Luxiere - Oklahoma Lifestyle & Real Estate // Edition 43

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ON THE COVER: DESIGNING ELEGANCE

Mother-daughter duo Frances and Charlotte Gadbois make visual magic with an exclusive jewelry line whose name, Sloane Street, reflects a lasting familial bond.

STORY BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON

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AMERICAN FUNDAMENTALS

A longtime news anchor and staunch advocate of First Amendment rights, decorated journalist and Tulsa native Judy Woodruff is back in the studio for a pair of PBS series.

STORY BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

48 PARADISE FOUND

Central Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende boasts centuries of history and a thriving art scene — and an OKC Realtor’s painstaking renovation of a 1700s property for use as an Airbnb.

STORY BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON

54 THE NAPA NEXT DOOR

From Lubbock to College Station and chenin blanc to picardan, Texas wines are reaching surprising heights right in our backyard. Here’s where and how to start touring.

STORY BY GREG HORTON

LUSH, LAZY AND LUXE IN TURKS & CAICOS

Stunningly scenic, environmentally sustainable and — most importantly — exquisitely relaxing and restorative to the spirit, the Rock House resort in the islands of Turks & Caicos is an absolute marvel of a luxurious getaway.

STORY BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

68 A TASTE OF THE OLD WORLD

The Sooner State may be landlocked, but Oklahoma native Stephanie Pok’s new Opulent River Cruises and Travel is a gateway to the sights, flavors and cultures of the world.

STORY BY GREG HORTON

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Summertime, for us, is about sunshine, breezy beaches, quick getaways and freedom. At Luxiere, we also believe that, at the core, true luxury and freedom are one and the same. What’s more luxurious than doing whatever you’d like, whenever you’d like to? The concept of freedom as luxury merits exploration in our view, so consider this edition our first foray into the many ways it can manifest, from the seemingly ordinary to the sublime.

Take travel, for example. Does anything else make you feel as liberated as packing a bag and strolling right out into the world? We’re pleased to welcome a new writer to the Luxiere team, local culinary guru Greg Horton, who takes us to an unexpectedly delightful destination — Texas — to explore "The Napa Next Door," AKA the Texas wine and food scene. We’ll also take you to the Turks & Caicos Islands for a stay at the incredibly scenic and admittedly decadent Rock House, a resort built right into the cliffs on the north side of Providenciales. A splurge, to be sure, but well worth it. It’s exquisite. Summer holidays in America are glorious. They celebrate the very best of our still-young nation: our fierce independence, freedoms of speech, religion and press (which we at Luxiere are especially fond of) and those who made them possible. One person particularly interested in preserving those inalienable rights is Tulsa-born journalist Judy Woodruff, who anchored the "PBS NewsHour" for years and is now embarking on two large-scale projects, one exploring American political ideology and another focused on disability rights. Though she’s a global phenom, as you’ll see, she’s very Oklahoman in her approach to life.

Another pragmatist working to make the world better for everyone is Debbie Espinosa, this issue’s Woman of Influence. Her spirituality is palpable, beautiful to behold. For a decade, she’s helmed the Center of Family Love in Okarche, where people with intellectual disabilities experience love, acceptance and the freedom to be exactly who they are in a wonderful, supportive setting. And she’s got big plans for expansion.

We’ll also catch up with Charlotte Gadbois, co-founder of Sloan Street by Gadbois Jewelry, whose collection of fine jewelry draws inspiration from travel, European architecture and interior design. It’s beautiful and unique, two of our favorite qualities.

We hope this issue brings you a sense of opportunity and delight, as it has for us. Here’s to summer and everything it brings.

Until next time,

STACY D. JOHNSON Publisher, Owner

JORDAN CLARK Photographer

EDITION NO. 43

DESIGN | nvsble studio

ON THE COVER | 18k Gold Bypass Ring with Sky Blue Topaz, White Diamond, London Blue Topaz and Blue Diamond by Sloane Street Jewelry

CONTRIBUTORS

Special thanks to all of our Luxiere partners for your contribution of time and talent to make this extraordinary resource.

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KATI HANNA Writer

MICHAEL KINNEY Writer

COOPER ANDERSON Website

JESSE DAVISON Designer

STACY D. JOHNSON owner/publisher

KENNON BRYCE Photographer

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CONTRIBUTORS

12 LUXIERE

LANDSCAPE WITH ORANGE SKY AND YELLOW 18” x 24” acrylic W. BENNETT BERRY

DEBBIE ESPINOSA

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

Debbie Espinosa radiates a beautiful, serene, buoyant peace — even in a Zoom interview that’s late on a busy day, at the end of a super hectic week. She laughs easily, shares personal stories unreservedly and seeks nothing more than to be of service, however the Divine should choose to place her. The depth of her faith is magnificent, and it surrounds her palpably, wrapping itself around anyone she comes in contact with. Few people walk in this sort of faith, though many claim to and even more aspire to. Her authenticity and calm, unflagging trust in her God resonates with fellow believers and skeptics alike. The woman walks her talk.

Espinosa has had a heart for others her whole life. Her undergraduate degree is in nursing, and she spent the first part of her career as a labor and delivery nurse. She attributes her calling to nursing, in part, to an incident when she was 10 years old: Her pajama top brushed against an old-fashioned gas heater in the family’s living room, and more than half her body was burned. She underwent skin grafts and a long recovery, and the nurses who cared for her made a lasting impression. “I think that experience led me into nursing, as well as the need for nurses,” she says.

A self-described “cradle Catholic,” Espinosa was born and raised in Oklahoma City, and for the past decade she’s been exactly where she’s supposed to be: working in Okarche as the executive director of the Center of Family Love. The job found her; it was not the other way around. She’d been working at

INTEGRIS Hospital as its home health administrator, a position she held for eight years.

“When I look back, I just see the footprints and the guidance of God’s hands, teaching me and showing me and developing me each step of the way, because I had no idea I’d love business so much until I began learning more and more and more. INTEGRIS was really a great instrument of learning,” she says. It was great because it was tough. As in, she was hired to re-energize a department that was failing, and she was given six months to turn it around. Otherwise it would be shuttered.

Daunting? Yes. But also, if you’re wired like Espinosa, “I thought ‘Oh, well, what do I have to lose, this will be fun,’ you know, I wasn’t going to make it worse. I could only make it better.” She did, transforming an entity which had been losing $350,000 annually into one with a yearly net profit of about $1.8 million.

“But as I was working so hard at that job and learning so much, I began to reflect. Am I being used in the manner that God wants me to be used? And I started praying for just … a calling. Something to do where I could make a difference in someone’s life. I wanted to help an organization that needed help.” She also wanted to really feel the difference she was making in someone’s life. So she applied to become the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.

“I had been asked to apply for that while I was at INTEGRIS. And I thought, ‘Well, this must be an answer to a prayer. Maybe this is where I’m supposed to be,’” she says. She didn’t get the

job. “They said, ‘Oh, we’re so sorry. You know, you were such a great candidate,’ and they were very polite and very nice and kind. And I said, ‘You know what, I don’t want it if it’s not for me. God has a plan for all of us. And I just want to go where I’m needed.’” Three months or so passed.

