This property started out in 1948 as "El Rancho" and was built by Jack Nelson on 13 acres along Highway 17.

In 1965, it was renovated and re-themed as the Hawaiian Village Motel and Restaurant.

The restaurant had a small river running through it, with bamboo bridges to get across, and live bands in the "Bora Bora" room for entertainment.

The restaurant was destroyed by fire on Sept. 7, 1974. At the time, it was owned by Marion Cannon of Myrtle Beach, and Jack Shaw of Greenville, SC.

Currently, and since 1979, the site is home to the Village Square Shopping Center -- which is one of the earliest strip malls built in the area.

The Luau was located in the "County Airport," a.k.a. Borrego Valley Airport, and opened some time in the '50s or '60s. Open at least as late as 1967. The restaurant in the airport today is The Propeller Bar & Grill at 1816 Palm Canyon Drive, but it is not clear if this is the same space that once held the Luau.

Fry's Electronics was an American big-box store and retailer of software, consumer electronics, household appliances and computer hardware. Fry's had in-store computer repair and custom computer building services. The company had a chain of superstores headquartered in Silicon Valley. Starting with one store located in Sunnyvale, California, the chain operated 34 stores in nine states by 2019, and as of June 2020 operated 31 stores. Most of the stores in the Fry's Electronics chain had themes. For example, the Burbank store which opened in 1995 carried a theme of 1950s and 1970s science fiction movies, and featured huge statues of popular characters such as the robot Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still and Darth Vader from the Star Wars movie series. The Woodland Hills store was Alice in Wonderland themed. This Manhattan Beach store was the only tiki themed store and featured a giant Moai head at the entrance to their theater in back, a koi pond outside with several weathered wooden tikis, and bamboo and tiki embellishments throughout the store and at checkout.

*Fry's Electronics abruptly shut down its 31 stores on February 24, 2021, citing the pandemic and changes to retailing.

The Lucky Tiki opened in December 2004.

The first incarnation of the Lucky Tiki was as a short-lived tiki bar in the San Fernando Valley, opened by Bobby Green, who is also responsible for a number of popular themed bars in the Los Angeles area (Bigfoot Lodge, Little Cave, Thirsty Crow, Harlow, Idle Hour). The Lucky Tiki location, near where the 405 and 118 freeways meet, was once The Wild Cherry, a bar dating from the 1950s. Some of the artists responsible for the decor included Crazy Al Evans, Tiki Tony and Kevin Kidney.

In early 2006, the property the Lucky Tiki leased was purchased by a new owner and they closed soon after. The entire interior, including carvings and art, were put in storage.

Bobby Green wanted to reopen the Lucky Tiki in another location, initially in North Hollywood, then in the Palms neighborhood of West Los Angeles, but nothing gelled for several years and he became pre-occupied with other bar projects.

Finally, in March of 2024, after 20 years, The Lucky Tiki re-opened nearby Tail O' the Pup in West Hollywood.

New Zealand Maori-inspired restaurant and bar, next door to the Best Western Orchard Inn just off of Highway 99, appealed to the early-20s set of Turlock. Whanga Rei featured an outdoor patio with a sand volleyball court and a mechanical bull, but there were tiki touches inside, with a few large carvings, and an interesting seating area with a wave overhead. Whanga Rei opened in July 2004 but, by mid-2005, it was converted to a sports bar, and the tikis were removed.

The Kona Kai apartments were built in 1962. The decor was outfitted by Oceanic Arts. There is an identical apartment building in Granada Hills, the Kona Pali. The building has a dramatic A-frame entrance, with a tile mosaic of the Hawaiian islands. There are carved tikis throughout the grounds.

Built in 1962. This apartment building, formerly called the Samoa Apartments, is in a row of three Polynesian-themed apartment buildings, the others being the Kapu Tiki Apartments and the Aloha Arms.

Facing them, this would be the middle location in the row with the Kapu Tiki on the left and the Aloha Arms on the right.

Opened in 1996.

