Pea (and others)...Despite my negative tone I'd happily participate in a Seattle Tiki Thing. There could be bowling at Leilani Lanes (we'd at least give one lane of the place a bit of real Tikiocity), and of course the Lava Lounge and Ohana...I didn't forget about Luau...I just figured Wallingford was off the path.

(It's swell to see you posting, Miss 'Pea. I sort of felt personally responsible for your long Tiki Central silence after my drunk self introduced me to you at the Shake the Shack thing at the EMP a year or so ago. Figured it was too scary. I saw you at the Rooks car show just before the Rockabilly Ball this past whenever but remained silent...And if you're at the EMP this Friday night I'll just give a polite nod.)

I was discussing a Seattle crawl with Gramps -- I think it's possible (maaaaybe) that my soon-to-be-ex-husband (who I'm very luckily still on pretty good terms with) would be willing to let me re-open The Humuhumu Room for a one-night-only Bon Voyage a la the Kahiki sort of thing. I'm so sad that so few people got to see it before it got shuttered, if there was substantial demand, I think the ex would be willing to think about it. The house is on the north side of Green Lake in Maple Leaf, so it's not too far from Luau.

On 2003-04-08 22:04, Humuhumu wrote:
re-open The Humuhumu Room for a one-night-only Bon Voyage a la the Kahiki sort of thing. I'm so sad that so few people got to see it before it got shuttered, if there was substantial demand,

i am ** so there** if there's a party in the Humuhumu Room.. and if you need me to, i'll sneak 2-3 of those palm trees in my jeep for you..

hula hugs
elicia

Aww shucks HumuHumu, I'm late on the sorry also. Sorry about all the sadness. But cheer up now, you've got all of us. We love you and your smile.

I'm in for the June date if possible. The Polka thing in May is a no-go... foo. Cause I LOVE to polka. really, i do!
WOOOOOOOOOFMUTT, trust me, if I was ever intimidated or freaked out by slightly inebriated tiki folk, I'd never leave my house. hahahahahhaha
I just never got into this here new message board. Took me a while, and I'm still gettin used to it, so no worries, ya didn't scare me at all. nuthin scares me, well, okay, big hairy spiders do, but that's about it. hhahahahahaha
Pea

Hey all,

I'm a Seattle tikihead who finally got off his butt and signed up at tiki central. I found this thread, and I would be really happy to join a crawl if y'all would have me. :wink:

TikiMaxton and Humuhumu, your home bars are fabulous. I'm really sorry to hear that yours will be dismantled, Humuhumu, and especially sorry to hear about the circumstances. :(

Welcome, Fabulous! Invites will be out shortly, but mark your calendar for the June 7th, the third annual season opener party for Portland's own Castaway Cove! We'll look forward to meeting you!

On 2003-05-12 14:40, Tiki Fabulous wrote:
Hey all,

I'm a Seattle tikihead who finally got off his butt and signed up at tiki central. I found this thread, and I would be really happy to join a crawl if y'all would have me. :wink:

TikiMaxton and Humuhumu, your home bars are fabulous. I'm really sorry to hear that yours will be dismantled, Humuhumu, and especially sorry to hear about the circumstances. :(

There may be some Northwest Tiki wavelength but Maxton's wave always seems to be hitting the beach just as mine's leaving on the 5:15. June 7th I can't be in Portland for the Castaway Cove season opener as I'll be in Las Vegas for the Slots of Fun Miniature Golf Invitational and $1 Margarita Drinking Championship. The event will be available on pay-per-vue for $39.95. The price includes a free commemorative coaster set. Check your local cable company for details.

No Woofmutt at the Season Opener! Agghhh! I'm Floored! Flummoxed! Flabberghasted! What a terrible turn of events. Man, if I didn't already have a bunch of people booked from out of town, I'd consider chaning the date. I'm serious - it's that sad.

We have to get our act together, Woof! You've been too long away from Stumptown!

Well, there'll be other CC events this summer (gotta amortize my investment, y'know), so we'll see you at one of those I hope.

Have fun in Vegas - you'll be missed!

Tikimaxton: I will be in your fine state the weekend of the 7th, but will be river rafting the Crooked River in Sunriver so can't attend this function! :(

HumuHumu: so sorry to hear about the parting of ways with Mr. HumuHumu and hope it's not too painful. If you ever have a final HumuHumu Room party, be sure to let me know! I'm determined to make it to one of these NW get togethers! p.s. You are the prettiest palm tree I've ever seen! :)

Exoticat - That's a shame, though I envy you for rafting. Maggie and I used to go several times a season when we lived in CA - class IV and V rivers like the Stanislaus and Merced. We hope to do some Oregon/Idaho rafting this year...

Well, I guess this is all the more reason for me to make sure to have several more functions this season!