“I got a call for someone that was on the interviewing committee, and she said, ‘Debbie, I have the perfect job for you. I think this was just made for you.’” The woman told her it was at the Center of Family Love in Okarche. “And I said, ‘What is that and where is Okarche?’”

She drove out for a tour and her interview, realizing in the process that Okarche isn’t far from Oklahoma City, so the logistics could work. Though she’d done some research, she hadn’t understood just how large the Center was. There are 130 residents, ranging in age from 18 to 94, with varying degrees of developmental disability or “neurodiversity,” which is the current terminology. “I took the tour through the homes, and I remember just falling in love with these residents immediately. And I literally said, ‘I have never met so many friends in such a short time in my entire life.’ And I broke down because I think that they just melted my heart so much,” she says.

Today, the Center of Family Love is preparing for its next iteration, an expansion of services launching on a second campus. Years ago, a donor gave the Center a parcel of land near Piedmont. “We are going to build a new platform for our residents,” Espinosa says. It will be a 70,000-square-foot, $35 million compound called the Oklahoma Institute for Cognitive Development, designed to help fill in the gaps for people with cognitive disabilities.

“When people get to the 12th grade, they age out of high school. And then there’s nothing for them if they’re developmentally disabled, or have a disability, or learning disabilities, such as autism, or dyslexia, etc. So they age out, and they have no choices, or no options — or more importantly, no opportunities. If you and I didn’t have anything after high school, you can only imagine where we’d be, right? We wouldn’t be challenged each day. We wouldn’t be growing each day. And even though our IQs may be different, they still have those same needs. We can help fulfill that.”

The Institute will offer training and development options based on each person’s talents and wants. People can be trained for careers in the culinary arts, gardening, veterinarian tech services and more. “It will be equipped with the technology and with the resources that are needed for those kids in high school,” she explains. “So we will still serve our 130 residents. And we don’t charge them anything. But we could also serve hundreds of individuals going through this training, going through this development, going through the opportunities based on their skill sets and tapping into their unique talents.”

Espinosa and team will officially launch a capital campaign this summer, along with a documentary film. To learn more about the Center of Family Love, visit centeroffamilylove.org. •

Debbie and emcee Malcolm Tubbs with Center of Family Love resident Brian at the 2018 Gift of Love Gala

LUXIERE’s Woman of Influence is presented by First National Bank of Oklahoma

Strength & Stability

Our Executive Leadership Team has over 100 years of combined banking experience. We will continue to follow the tried and true banking principles that have served us well.

Mel Martin President & CEO

Shawn Null EVP & Director, Commercial Banking

Pat Rooney Executive Chairman

Setting the Standard.

As Oklahoma’s first board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained laser and cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Kimberly Jerdan wants you to reach your skin, hair, and nail health goals from a comprehensive medical and aesthetic approach. Specializing in general, surgical, and aesthetic dermatology needs, Dr. Jerdan is trained in skin of color and sees patients of all ages.

OKC IMPROV

Connections through comedy

BY KATI HANNA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JORDAN CLARK

Oklahoma City is home to an unexpected (and unscripted) pleasure: the OKC Improv Foundation (OKCI). This organization is devoted to bringing joy and laughter to the community, while simultaneously improving lives with improvisational theater.

The pandemic has underscored the need for innovative approaches to foster connections, and the foundation serves as a platform for individuals to embrace laughter, conquer social anxieties, develop public speaking skills, nurture creativity and forge meaningful relationships within the community.

We spoke with two core individuals associated with the OKCI — Executive Director Kendon Lacey and Katie Kochelek, a dedicated board member — to get their unique perspectives regarding its transformative influence on the community.

Many people aren’t aware of the nonprofit OKC Improv. Kendon, as the Executive Director, can you tell our readers what the organization does?

OKCI is a foundation dedicated to fostering the art of improvisation and performing across all age groups. We provide educational classes and entertaining shows for the community. Through the power of improvisation, we have witnessed its ability to effectively alleviate social anxiety and combat isolation. It offers an enjoyable means of personal growth and connecting with others — we believe laughter is a universal remedy that knows no boundaries.

OKCI is deeply committed to cultivating a vibrant and enduring comedy and performance arts landscape. We achieve this by offering a diverse range of classes, hosting regular performances and actively engaging in community outreach initiatives.

How are individuals able to get involved or support OKC Improv?

To get involved with OKC Improv, anyone can attend our shows every Friday and Saturday, enroll in an improv class or help spread the word about our existence. Despite being established in 2009, many people are still unaware of our presence.

The most effective way to support OKC Improv is through financial contributions. Donations help ensure our operations continue and the laughter keeps flowing. We affectionately refer to it as “saving the laughs!” when engaging with our partners and community members. The ongoing financial support from the community has made our work and impact possible.

Volunteer opportunities are also available, allowing you to contribute during shows or events. It’s a fantastic way to meet new people, enhance your community involvement, bolster your resume and gain a glimpse into the world of improv, even if you haven’t taken a class before.

What is the best part about your involvement with OKC Improv as a board member, Katie?

OKC Improv fosters a truly inclusive, positive and enjoyable community that thrives on meaningful connections. The impact it has on individuals’ personal growth is remarkable. As a new mom transitioning from the corporate world, I sought an outlet for my creativity and a chance to meet new people.

From the very first classes, laughter and joy flooded back into my life, reawakening a sense of happiness I had long missed. Recently, I enrolled my company in Level 2 classes, and it became an extraordinary bonding experience. We could freely express our silliness and engage in playful banter without fear of judgment.

Katie, can you share one of your favorite stories about how improv has made a difference in someone’s life?

One remarkable story involves a student who, after being a devoted caretaker for his ill wife, took an improv class as a personal endeavor. It was his first self-indulgent activity in a long time, marking a moment of reconnecting with social life following his wife’s passing. Since then, he has reignited his passion for theater, actively performs in a troupe and has formed an entirely new community of friends. This illustrates how improv can change lives for the better.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Sue Ellen Reiman, Kelsey Rumenapp, Kyle Gossett, Kendon Lacy, Tiffany Gutierrez-Connelly, Roger Connelly, Pallas Iwashita

Kendon, please tell our readers about the classes and camps OKC Improv offers.

Our classes run for eight weeks and are held four times throughout the year, catering to a wide range of interests and skill levels. From Beginning Level Improv to Advanced Level Improv, we provide comprehensive training opportunities. People can explore the realm of Musical Improv, where you create spontaneous song lyrics, or delve into Narrative Improv, crafting captivating plays or movies on stage.

For young enthusiasts aged 12-17, our Teen Improv Classes offer an engaging experience. Additionally, our annual Kids’ Improv Summer Camp provides a week-long adventure for ages 7-17. Each class and camp ends in a student showcase performance, guaranteeing a delightful experience for all.

We also offer specialized theater classes such as “Stage Combat” and “Theatre Basics” to enhance theatrical skills for individuals seeking broader training opportunities.

In addition to providing classes and shows, the foundation supports the community in a number of other ways. Tell us more about this.

