New to Tiki Central

Hello, it's a nice site to find...

I'm now living in Iowa, but lived in Southern California area for 30 years. Just returned from a trip in the L.A. and San Diego Area up to Oregon. Visited Bali Hai in San Diego and would have done more but forgot my "Tiki Road Trip" book. Darn!

Again, hello and glad to be here.

Welcome Palm Paunch,
That's a big change from So Cal to Iowa.
Tiki Road Trip book, never leave home without it.

PP, what part of Iowa are you in? And more importantly, is there any Tiki around there? The only Tiki I could find in the Des Moines Yellow Pages was Johnson Tiki, 4001 Ep True Pkwy, West Des Moines, IA 50265, Tel. (515) 327-5969. If you're in another par of Iowa let us know what Tikiness you find around you.

I happened to be looking for tiki in Iowa just yesterday! A friend of mine moved to Iowa City a short time ago. There's a Tiki Marine (boating supply store) in Iowa City, tiki in name only from what I can tell, and there's a new tanning salon in Clive, IA, just outside Des Moines with a Hawaiian theme, called Tiki Tanning, but I don't know if there are any actual tikis.

Welcome to TC! And yes, let us know if there is any tikiness lurking in Iowa.

I'm living in Winfield (just north of Mt. Pleasant) and work in Cedar Rapids. As for Tikiness in this area: Well, there's the Brucemore in Cedar Rapids (museum only, no more bar). There was a short-lived "Tiki" smoothie bar chain in the Coral Ridge Mall called "Maui Wowi" which served smoothies in plastic Tiki mugs (I have a couple -- visit mauiwowi.com). I emailed James Teitelbaum about it with the link to their web site. He said something to the effect that he doubted it would replace the "Kahiki". He was right.

Other than that, I'm afraid Iowa has never been much in the way of Tiki. Most of the farmers down where I live would probably think they're totem poles.

Welcome Palm Paunch. Aren't you the last new person to sign up before we went Down?????
Hope you find your way back.

Aloha Palm Paunch! Next time you're in San Diego gimme a shout and we'll hit a few spots you might have missed on your last visit. Don't worry about the lack of tiki in Iowa, build your own home bar & invite your friends and nieghbors over for exotic libations and good manna and before you know it tiki bars will be sprouting up all around you.