A Streetcar Named Delight
On Nov. 1, 1755, the city of Lisbon was nearly destroyed. A series of devastating earthquakes that are believed to have been so powerful they would have registered as high as 9.0 on the Richter scale leveled the capital of Portugal.
The Isle of Bones
Discovered by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León and claimed for Spain in 1513, a small island he called Las Martines rests approximately 90 miles north of Cuba in the Straits of Florida. It is believed the island’s native Calusa and Tequesta tribes used the cay [small island] as something of a communal graveyard prior to its Spanish discovery, earning it the name Cayo Hueso by early settlers, which is roughly translated as “bone island.”
The Napa Next Door: A tasting tour of Texas wine
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.
Paradise Found: Julie Tibbs’ Historic San Miguel de Allende Vacation Rentals
Did a yearning for adventure lead OKC’s Julie and Brian Tibbs to purchase a home in San Miguel de Allende, a centuries-old 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?
Rock House: Lush, lazy and luxe in Turks & Caicos
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 was in May, and it’s quickly gaining global acclaim for its ravishing combination of high style, quiet luxury and environmentally sound ethos.
A Taste of The Old World: Opulent Cruises & Travel
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.
Reconnecting Heart & Soul: The Pacific Northwest
Ten years had passed since I’d been to Oregon. Ten years and five months, to be exact, but who’s counting? Frankly, if you’ve ever been to the Pacific Northwest (PNW), you might agree that that’s about 10 years and five months too long.
The Roxbury Experience
The story of The Roxbury Experience has it all: small-town beginnings, a stint in the Big Apple, finding true love, moving out of the big city to follow a dream, a fire, an epiphany in the desert — and then, finally, a magical place filled with fantasy, gold leaf, glitter and shimmer. Oh, and a success story as unique and creative as our protagonists, Gregory Henderson and Joseph Massa.
Olá, Portugal: Dispatches from Oklahoma City’s expats
Oklahomans are picking up and moving … to Portugal! Jill Smith felt a yearning to free herself from the daily grind of the work-obsessed United States. So she did. Eddie Walker, Timothy Fields and their two wonderful sons have been an anchor of Oklahoma City’s cultural and arts scene for decades.
Serene St. John
Go to St. John as soon as you can. It’s restorative, relaxing and far enough away that you feel like you’re away, but because St. John is one of the U.S. Virgin Islands, you don’t need a passport and there’s not as much palaver getting in and out. There are four main islands in the chain: St. Croix, St. Thomas, Water Island and St. John. St. Croix and St. Thomas are larger and have more amenities, like golf courses, more shopping, casinos and fancier dining.
We Dream of Africa
Oliver Nicklin, whose company Olo Safaris delivers white-glove travel experiences to fortunate travelers from around the world, values authenticity and knows his clients feel the same. Authenticity paired with delicious luxury, that is.
A Weekend in Tulsa
As we get closer to resuming something like a normal routine, I recently took a weekend trip up to Tulsa to help remind me of what the pre-pandemic world felt like. There are several restaurants and nightspots that I go to regularly when I find myself in the 918. However, for this trip I decided to look for the city’s hidden gems: the cool, tucked-away places where the locals go.
Tulum, With Love: Mexico’s Grooviest Little Secret
It’s become a tradition for me and two of my dearest friends to take a trip for our milestone birthdays. While I won’t confess as to who was celebrating, or which milestone, our most recent birthday jaunt took us to Tulum, on the Caribbean coastline in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Escape to Buffalo Point
Maybe Waukomis isn’t in your top five places for a quick getaway, but it certainly should be. Waukomis, Oklahoma, is a tiny town just a hop and a skip from Enid, about an hour and a half from Oklahoma City and closer to two hours from Tulsa. With fewer than 1,400 residents as of 2019, the town is peaceful, even a little sleepy.
Into Africa: One Family’s Journey to the Cradle of Mankind
“One thing the pandemic has done,” says Sho Kassam, Oklahoma City-based entrepreneur and prolific traveler, “is to remind us of what truly matters. It’s family.” After more than a year spent at home, Kassam and his family longed for an adventure, and he and his wife Selma Alami wanted to begin teaching their two children about their roots.
Four Historic Hotels, Four Splendid Stays
Even before Sara Kate and Jason Little resurrected The Bradford House as a bright, chic boutique hotel, the place had plenty of stories. Legends are many and varied: A third-floor ballroom designed for an inaugural ball because the owner wanted to be governor.
Southern Utah: A Fanciful Landscape Carved by Wind and Water
In March of 2020, I, my dog Juneau, and my travel trailer were all set to camp in southern Utah, but we all know what happened last spring. Utah closed all parks and public campgrounds, dashing my hopes of seeing Utah’s magnificent landscape.
All Aboard For Unforgettable Adventures
Step aboard and anticipate the adventure of a lifetime. Journey through Europe in an Art Deco work of art or soar through the Andes in modern luxury. Wherever you go, world-class cuisine and star-studded service are guaranteed.
A New Way to Travel
Things are looking up for luxury travel. After months of cancellations and restrictions due to Covid-19, travel destinations are eagerly re-opening, and people are dreaming of escape. Now is the perfect time to plan both this year’s holiday getaways and 2021 vacations.
Taos: The Thin Spot
The long open stretch of road is not dead time on the journey, but a meditation. A physical space and stillness becoming spiritual. Spaciousness is a release from the patterning of a society that needs everything to be expedient.