The foundation hosts an annual blood drive with the Oklahoma Blood Institute and provides performance and veteran outreach opportunities with [our] house team FUBAR. We also partnered with the Homeless Alliance for our “Drop Your Drawers” drive in the Plaza District, when we were able to donate underwear to

unhoused neighbors in the community. Finally, we offer private workshops and shows for businesses, birthday parties and more.

Our community is always looking for different ways to enjoy life’s “luxuries” in our own backyard, such as going to an improv performance.  Tell us about the shows.

Our shows offer an incredible amount of entertainment and variety. Each troupe brings a unique style to its performances, creating a diverse and captivating experience. From improvised musicals with a Broadway touch to narrative shows reminiscent of plays and movies, and even sketch comedy resembling the spirit of “Saturday Night Live,” our repertoire covers a wide spectrum of comedic genres.

A must-see is our monthly show, “The Swamp,” featuring a trio of talented actors and comedians from The Second City theater in Chicago. Most shows draw inspiration from audience suggestions, making them completely unpredictable and ensuring a delightful experience. Whether it’s a date night, friends’ gathering or a girls’ night out, our shows guarantee an unforgettable time filled with laughter.

You can catch our shows every Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and 9:30 p.m, with a special Squeaky-Clean Family-Friendly Comedy Show on the second Saturday of each month at 6 p.m.

Visit our website, okcimprov.com, to view our calendar of upcoming shows and conveniently purchase tickets online. •

Kati Hanna has established an outstanding record of success as a partner with The Mettise Group, providing over two decades of consulting services to businesses in their growth stages. She has made a significant impact on hundreds of firms through her effective coaching, consulting and leadership development strategies. Her direct and innovative approach to problem solving has earned her a solid reputation as a reliable and valued advisor.

AMERICAN FUNDAMENTALS

Catching up with Tulsa-born journalist Judy Woodruff

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

In April, one of Tulsa’s own returned to her roots to work on an important project. Many will know Judy Woodruff from her years anchoring and serving as managing editor for “PBS NewsHour,” a post she left in December. Today, she’s working on a couple of deep-dive projects, one of which is no small task: an exploration of America’s current state of divisiveness called “Judy Woodruff Presents: America at a Crossroads.”

“After I moved on from anchoring, the most important reporting I thought I could be involved in would be trying to understand where the country is right now, since we’re so divided. So much of what I’m interested in is looking at the heart of the country … it doesn’t get, in my view, covered by the press as much as the coasts,” Woodruff says. “What better place to start than where I was born? I do have family there. I’ve gone back a lot over the years … I have a sense of Oklahoma.” She’s quick with a disclaimer, though, assuring that while her connection to Oklahoma is strong, she makes no pretense of being an expert on our uniquely complex state or its equally complex people. And when she says this, she sounds very Oklahoman.

Woodruff with then President Jimmy Carter

Woodruff has also launched a series of reports on disability issues. She and her husband, the columnist Al Hunt, have three children, Jeffrey (42), Benjamin (37) and Lauren (34). Jeffrey was born with a mild case of spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Woodruff told his story to the NIH Record, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, and in her advocacy has shared it often. As a child, Jeffrey was a smart, active boy who did well in school and loved to swim and ski, until, at the age of 16 he underwent a routine surgery that left him unable to walk. His vision, memory and speech were also impaired. “He was never to be the same person, except on the inside,” Woodruff told the NIH. “Jeffrey was still the social being he’d always been … but he now required a lot of help to get through the day.”

Woodruff and her husband absorbed the shock as best they could and set about helping Jeffrey, who understood what had happened to him but didn’t dwell. He graduated from high school and community college and then completed a four-year program at a school for students with physical disabilities. He now lives in a group home in Maryland, where he receives round-the-clock support.

Ever humble, Woodruff says, “I don’t want to claim to be something that I’m not. I’m first and foremost a journalist, but as the as the mother of someone with disabilities, I’ve tried to do whatever I could in any small way to support not just our son, but everyone with disabilities.

“I can’t pretend to understand what it means to be to be in a situation where you can’t go where everyone else can go, where you’re not looked at the same way, you’re not listened to the same way, you’re not treated with the same respect, you’re not included in the same way once you have one disability, much less several. And so I’ve wanted to do anything I could to raise the visibility of people with disabilities; to make sure that people think about them as people. They’re not just an interest group or people to feel sorry for.”

Both reporting series will be aired on PBS.

Judy Carline Woodruff was born in Tulsa in 1946. She was named Judy after Judy Garland and Carline after her mother’s father Carl. Her own father, William, was a chief warrant officer in the Army; her mother, the former Anna Lee Payne, raised Judy and her sister Anita in full “Army brat” style, as the family moved from Oklahoma to Germany, then Missouri, New Jersey, Taiwan, North Carolina and finally landing in Georgia, near Augusta, when her dad was stationed at Fort Gordon. When Woodruff was in fourth grade, Anna Lee and her girls moved back to Tulsa for a six-month stint in 1956, while her dad continued his post in Asia.

Woodruff remembers traveling with her mother by ship to Mannheim, Germany, to reunite with her father who was stationed there. She was four when they began the journey. “The reason I know this very clearly is because I had my fifth birthday on the ship going to Germany. I have a clear memory of that party.”

Though she and her family traveled the world, Oklahoma never really left the picture for Woodruff, or for her mother. They returned frequently over the years to visit family there and in Oklahoma City. “I was born in Tulsa. My mother is buried in Tulsa.”

ABOVE: Woodruff as a young girl in Tulsa

RIGHT: Woodruff with her mother and sister in Vietnam

Even after spending years in Georgia, Anna Lee called Tulsa home. In the end, Tulsa returned the favor. “She died in 2013. But she always told me she wanted to make Tulsa her final resting place,” says Woodruff. “And so I made sure that that happened after she passed.” Like too many women of her generation, Anna Lee wasn’t able to finish her education, leaving school at 14 to care for her siblings after her father died. Woodruff’s maternal grandmother, Anna Lee’s mother, worked three jobs to support her five children.

That was not the future Anna Lee wanted for her own daughters. “She always said to me when I was growing up, ‘You have to get an education. Diapers and dishes can wait.’ I didn’t so much appreciate it at the time. I thought she was just lecturing me. But I’ve recognized that was the best possible advice I could have had, and I owe her so much.”

High school in Augusta, Georgia, was followed by a two of years at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. She studied math until a professor encouraged her interest in political science. After transferring to Duke University in 1966, she became active in campus student government and interned during two summers for Georgia Representative Robert Grier Stephens, Jr. Woodruff, a pragmatist, noticed how women in Washington, D.C., were treated at the time, and switched her focus to journalism.

Her first job “in journalism” was working as a secretary in the news department of an Atlanta television station, where she also presented the weather on Sundays. Next came a reporter job with another network affiliate, covering the Georgia Legislature and anchoring the noon and evening news. Soon enough she was covering 10 Southeast states and the Caribbean for NBC, during which time she was assigned to cover President Jimmy Carter’s 1976 campaign.

