Coco Palms (site of Blue Hawaii) featured in Wall Street Journal

I know this has already been posted but I really don't want anyone to miss this article and video from the Wall Street Journal. I spent each summer across the street from the Coco Palms hotel on Kauai. Its Polynesian village atmosphere surrounded by hundreds of coconut trees made it a really magical place. A canal ran down the middle of the property and its where Elvis slowly drifts away at the end of Blue Hawaii. It even had a zoo way in the back producing authentic jungle sounds. And it also was prominently featured as the resort for Fantasy Island (including Tatoo"s bar exterior). Of course the place had plenty of Tiki's. Please check out the video and read about Larry Rivera. I actually saw Larry perform last year and we will never see his like again. Some consider him the poor man's Don Ho (no shame at all in that) and in his old age he still evokes the era where hotels greeted you like you were entering their village and whisked you into a Polynesian fantasy. I really hope at least some of that place can be saved.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120493629538421031.html

[ Edited by: SuperEight 2008-03-10 20:15 ]

Thanks, Supereight, for posting about this again. I provided an earlier link to the article and video, and was kind of disappointed that more people didn't view it.

Believe me, the above WSJ article and video represents exactly what tiki is really about for me.

It is about appreciating a past era, even though it is fading away, and should be revived before it disappears.

It is about following one's heart bliss, even though that vision may not be supported by Corporate America.

It is about keeping certain dreams of America alive, of allowing people to get married in the same location where Elvis got married in the movie 'Blue Hawaii' - even though that location has been officially closed since 1992.

It is about still doing what you can to make people happy, even though you are 77 years old - a definite example for us who are younger.

Read it ... watch the video ... it is good stuff.

[ Edited by: ikitnrev 2008-03-10 20:41 ]

This is kind of the article you sort of wish everyone here on TC would see. I've actually passed it along to a couple of friends.

It's about keeping what one can alive even 'in the ruins'. Places so dear to the heart that there is no letting go. An idea and ideal stronger than hurricanes, stronger than time, stronger than decay.

Raise those Mai Tais to Larry Rivera.

Now if only we had a few tens of millions to throw at preserving and restoring such a place... .

Here's a place to get more- http://www.coco-palms.com/

"You're getting more interesting by the drink!" -Pepe le Tiki

[ Edited by: Sabina 2008-03-11 12:32 ]

Wow, Nice video...

What a great place this must've been back in the day.

Unfortunately the Coco Palms is structually beyond a major refurb. 15 years of neglect since Iniki has left this place a shambles. Dry rot has found its way into most of the wood and vandals have broken glass and made off with a lot of the valuable items. I like the idea to take down the unsafe structures and use the 32 acres as a park. At least the lagoons would be saved and it would be open to the public. I'm glad they didn't go with the Spa and timeshare idea. The less development on Kauai,the better.

Thanks SuperEight and Sabina for those links. I learned a lot just reading these threads on the Coco Palms, but the pictures of then and now are just wonderful. I've been to Kauai twice and unfortunately didn't get over there. I do hope they build a park so the people of Kauai can at least enjoy the coconut groves and lagoon. I'll be keeping an eye out for more news.