Max's South Seas Hideaway In Grand Rapids, Michigan

   Tiki bars are, with few exceptions, wonderful establishments in which the whiling away of a few hours in the company of friends (or strangers) is made all the more enjoyable by the presence of tiki statues, pufferfish lamps, large aquariums filled with tropical fish, ceilings draped with crab pots and fishing nets with shells or various crustaceans entangled in them, and exotic cocktails with names such as Singapore Sling or Sumatra Kula. 

   My first exposure to a tiki themed establishment was at Disneyland back in the 1970's, on my first visit to the happiest place on earth. I was 12 or 13, and it was a Navy Night trip, when U.S. Navy personnel were given group discounts for tickets - MJM's dad took me along with my bff MJM, probably more to get me out of my mom's hair than to actually introduce me to the wonderful world of Disney.

   I do not recall a whole lot about that trip except that we didn't get any souvenirs except for dinner-plate sized lollipops, and going on rides such as the Disneyland Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, The Matterhorn, and the Enchanted Tiki Room.

   The Enchanted Tiki Room was the one that grabbed me. To clarify, the Enchanted Tiki Room was not a Tiki bar, but it was a spectacular Polynesian themed musical presentation that featured singing mechanical birds, a big fountain/waterfall dealio, and a lot of thatch, bamboo, and tikis.

   That was more exciting to me that any of the other rides, primarily because the show ran longer that any of the rides, and the line in was a whole lot shorter.

   Plus, it sparked my imagination, making life in the south seas appear heavenly.

  Upon reaching the age of maturity and returning home to San Diego (after my USAF stint) I found myself patronizing a number of beach area bars, nearly all of which had some elements of the life of seafarers and the residents of the Pacific Islands they visited, on display.

   From the first bar I was employed at (Billy Bones, on Hornblend Street near the Frazee Paint store) to the Bali Hai on Shelter Island (where the legendary Bali Hai cocktail was invented) I made the rounds of every single bar that the San Diego beach area boasted, and they all contributed in some way to my becoming a Tiki bar aficionado. 

   That all stated, here forth are pictures of a great little Tiki bar I encountered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As you can see, the decor is fantastic - what you can't see is so is the service, the libations, and the food. 

   If you are as big a Tiki nut as I am, I cannot suggest a visit strongly enough (shout out to SHAG - they even have a number of your prints on the walls!)