In 1977 she moved to Washington, D.C., to become a White House correspondent for “NBC News,” and chief Washington correspondent for the “Today Show.” From 1983 to 1993, she spent a decade at PBS, working on “Frontline with Judy Woodruff”

and as the chief Washington correspondent for the “MacNeil/ Lehrer NewsHour.” During that time, she covered presidential conventions and moderated the infamous vice-presidential debate between United States Senators Lloyd Bentson (D-TX) and Dan Quayle (R-IN).

CNN came next, with Woodruff co-anchoring “Inside Politics” and “The World Today.” While at CNN, she co-anchored coverage of some of the biggest news events of the time, including presidential campaigns and elections, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Centennial Olympic Park Bombing and 9/11. Before returning to PBS in 2006, she taught journalism at Harvard University and Duke, and hosted a monthly program, “Conversations with Judy Woodruff.” Back at PBS, Woodruff made history for (among other accomplishments) co-anchoring the “PBS NewsHour” with the late Gwen Ifill, the first time two women ever anchored a network news program.

Her awards and accolades are too numerous to list. She has achieved and covered more in American journalism than almost anyone else, but for Woodruff journalism isn’t about any of that rigmarole. Journalism is a crucial pillar of American democracy.

“I was taught from the very beginning journalism is supposed to be just the facts. You go out, and you report … And that’s what we do as journalists. Our job is to record and observe what’s going on and to share that with the public. We obviously do some editing in our work; we pick and choose what we leave in and what we leave out. But our job is to faithfully reflect what’s going on in the world,” she says.

It’s a responsibility she does not take lightly. “I have a pretty fundamental view, which is it’s the foundation of our democracy. It’s one of the foundations that when the founders themselves decided what was going to be in the Constitution and in the Bill of Rights, you know, freedom of the press was right out there with the other important freedoms, from religion to assembly, speech and so on. We are one of the pillars of our democracy … it doesn’t get any more fundamental than that.” •

Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios at sunset in Tulsa, OK

Woodruff on airplane with press, including Sam Donaldson

Woodruff in studio at PBS News

OPPOSITE: “BLUE, RED AND YELLOW” 40 x 30” acrylic

W. BENNETT BERRY

HUE & FLOW

BY VALENTINA GUTIÉRREZ

Creativity has been a driving force in Bennett Berry’s life since the moment he could pick up a crayon. Visitors touring his art at OKC’s Howell Gallery may prefer his more detailed figurative work or his forays into abstraction, but either way they’ll be struck by his paintings’ palpable energy and his affinity for vibrant color. We spoke with the artist about his international influences, his distinctly Oklahoman inspirations and much more.

When did your interest in art begin?

I’ve been fascinated with art as far back as I can remember. I was maybe four years old — it has to be one of my first memories — and I remember drawing on the butcher-paper table cloth at Garfield’s restaurant. It was a somewhat cubist (however unintentional) Superman. There was also the Picasso coffee table book I remember being in the “toy room.” I’ve never been a huge Picasso fan, though I do appreciate his work, but I’ve always remembered that book. Later on came Quail Creek Elementary and visiting artist Dennis Martin. He came by maybe three times over the course of a year, give or take, but I remember aspects of those visits vividly. We were only in first grade, but the man was teaching us a scaled-down version of a high school-level drawing class involving depth, perspective and other things you’d never guess to teach a first-grade class. I loved it.

Your art draws inspiration from various sources, including architecture, nature and abstract forms. Can you talk a bit about the artistic influences that have shaped your style?

There are a variety of artists that have shaped my style. Van Gogh has always been huge, and to a lesser extent [Edward] Hopper, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Caravaggio and seemingly everyone from Impressionism through to the Fauves (I love the Fauves). There are also the art teachers I’ve had over the years, Steve McConnell at Bishop McGuinness and George Bogdanovitch at Denison University in particular. I don’t know if I’d be painting today if it wasn’t for them.

Your work often incorporates bold, bright colors. How do you approach color in your compositions, and what do you hope to convert through your use of color?

I don’t necessarily set out to use color in any kind of narrative or symbolic fashion. Color can be useful for converting a mood, or tone, but I don’t go so far as to give it any kind of symbolic meaning. I want color to have a particular feel to it. For instance, a landscape, to me, can come across as almost “juicy” visually. Lots of strong primary colors and loud variations over a background color that best launches them off the canvas, all the while moving back and forth over one another. On a technical level it can do all sorts of things, with depth and perspective and so on, but mostly I just want it to have impact.

Many of your pieces have a strong sense of movement and flow. How do you create that sense of dynamism in your work?

When everything is going right with a landscape — or with any painting, for that matter — things go quickly. So much so that it tends to spook my dog and she leaves the room. You pace around like a nut, listening to whatever music fits the painting, sometimes for an hour or more, and then something clicks. The palette is set up in a hurry, there’s a lot of jumping around, pacing back and forth, going into the canvas, stepping back, going back in — and within the next 2-3 hours, a painting will be signed and it will be something I’m genuinely pleased with.

“FRENCH LANDSCAPE WITH POND” 30 x 30” acrylic

You seem to draw inspiration from your travels. Can you share a particularly memorable travel experience that has informed your art in some way?

The easy answer here is Pont Aven, Brittany. There are other travels, Los Angeles and New York in particular, but Pont Aven was the most memorable, and likely the most impactful. Over the summer of 2001, in between my junior and senior years at Denison University, I studied abroad at Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art in Brittany, France. Prior to Pont Aven, I didn’t have a real appreciation for Paul Gauguin or Fauvism (I doubt I’d even heard of Fauvism prior to that), but the use of color and overall aesthetic made an impact. In a more literal way, the influence from the school was great as well.

You’ve been exhibiting your work for several decades. How have you seen the art world evolve during that time, and what changes have you observed in your own work?

To be honest, I haven’t paid as much attention as I should have and should be, but I do sense a greater appreciation locally for art in general. You see murals around town, there’s the Oklahoma Contemporary, and all sorts of new public art. As far as my own work, I’ve been trying to get back to where I was and what I was doing late in grad school and early afterward. Just prior to when I was trying to get super detailed, almost photorealistic. Things were fun and loose. Nothing against the other work, I love it and it has its many merits, but I miss the looseness and, if I’m being honest, I probably miss being in grad school. I wasn’t overly concerned with the accuracy of a draft or drawing, but rather the quality of the painting. It’s easier to get that sense of flow, the immediacy, that I was talking about earlier when you’re painting like that. It’s an odd thing to say, but it’s a more emotional way of painting, and it can come through on the canvas if everything goes right. That’s where I was, then came the figurative pieces and cityscapes (which I still love and will likely revisit), and now I’m trying to get back to that time in the early aughts. •

“ITALIAN VINEYARD 2” 11 x 14” acrylic

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As co-founder and head of marketing and sales, Charlotte Gadbois models an array of Classics and Spectrum products from Sloane Street

DESIGNING ELEGANCE

How Sloane Street by Gadbois Jewelry shines

BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON

Craftmanship, vibrant pops of color and a commitment to quality — these are just some of the facets that make Sloane Street by Gadbois Jewelry a major player in the luxury jewelry space, an exclusive line carried by premier OKC retailers BC Clark and Naifeh Fine Jewelry. But while Sloane Street and other brands may use similar types of precious gems and metals, no one else can duplicate this label’s distinctive heart.

