Christmas, Halloween, and St. Patty's Day rolled together into three days of bacchanalia bliss in the San Diego sun. The annual event around which the Johns family calendar rotates.
What is Tiki Oasis you might wonder?
Tiki Oasis is an annual event that draws together people from around the country to celebrate the tiki lifestyle. What is Tiki? Tiki refers to the Polynesian inspired theme popular in restaurants and clubs after World War II, and started by Don the Beachcomber's and Trader Vic's in the 1930's. Frank Sinatra was a regular at many tiki restaurants, especially Don the Beachcomber's in Palm Springs. Tiki peaked in the 1950's and declined into near oblivion during the 60's and 70's. Only a few original tiki restaurants still exist today, such as the Bali Hai and Kon Tiki.
Today, tiki has seen a revival among a new generation and is popular as ever. New bands like The Tikiyaki Orchestra and and The Martini Kings pick up where Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman left off. Tiki Oasis draws artists, musicians, pin-up models, and partiers together to enjoy a weekend where the only goal is to make friends and have fun. The vibe is similar to a cruise where everyone starts their vacation at the same time and attitudes are left in the parking lot.This year we booked early and were lucky enough to get a room overlooking the stage so we had a great view of the shows and vendor booths.
Sophie stayed with us the first night and our friends Chad, Kate and Ruby babysat her the next night. It was great having a babysitter since room parties are half the fun of Tiki Oasis and we were able to stay out late. We met a lot of cool people, made a few friends, and left with a renewed appreciation for nice, friendly people. I wish everyone in the world had their own Tiki Oasis to get this kind of renewal.
There are just too many things to cover and since a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a sampling of images to give you an idea of the experience.
Mahalo.
Chris Johns
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