Palm Springs Tiki Polynesia in the Desert

Palm Springs Tiki presents a visual exploration of a midcentury tropical paradise in the California desert. From the 1930s through the 1970s, Palm Springs and other desert communities embraced the midcentury fantasy of a home-grown Polynesian paradise. The concept of the oasis and that of the tropical island shared the qualities of exotic escapism for the urban dweller, these would-be islanders under the desert sun. Sprouting from the arid desert were Polynesian restaurants, bars, nightclubs and lounges, hotels, motels, apartments, and trailer parks decorated with tikis. Celebrities frequented Palm Springs' Don the Beachcomber, the El Mirador's South Pacific Room, the Bamboo Room at the Racquet Club, and Aloha Jhoe's. Average Americans vacationed at the city's Tropics Motor Lodge with its Reef Bar, the Kon Tiki Hotel, Kona Inn, Maui Inn, and Tiki Spa; and resided at the Aloha Palms and Kauai apartments and condominiums such as the Royal Hawaiian. In Rancho Mirage, the 'Fly In / Drive