“What people don’t realize is that jewelry is so personal for so many reasons. It evokes emotion in so many different capacities,” says co-founder Charlotte Gadbois. “Whether it is an heirloom piece passed on by a special grandparent or something that marked a special milestone, jewelry has the power to time-stamp memories.”

Their commitment to honoring those memories is one of the reasons powerhouse mother-daughter duo Frances and Charlotte Gadbois created Sloane Street in the first place.

Spectrum Series 18k Gold Bypass Ring with Sky Blue Topaz, White Diamond, London Blue Topaz and Blue Diamond

NOT JUST A STREET; A MEMORY

In 2014, fate dealt an unexpected blow to the Gadbois family, casting a shadow over their lives: Charlotte’s grandmother had just suffered a fall that hastened the progression of her diagnosed Alzheimer’s Disease. Charlotte, her mother Frances and other family members traveled to the United Kingdom to see her in what the family presumed would be her final moments.

As they were unsure of when that last moment would be, the family committed to staying up with her in shifts. While allowing other family members to sleep, Charlotte and Frances had some deep conversations.

“During a shift my mom and I were on together, we started talking about ‘What are you going to do when you graduate?’” remembers Charlotte. “And I answered her question with, ‘Well, I actually have always wanted to go into business with you.’”

While mother and daughter both were “excited about the possibility of working together,” they weren’t sure where to start. After discussing potential business ideas in fashion or interior design, the pair settled on jewelry. Frances, a 20-year jewelry industry veteran, had just sold her stake in her jewelry business JudeFrances Jewelry before tragedy struck their family.

Frances’ mother and Charlotte’s grandmother passed away within a day of the pair deciding to go into business together.

On the train back from her funeral, the two worked on a business plan on a napkin before realizing they didn’t have a name for the new venture. Charlotte suggested that they adopt Sloane Street as the business name.

This high-end shopping destination in London was a key part of their memories of their mother and grandmother. Once they discovered the website domain was available, they agreed that this name was the perfect fit for their business.

“It was a hard loss, but we wanted to pay homage to the woman who brought us together in the first place — very much the silver lining of the tough situation,” says Charlotte.

Frances assumed the responsibility of CEO and lead designer, while Charlotte took on the role of head of sales and marketing, emerging as the spokeswoman of the company and the primary model of Sloane Street’s jewelry collections.

ABOVE:

RIGHT: Caviar

Caviar Series

18k Gold Earring (pair) with Seafoam Tourmaline

Series

18k Gold Triple Row Ring with Paraiba Tourmaline, Blue Diamond, White Diamonds

THE PROCESS AND PASSION OF CREATING COLLECTIONS

Both mother and daughter blend their creativity, eye for trends and skill to create Sloane Street’s intricate jewelry collections.

Charlotte asserted that a significant source of inspiration for all Sloane Street collections stems from the shared interests of the two co-founders. Influences from travels, European architecture and interior design elements like a banister, rug or chandelier often drive what they create together.

Frances, with her English heritage and previous career as an interior designer, also carries these perspectives to her work as Sloane Street’s lead designer. According to Charlotte, Frances is seldom found without her sketchbook — and if she doesn’t have one, she makes one by sketching designs on scrap paper or the backs of receipts.

“Sometimes we will have been on the road for events in different cities every day and typically getting into our hotels late at night,” Charlotte says. “We are half-asleep, finally checked in and headed to our room — and she will stop dead in her tracks and whip out any piece of paper she can find in that moment and start sketching the design of the hallway carpet or wallpaper.”

Aside from times when design inspiration strikes, the co-founders’ creation of a collection starts at least a year in advance. The process starts with outlining the theme or basic motifs of the entire collection in a week-long intensive planning and design session.

“The first few days are started by bouncing ideas off one another — basically throwing a bunch of mud and seeing what sticks,” explains Charlotte. “Once we find a direction, typically it’s a new motif or design, we continue to build out the categories (ring, bracelet, earring, chain, pendant) from there to form a collection.”

Caviar Series 18k Gold Bracelet with Green Tourmaline and White Diamonds

FROM RAW DESIGN TO POLISHED PRODUCT

Stone selection often comes next in creating their designs. For the two co-founders, the gemstone is the cornerstone of their design process.

While the team does use diamonds in some collections, choosing other precious gems of different hues is a prominent part of Sloane Street’s signature style. Its two main color collections are the Spectrum and Caviar One-of-a-Kind collections.

“Every gemstone we use in our Spectrum collection is cut to our specifications. We do not use any calibrated (machine-cut) stones, so every stone is cut for our designs,” says Charlotte. This is in contrast to many other jewelry brands creating designs around what stone cuts are available, which is less unique.

She then explained that the other color collection, the Caviar Collection, is made from incomparable stones sought for their vibrant colors and “fire,” which measures the sparkle or flash of color from refracting light hitting a gemstone. For the Caviar Collection, the process of creating these pieces is reversed: pieces are built around the chosen stone, not the other way around.

The next part of the creation process is similar to many other jewelers but with a Sloane Street twist. After a piece’s individual components are formalized, they are drawn technically to scale, with specifications for stone sizes and fixture and band measurements. Following that, a computer-aided design (CAD) model is meticulously created for the piece, facilitating the 3D printing of molds from which the designs are later cast.

It’s in the final step, the finish, that Sloane Street’s identity shines.

“Throughout the collections, you will see a texturized finish called a strié. It came from Frances’ previous life in interior design,” says Charlotte. She explains that this finish is a paint flourish when an individual combs through wet paint to create ridges in a wall’s painted finish. This strié texture is utilized in many pieces across the Sloane Street brand.

“For the process of creating [strié] in our pieces, the texturing is cast in the mold, and then each line is hand-finished by our master jewelers,” she says. This attention to detail further showcases not just the brand identity of Sloane Street, but the depth of care and attention given each piece.

THE LEGACY OF SLOANE STREET

One of Charlotte’s goals for Sloane Street is not just to create beautiful, cherished pieces of art, but make a meaningful difference in the lives of people in her community.

In 2015, soon after the brand was debuted, they launched the first line of charitable jewelry to support the Alzheimer’s Association, created in honor of the Gadbois’ mother and grandmother’s memory.

They introduced two other charitable collections, one supporting CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Orange County and the other Laura’s House, an emergency shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Sloane Street donates a portion of the proceeds from every sale directly to these worthy organizations.

“Above all, we wish for the Sloane Street legacy to be one of love; love for art, love for family and love for the world that inspires our creations,” says Charlotte. “It is our hope that this sentiment continues to be felt by everyone who comes into contact with our pieces, today and for generations to come.”

To find Sloane Street by Gadbois Jewelry in OKC, visit BC Clark (bcclark.com) and Naifeh Fine Jewelry (naifehfinejewelry.com). •

Classics Series

18k Gold Feather Pendant with White Diamonds

Classics Series

18k Gold Chain with White Topaz and Diamonds

PARADISE FOUND

Julie Tibbs’ historic San Miguel de Allende vacation rentals

BY ALEXANDRA BOHANNON

Did a yearning for adventure lead OKC’s Julie and Brian Tibbs to purchase a home in San Miguel de Allende, a centuriesold city in Guanajuato, Mexico? Was it an itch for new and artistically fulfilling experiences? Too many episodes of “House Hunters International”? A combination of all of the above?

