Help out a landlocked tiki lubber...

Would anyone be willing to share any information, mugs or memorabilia from Ren Clark's Polynesian Village in Fort Worth, Texas? I'm a Dallasite and a web designer, putting together some research on former tiki haunts in Texas. I have some gathered some great bits and peices from there, turned on to it by the Big Brother Sven in the BOT, but I NEED MORE INFO. Help!

Reever
[email protected]

[ Edited by: Reever on 2002-11-07 17:23 ]

Hi Reever,

I don't have much info on Ren Clark's Polynesian Village, but I've got some other Texas sites in my postcard collection. You've probably heard about most of these, but I thought you might like pictures and addresses. Here they are:

Matchbook and postcard from TRADER VIC'S at the Shamrock Hilton in Houston, TX. (Main at Holcombe Blvd)

TRADE WINDS MOTEL - 4801 West Waco Drive, Waco. "Air Conditioned, Television in all rooms, Large Meeting Rooms, Swimming Pool, Trade Winds Restaurant and Private Club" Sorry for the slightly blurry photo. It looks like there may be a tiki at the top of the sign on the left-hand side of the card.

Postcard and matchbook for the KONA-KAI INN

And a close-up of the sign. KONA-KAI INN - Highways 87 and 287 South, Dumas, TX. Part of the Master Hosts hotel chain. "102 Beautiful Rooms. Year Around Indoor Pool. Tropical Gardens. Restaurant. Private Club."

DOBBS HOUSE LUAU - POLYNESIAN RESTAURANT - Dallas, Love Field. There was a chain of eight of these around the U.S.

Stephen Crane's KON-TIKI "PORTS O' CALL" in the Sheraton Dallas, Dallas TX. (This is actually the Cincinatti OH matchbook, but it gives a listing of all the Kon-Tiki restaurants inside, including the Dallas one.)

Hope these are useful to you. Maybe THEJAB can get on his magic computer and find out if any of these places still exist.

Sabu

Maybe THEJAB can get on his magic computer and find out if any of these places still exist.

Thanks so much for the info Sabu! As my site gets closer to completion, I may ask you to lend me higher res scans, for which I will gladly give you props! I was aware of all of these, except for Kona Kai, which appears to still be alive and kickin! I can't find any photos online to see if they've totally remodled and wrecked any ambiance that once might have been, but the way they describe themselves on the travel sites is as follows...

"The Kona Kai Dumas Inn is the only full service hotel in Dumas featuring the Pepper Tree Restaurant and the Yellow Rose Lounge. We offer the original Hawaii in the panhandle with our enclosed atrium with heated pool and spa. Our tastefully decorated rooms overlook the beautiful green atrium and swimming pool."

Man o man... the fact that something like this once existed in a middle-of-freakin-nowhere little town like Dumas is what fascinates me about this craze. How can it be so forgotten/unknown by so many? Tiki temples made it to every little cowtown in Texas, for crying out loud!

THANKS for the great pics and facts. Just so you know, Trade Winds motels can still be found all around Texas (not sure if the one pictured is still around or not... been a while since I've been through Waco) despite how poorly palm trees fare in our summer heat! What good's a trade wind without palm fronds to flap in the breeze?

Don't know the fate of the Trader Vic's in Houston, but here in Dallas it still exists, except the name has been stripped from the restaurant, the guardian tiki out front stolen, the hotel was sold off by Hilton, and it's now a dusty rental space for parties. However, it's pretty darn intact... lots of original tikis.

Dobbs House Luau is gone... Dobbs House used to be the caterer on the Love Field airport flights (home of Southwest Airlines).

And, Ports o' Call is gone, but I have some great memorabilia from there that I'll share another time...

Phew! Sorry that was so long! Thanks again.

Reever,

Thanks for the exchange of information. It's good to hear that the tikis are still intact in the Trader Vics, Dallas, even though it's only rented out. I'm glad to here that the Kona-Kai Dumas might still be around - let me know if you ever make a visit. And thanks for the Dobbs House info as well.

Just let me know when you want better scans of the postcards and I'll get Doctor Z to scan them for me with his most excellent scanner. What I posted here were just some quick digital photos I took that morning.

I'm anxious to see your site when you get it up and running.

Sabu

Hey Reever,

Here's another Texas spot that Mike (TikiHula) just posted to his postcard gallery: The Lahala House, in Corpus Cristi.

http://www.tikiroom.net/gallery/postcards/adv

Sabu

WOW great find. Thanks! New one to me.

I was just Out-Sniped on this wonderful old publicity photo of Sandra Dee eating at the Dobbs House Luau in Dallas:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3320001208

A serious Sandra Dee collector with deeper pockets than me snagged it. It's an appealing crossover item, combining both surf culture and tiki in one photo. I wanted to share the pictures before the seller deletes them.

Reever, Tikibars, and/or Bigbro:

You may want to contact the buyer on this one. He/she may be willing to send you a larger/nicer scan for your respective website, book, and archives.

Sabu

PS: If you look at the postcard of the Dobbs House earlier in this thread, you can see where Sandra Dee is sitting - back by the canoe and the aquarium - same in both photos.

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy on 2003-04-15 11:04 ]

THANKS for the great pics and facts. Just so you know, Trade Winds motels can still be found all around Texas (not sure if the one pictured is still around or not... been a while since I've been through Waco)

Talked to a friend at Baylor...this one's a goner too.

*On 2002-11-08 17:49, Reever wrote:*Don't know the fate of the Trader Vic's in Houston, but here in Dallas it still exists, except the name has been stripped from the restaurant, the guardian tiki out front stolen, the hotel was sold off by Hilton, and it's now a dusty rental space for parties. However, it's pretty darn intact... lots of original tikis.

Hey Reever-

The sad news is that our Trader Vics here in Houston went with the tearing down of the old Shamrock Hilton Hotel. My mom took my sister and me there when we were kids. We thought it was VERY exotic; imagine - chunks of pineapple in with the HAM! Wasn't old enough to get an alcoholic drink then, so I can't claim to have tasted theirs, but I did get something with paper umbrellas, etc. in it.

sigh no more. It was torn down a few years ago while I was living in Georgia, so I didn't even get to say goodbye.

[ Edited by: formikahini on 2004-03-07 18:40 ]

Reever, How's the site going?

Sabu, Can you get the photos working again? I'm about to move to Lubbock, and I'm interested in checking out the Kona-Kai in Dumas, TX.

I am going up to Dumas this week to check out the Kona Kai. Hopefully we can secure that place for my birthday party.. and hopefully with an annual party there.

EDIT: I just did some searching online and found the Dumas Chamer of Commerce website. They have the Kona Kai listed as the "Dumas Inn", and here's what the description says about it: "100 NEWLY DECORATED ROOMS"

((Shudders))

This could be a bad trip, man.

-one man aspiring to be everyone’s favorite unkle.
http://www.unklejohn.com

My Tiki Lounge http://unklejohn.suddenlaunch.com/index.cgi

[ Edited by: Unkle John on 2005-03-06 22:39 ]