Aloha Cruz was a vintage Hawaiiana store with some tiki offerings. Vintage tiki mugs, tikis and other tiki collectibles were for sale, along with vintage aloha wear and rattan furniture.

Aloha Cruz used to be located in Hermosa Beach, but in April 2004 relocated to a smaller space in Redondo Beach.

The storefront has been closed, and the owner now sells items online only.

For 10 years (1998-2008), Aloha Cruz organized a large vintage Hawaiiana collectibles event, called "Da Show."

Opened in 1998.

Rock-a-Hula was a small vintage and new clothing store in the heart of the trendy Melrose shopping district. All sorts of clothes could be found here, but there was an emphasis on aloha wear, including a handful of very nice '40s era rayon shirts in a locked case. The inside of the store used bamboo, rattan, lauhala matting and thatch extensively, but there was very little in the way of actual tikis here -- only a handful of small mugs for sale.

Closed in 2006.

Now home to a different vintage clothing store -- 2nd Street.

This Kelbo's was the first of two, built in 1947. Two men, Thomas Kelley and Jack Bouck, combined the first syllables of their last names and invented Kelbo’s, a small chain of Hawaiian barbecues whose food was not all that Hawaiian: burgers, barbecue meat sandwiches and some miscellaneous seafood. The concession to the islands was that every plate was garnished with a piece of pineapple and the fried shrimp was coated with coconut. They also served very sweet (but very good) barbecued ribs and had a menu of tropical drinks, some of which came flaming or served in a skull mug. Eli Hedley was the main designer and he was also responsible for the interior of other tropical-themed restaurants like Don the Beachcomber. Kelbo’s felt like a place that had been decorated in the thirties or forties and then no one changed anything. The second Kelbo's was on Fairfax in La Brea, opened in 1950 across from CBS Television City, and was later torn down. It was a popular hangout for crew members who worked across the street at CBS Television City in the fifties and sixties. This first Kelbo's was over on Pico at Exposition.  After this Pico location was shuttered, the building was converted into a bikini bar called Fantasy Island for a time.  Much of the Kelbo’s advertising art was done by Bob Hale who otherwise turned up on Los Angeles TV from time to time as a cartooning weatherman. (He was also active in Seattle where he owned a popular hobby shop that bore his name.) Hale’s drawings of a fat Hawaiian guy in native garb could be seen on Kelbo’s napkins and menus, and both of the outlets had huge Bob Hale murals on the outside.

Closed in 1994.

NOTE: Fourth photo is of Jack Bouck in aloha jacket. Seventh photo shows Sonny Heideman at bar. Last photo shows Tom Kelley on the right.

Built in 1962.

The Whispering Lakes Apartments (formerly an unnamed apartment complex) once featured four large Milan Guanko tikis in front.

There are still some smaller tiki influences present, including some simple stylized Tiki Bob-ish carved tikis at the entrance.

Opened in 1956 through at least 1957 according to old newspaper ads.

One such ad from The San Francisco Examiner July 20, 1957 states:

"Only I year old and world-famous. Under the management of BOB KENNA. Entertainment-Exotic Beverages and Foods. Jimmie Borges, 'The Hawaiian Johnny Ray' FLOOR SHOW ENTERTAINMENT FEATURES authentic Hawaiian music. SHOW TIMES: 9:45-11:15-12:15 TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. Under the expert supervision of Chef Bill Seaburg authentic Island cooks prepare exotic dishes as well as the traditional seafood and steak dishes you'd expect in a fine wharf restaurant. Waikiki Far Eastern Specials include: TAHITIAN CANTONESE HAWAIIAN INDONESIAN MANDARIN FOODS and a Complete Sea Food Menu, Steaks, Chops Tropical Bar features 30 exotic beverages ranging in strength from an 'Hawaiian Sunrise' to a 'Typhoon.' Hot hors d'oeuvres during Cocktail Hour. OPEN 11:30 A.M. to 2:00 A.M."

Address no longer exists. Old building was probably torn down. Today this area is home to a thriving shopping area.