While Julie Tibbs isn’t sure of the primary motive for buying her San Miguel home and two attached casitas in April of 2022, she quickly discovered that she loved her new, historic hometown. Founded in the 16th century, most of the architecture of San Miguel de Allende dates to the Spanish conquistadors’ arrival in the 1800s.

San Miguel de Allende

“This village is a time capsule of cobblestone streets, lined with jewel-tone colonial facades and stone colonnades,” says Tibbs. “[It’s] overshadowed by Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángeli, an immense neogothic church of pink stone.” Tibbs explained that the church is the “crown jewel” of the town center, and can be seen from every direction.

“Everything in San Miguel is from a different era,” comments Tibbs on the various architectural styles in the town. But despite the patchwork of architectural eras, she is determined to keep her property, built in the 1700s, as close to its roots as possible. Equipale furniture, Talavera tile, local embroidery and tropical plants provide her abode with a lush, authentic feel. She worked hard alongside a local crew to restore Casita Abajo (which translates to “little house downstairs”) to its former glory as a picturesque oasis.

“Both Travel and Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler have designated San Miguel de Allende as the best city in the world,” according to Tibbs, who quickly points out that this shouldn’t be the sole reason for visiting. “Aside from the accolades, it’s just a storybook place filled with very sweet people.”

While Tibbs’ rentals are just 2.5 blocks from the beating heart of the town center, it’s the people and the culture that make San Miguel Allende a traveler’s dream. •

OPPOSITE:

Entry to one of the Tibbs rentals and courtyard

ABOVE:

Open living area in a Tibbs Airbnb

RIGHT:

Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángeli can be seen from almost anywhere in town

Travelers seeking a vivid adventure can find Tibbs’ guesthouse and full-size home on Airbnb at airbnb.com/rooms/755752770825599255 and airbnb.com/rooms/756417341741064547

If you’re looking for something closer to home, find more of Tibbs’ other properties at julietibbs.com

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THE NAPA NEXT DOOR

A tasting tour of Texas wine

BY GREG HORTON

Kim McPherson opened a bottle of sparkling Chenin Blanc in the Lubbock tasting room of his eponymous McPherson Cellars, never pausing in his storytelling. He is the inheritor of two traditions, one deeply embedded in the West Texas caprock and one relatively new but emerging from the same soil. His father, Doc McPherson, is the undisputed pioneer of Texas wine; beginning the oenology program at Texas Tech in the 1970s after planting his “ground zero” vineyard in 1968. That is the newer of the traditions — being a top contender for best or most important winemaker in Texas.

The stories that McPherson spins, with all their comical profanity and West Texas embellishments, are an extension of the prairie yarns and cowboy boasts that extend back to the founding of the Republic of Texas and beyond, and so are the embodiment of the first tradition. McPherson is a graduate of the justly famous wine program at The University of California, Davis, where he had classmates like Doug Shafer and Randall Graham, but in his down-home storytelling and with his Lubbock home base, he represents all that is great about Texas wine: It is unapologetically what it is, just like McPherson.

To explore Texas wine, at least historically, starting in Lubbock is practically a must. You can start in Fredericksburg, Austin, San Antonio or College Station, but eventually, you land in Lubbock. The good news is that Lubbock is not what you might think it is, unless you’ve been there recently and are aware of options like the Pioneer pocket hotel, The Nicolett — one of the Top 50 Best New Restaurants in America, per Bon Appetit — and The West Table. Like many cities its size and type (geographically isolated from the state’s largest cities), Lubbock has developed its own microculture and economy, and it includes excellent restaurants, high-energy bars, more than 200 pieces of public art and many of the best wines in Texas, including McPherson Cellars’ Cinsault, Carignan, Viognier and sparkling Chenin Blanc.

Lubbock is also home to English Newsom Cellars, where Steve Newsom has produced award-winning wines (double gold in San Francisco more than once) since leaving behind his sixth-generation cotton farming business for life as a winemaker and grape grower. His wine dinners are legendary around West Texas, and he too can spin a story and entertain an entire room while sipping on a wine Texans stubbornly pronounce PEEK-ar-DAN, rather than the French name Picardan with its frankish obliviousness to letters and phonics.

The beauty of Texas wine is that it’s Texas wine, with all the pride, bombast, stubbornness and iconoclasm that we’ve come to expect from Texas. To be great, wine must be from a place that produces specific grapes based on soil and climate — the French idea of terroir. So, no, Texas wine doesn’t taste like Napa, but neither does Burgundy or Barolo, and no one faults the French and Italians for not making California wine.

In other words, head to Texas and be ready to try new varietals from a new region that are genuinely among the best wines being produced in the U.S. right now. Lubbock is the outlier, located as it is far from so much of the state, but it’s where 85% of the grapes come from. The Lubbock winemakers are opening tasting rooms along Highway 290 between Fredericksburg and Johnson City, or they’re partnering up with Fredericksburg wineries, so wine culture is booming in the Hill Country, and the synergy between the High Plains and Hill Country regions is good for Texas wine.

To fully enjoy Fredericksburg, you can stay in Fredericksburg, or slightly outside the city. HoneyTree provides some of the state’s most distinctive accommodations with its beautifully appointed tree houses. These are not the slapdash backyard treehouses you might remember from your youth; if the best hobbit interior designers went to work on tree houses, you’d have HoneyTree.

Accommodations at HoneyTree just outside of Fredericksburg, Texas.

Highway 290 is where you’ll find most of the Fredericksburg wineries, and some of them — Southold and William Chris, for example — rival Napa tasting rooms in beauty and quality. William Chris is a partnership with Texas Wine Company’s Andy Timmons of Lubbock, who is, according to Kim McPherson, the state’s most innovative winemaker. You’ll find his Lost Draw tasting room in Fredericksburg proper. Don’t leave the city without eating at Otto’s German Bistro or Sage, a beautiful modern American restaurant with excellent food and wine. For Texas wines with French sensibility and restraint, hit up Kuhlman Cellars. Benedicte Rhyne’s wines are beautiful and brilliant, as are the Marcona almonds with herbes de Provence.

The Hill Country is easy to access from San Antonio — much easier than via Austin — and La Cantera Resort & Spa offers lovely accommodations only an hour away. The resort is on the northern edge of the city, and it boasts one of the country’s best spas in Loma de Vida. You’ll find five swimming pools, including the adults-only Topaz pool and bar, the excellent cocktail bar Sire and a beautiful golf course. Dinner at Signature is a must, as is a tour and tasting of one of the best wine lists in San Antonio.

Finally, College Station is the starting point for the Brazos Valley AVA, home to Messian Hof Winery and Bernhardt Winery. Stay at The George, a Valencia property, and you’re at the garden gate, so to speak, of the Brazos Valley. Dinner at The Republic Steakhouse is imperative, and not just for the prime steaks; the menu is a combination of Continental cuisine and prime chophouse. •

THE STARS’ ROUNDUP

BRAZOS VALLEY WINERIES

Bernhardt Winery and Resort

Messina Hof

HIGH PLAINS WINERIES

English Newsom — for Viognier and Picardan

La Diosa Cellars

McPherson Cellars — buy or beg for sparkling Chenin

HILL COUNTRY WINERIES

Adegha Vinho — brilliant reds from Portuguese varietals

Becker Vineyards

Heath Sparkling Wines

Kuhlman Cellars — what could be the best wine in Hill Country

Lost Draw Tasting Room — best rose in Texas most years

Southold Farm + Cellar

Texas Wine Collective — includes McPherson Cellars wines

William Chris Vineyards

The Nicolett in Lubbock, Texas

ROCK HOUSE

Lush, lazy and luxe in Turks & Caicos

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON

It was like “The White Lotus,” without the murder: lush, sunny, private, exclusive and beautiful. Dubbed “the Caribbean Capri,” Rock House is a precious jewel of a resort on the north side of Providenciales, AKA Provo, one of the eight inhabited islands in the Turks & Caicos. Its first anniversary is in August, and it’s quickly gaining global acclaim for its ravishing combination of high style, quiet luxury and environmentally sound ethos. And, crucial to us, the reef was beautiful and we could snorkel from the beach.

The Rock House concept has been decades in the making. Mark Durliat, CEO of Grace Bay Resorts, explains: “The idea of Rock House was born in France over 24 years ago, when my wife, Melissa Durliat, was a regular feature at Cannes Film Festival as an ambitious and inspired TV producer. Melissa stood on the red-carpet steps for hours, fighting for the attention of celebrities while producing footage of the film festival for ‘Access Hollywood’ and NBC News. Her favorite part of the job was conducting one-on-one celebrity interviews at the renowned Hotel du Cap in Antibes, which has always been among the most exclusive properties. While interviewing celebrities in the cabanas along the coast, Melissa saw a glimpse into the dreamlike (and seemingly unattainable) vision of what an iconic hotel was.”

The couple tucked that dream away … thankfully, though, not forever. Durliat continues, “Decades later, Melissa and I took a trip at Hotel du Cap and had the idea of bringing such a property — carved into the cliffs, defined by Mediterranean elegance — to Turks & Caicos. It was a huge and risky departure from the classic resorts on Provo’s Grace Bay beach, where we built Grace Bay Resorts’ brand. After careful research, ample brainstorming and finding the perfect plot of land — a majestic 14-acre oceanfront [property] on the rugged coastline of Providenciales — the vision started taking shape. I asked Melissa what name to give the new concept. She hesitated only briefly and said ‘Rock House.’ So simple. And so it began.”

My sister and I arrived on Provo mid-afternoon and were quickly whisked to Rock House, where we were greeted with flutes of good Champagne and equally good cheer. After a quick tour of the intentionally boutique-sized property, we were happily ensconced in our villa, with its private infinity pool, spellbinding ocean view and magical powers of relaxation. Exhales became deeper, smiles wider, glasses were raised and shoes immediately relegated to the back of the closet.

We’d had the forethought to take advantage of Rock House’s provisioning service and had stocked the place with loads of fresh fruit, wine, ice cream and any other simple, delicious goodies we could think of like martini supplies, lots of bubbly, baguettes, delicate lettuces and good cheeses. As we took stock of our situation, it was hard not to feel a little smug. Harder still not to do a smug little dance of elation.

“Rock House features a collection of 46 chic studios and freestanding homes made of white excavated limestone with private pools and terraces, lush outdoor shower gardens and floor-to-ceiling windows that maximize the drop-dead views of the island’s renowned turquoise water,” says Grace Bay Resorts COO Nikheel Advani.

The place so perfectly fits its surroundings, you’d easily think it’s been there for hundreds of years. Steps and trails carved from the very cliffs curve their way to Rock House’s private beach with its exuberant reefs. Native plants are everywhere, and we soon started to notice how very little plastic there was anywhere on the resort. “We are proud to take sustainability seriously and preserve the resort’s beautiful natural setting on Providenciales’ north shore,” Advani says. “As Rock House is built directly into the limestone cliffside, we repurposed the native limestone into wraparound feature walls in the homes, to incorporate the surrounding environment into the resort’s design. All foliage in Rock House’s landscaping is indigenous to the site, including the centuries old, slow-growing Joewood trees, native orchids and ancient lignum vitae, also called the ‘trees of life’ for their medicinal use. We use greywater harvesting to help preserve and minimize water use and are almost completely PVC-free — even our room keys are made of bamboo.”

Turks & Caicos has been the setting for two mid-winter idylls for my sister and me; other locales have been lovely Aruba, easy St. John and lush Jamaica. We have loved them all and, as with one’s children, it’s (almost) impossible to choose a favorite. Rock House will be a pretty tough act to follow.

The goal of our annual snorkeling trip is two-fold: interact with as few fellow humans as possible and snorkel as much as possible. Stretch goals include sunning, napping and lots of reading, preferably low-stakes novels.

We decided we’d tolerate a little dab of human interaction on the first night by dining at Vita, the on-site restaurant perched some 30 feet above the sea with beautiful views and terrific Italian food. We did this mostly out of laziness, but also out of

laziness. It was a brisk evening and staff circulated through the open-air dining room distributing cozy Turkish cotton wraps, which added to the already-splendid vibe. Bathed in the golden light, awash in ocean breezes, the well-heeled crowd bedecked in classic-chic resort wear looked like a beautiful dream … and also like a scene from that certain wildly popular Hulu series. As far as we know everyone lived, and the meal was certainly flawless. We split salads, pasta dishes and desserts. It was all fresh and, like Rock House, mostly classic with an interesting twist here and there.

“Our dining offerings are inspired by the Amalfi Coast, from the oceanfront alfresco surroundings to the curated menus,” Advani says. “Envisioned by Executive Chef Dennis Boon, our signature restaurant Vita embodies traditional Italian cuisine with a nod to the Caribbean; think lemon spaghetti with local Caribbean lobster, mascarpone, Parmigiano Reggiano and yellowfin tuna crudo with fennel, orange and olives.”

Day after day we followed the eat, snorkel, nap, snorkel, eat, sleep regimen that is our wont, punctuated liberally with gin and tonics, laughter and much comparing of notes at the end of each foray into the sea. This trip, we happily report having seen eagle rays, a sneaky little octopus, the most vivid coral I’ve ever seen, a huge, shifty-looking barracuda and scads of rainbowcolored parrotfish.

By the end of our stay, we’d become fully immersed in reef life. Our own moveable lair was as easy to spot as an octopus’ garden, only instead of a trail of empty conch and clam shells, the run-up to our location (whether it be villa, beach umbrella or poolside) was strewn with an assortment of fins, snorkels, masks and rash guards hung to dry. •

A stay on Turks & Caicos can be as glam — or as lowkey — as you want it to be. Here are a handful of triedand-true tips to make your trip your own.

Provisioning is made easy by After 5 Island Concierge, which will email you a couple of forms to fill out in advance, including an extensive grocery and liquor store menu. Make your selections, send the forms back with a credit card number and everything your heart desires will be waiting (artfully arranged, I might add) in your villa when you arrive. Make contact at ictcgroceries@gmail.com or by calling 649.244.9720.

For airport to resort transportation, Luxury Express VIP Transport is the best. Impeccable, reliable and personable. Shouldn’t those be our criteria for everything? Pro tip: Should you wish to leave your resort to shop or dine, you can map out your entire itinerary with this company. Book online at luxpresstransport.com or by calling 649.431.5610.

To book a stay at Rock House —which I cannot recommend enough—working with the resort’s excellent agent, Jessica Higgs, is the way to go. You can reach her directly by phone at 649.946.5050 ext. 8157, or you may email her at jessica.higgs@gracebayresorts.com.

You’ll want to pack plenty of reef-safe sunscreen , but if you’re carrying on rather than checking luggage, aerosol sunscreen is a no-no. Our choice was lots and lots of Supergoop. It’s clean, dermatologist tested and safe for reefs and marine life. We love Supergoop Play for body and Unseen Sunscreen for face. We also love this company’s tinted sun products for face, especially (and surprisingly) the powder formulation called (Re)setting 100% Mineral Powder SPF 35.

Cocktails and dinner at Vita Restaurant on the Rock House grounds is exactly what you need after a day of travel. Start with a classic Rock House Negroni , or my sister’s fave, the Uptown Funk : a fun take on an Aperol Spritz using house-made passionfruit liqueur in place of Aperol.

Fall foliage of Budapest, Hungary

A TASTE OF THE OLD WORLD

Opulent Cruises and Travel shares the experience of exploration

BY GREG HORTON

Stephanie Pok went on her first cruise when she was 14. The Meeker, Oklahoma, native grew up with a mother who worked full time, leaving few opportunities for indulgent travel scenarios — but the cruise changed her world, to use her words. She said she knew that somehow she’d be traveling someday, an impressive vision and determination for a young woman surrounded by farmland and fishing holes between Shawnee and Meeker, years before the casinos showed up.

About the same time — 8th grade, in fact — Pok chose Cambodia for a report in her social studies class. She knew nothing about the southeast Asian country, and even less about Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge or the Killing Fields of Democratic Kampuchea (as the country was briefly called). The exercise, like the cruise, was eye-opening, allowing Pok to envision a wider world with diverse cultures. It also laid the groundwork for her future in a way she could never have predicted.

“When I went to OCU at 18, I met my husband Visal,” Pok says. “His father was murdered by the Khmer Rouge before the family escaped to Thailand. He’d stayed to run a hospital, thinking they wouldn’t execute doctors and other professionals.”

The family assumed disguises to escape a work camp before fleeing to Thailand, and then migrating to the U.S. with the help of Campus Crusade for Christ. The young Visal would grow up in Southern California, with its wide-ranging, exciting food culture, before moving to Oklahoma for medical school. Pok credits him with helping to further open her eyes to food and culture.

“I was so curious about his past, culture and country,” she says. “I asked so many questions, but he’d experienced all that when he was only 5 or 6, so he didn’t always have answers.”

Eventually, Pok met his family, and got to ask the unanswered questions of Visal’s mother. Like many families who have survived trauma, the story had not been a subject of much discussion, so Pok was amazed when the aunts started chipping in with their stories, all of which culminated in a storytelling session when the family held a reunion for the 30th anniversary of their escape from Cambodia.

The overlapping of food and culture is well documented: food is culture; culture is food. Eating is both necessary and pleasurable, but the circumstances around our eating imbue the dishes and meals with emotional content that makes them the stuff of profound and powerful memories. Pok was thrilled to participate in a series of narrative events in which the family learned its own collective history, and that has driven her quest to offer clients transformative experiences of the world.

Vienna, Austria

“Growing up outside Shawnee, I still knew somehow that I’d be traveling someday,” Pok says. “I didn’t know how, but Visal just increased my desire to see the world, to experience different cultures and different foods.”

A job at Life.church after leaving the district attorney’s office — her last degree was criminal justice management — afforded an opportunity to work in travel. “In my job at Life.church, I was able to travel extensively, and one of my primary tasks was booking travel,” she says. “I started Opulent Cruises and Travel in August 2022 to bring together my love of travel and the desire I have to help as many people as I can grow close together while experiencing other cities and cultures, as well as making a lifetime of shared memories.”

After 11 years at Life.church (four on staff and seven as a volunteer), her role had changed, and Opulent was born of that desire to help others experience the broader world.

“We love river cruises,” Pok says. “There is something a little artificial about ports on ocean cruises, but river cruises drop you in the heart of the city. The ports of call are much closer together, and the pacing is better; sometimes you’re in one port for two days. The last time we did a Danube River cruise, we stopped in the center of Vienna and then had two days, which meant we got to take a full day to explore Salzburg nearby.”

Opulent offers thematic cruises, as well, which can be an excellent way to dive into personal interests; beer, wine, history, architecture … even pickleball.

As an example, that Danube River cruise puts tourists in immediate proximity to the ancient wine culture of Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Austria. And because of the density and size of Eastern Europe, the time between ports is very short.

“You’re in a port every day,” Pok says. “And on the wine cruise, for example, the cruise serves excellent wines at every port. Budapest has so many delicious wines, and those bottles are hard to find in Oklahoma, so it opens up a wider world of wine, too. There is a sommelier on the cruise, and the stops are based on vineyards and wineries. Additionally, even something as specific as a wine cruise has more options than just tastings and vineyards. You can choose from multiple excursions.”

The pickleball cruise is growing in popularity at the same pace as the sport — currently, pickleball courts in the U.S. are being built faster than any other sports facilities, and existing tennis courts are being converted for pickleball at an astounding rate. Pok said the cruise features pickleball with some of the best European pros and coaches in the mornings, followed by beautiful and exciting excursions in the afternoons and evenings.

Another popular choice is the Christmas Cruise. It’s not a show like in the U.S., but it does put you in the best holiday markets along the Main, Danube and Rhine rivers. Pok can also curate cruise experiences based on personal interests.

“I get feedback from all my clients,” she says. “We are involved from the planning state to an actual debriefing stage. With most cruises, the experience is over at the end of the cruise, but we’re with you all the way to the feedback to constantly improve what we do.” •

Learn more about Opulent Cruises & Travel at: opulentcruises.com

Danube River flows through Budapest

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Sugar Hill

400 DEEP FORK CIRCLE

Indulge in the unparalleled experience where timeless elegance meets distinctive luxury. This architectural marvel showcases a seamless blend of stunning design and breathtaking surroundings. Every aspect of this home has been meticulously planned and executed with functionality in mind, while also exuding the ambiance of a five-star resort. Entertaining will tend to be an understatement with amenities like expansive chef-inspired kitchen, fully equipped wine cellar, recreation room, infinity pool, or any number of indoor transitions to outdoor patios. From the immersive THX certified theater room to the closets that occupy celebrity dreams, every detail will leave a lasting impression. It’s an experience unlike any in Oklahoma, and it’s at your doorstep.

Only 10 minutes south of historic Norman, you’ll find Selah — a New Urbanism Community — offering 540 acres of front porch living, fresh air and food, with a focus on reconnecting family and community through nature. It’s unlike any of its kind in Oklahoma.

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