June 2010

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A unique, luxury-meets-green resort in Wagoner is putting the om in Oklahoma.

By Steffie Corcoran Photography by Shane Brown

havenoneartH F RAISING CANE The Canebrake resort is located on the Neosho River Ranch, where trails wind through lush forests and the rocky shoreline of Fort Gibson Lake. The term canebrake refers to a dense, thicket-like growth of cane which enhances the surrounding plant, animal, and water life—much like Sam and Lisa Bracken’s Oklahoma retreat.

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or forty-five minutes

in 1974, Philippe Petit danced on a wire between the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, an extreme example of physical equilibrium, or balance. The word, however, has come to refer to a more metaphysical state that is the end result of mindful efforts to achieve harmony among mind, body, and spirit. If that concept could be translated into a place, it might well be the luxe, ecofriendly boutique resort called the Canebrake and located near Fort Gibson Lake in Wagoner. Driving through the adobe archway at the entrance provides the first hint |

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that this worldly frenzy, too, will pass. The wooded, verdant country landscape quickly generates an infusion of pure oxygen. Five ponds—catch and release fishing is allowed—dot the property, and as many miles of trails wind around Neosho River Ranch, where Barth and Linda Bracken once operated a Tennessee walking horse operation. “They did it so well it wore them out,” says their son, Sam, the Canebrake’s operating partner with his wife, Lisa. Sam and Lisa Bracken embody the best of yin and yang. Sam, also the Canebrake’s CEO and executive chef, is a smooth-pated, mellow, self-effacing Okie; Lisa, the facility’s lead yoga instructor and boutique manager, is a fiery redhead from south Florida who’s O k l a h o m a To d a y. c o m

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detail-oriented, whip thin, and muscular after thousands of asanas. “None of this would be possible if Lisa and I weren’t partnered up together,” says Sam. “I couldn’t do without her, and I don’t think she could do without me.” The couple’s efforts to transform Neosho River Ranch from equine to the Canebrake’s more supine pursuits began in 2004. The elder Brackens, who live in Oklahoma City, had given up the horse business a few years earlier (“They traded in the horses for the RV stage of retirement,” says Sam), and the family needed someone to manage the four hundred-acre property. Sam and Lisa, weary of operating a seasonal restaurant in Lake City, Colorado, were ready to make a move.

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“We want to demonstrate to our guests that you can have a really nice luxury experience that doesn’t involve wearing burlap sacks and eating moss.”

—Adam Miller, marketing director

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ou know how you always have a home, something you call a home? This was that for me,” says Sam of Neosho River Ranch, which the Bracken family has owned since 1989. The availability of the family land combined with Sam and Lisa’s years in the hospitality industry made the idea of establishing a boutique resort irresistible. Several buildings were ripe for transformation. A large garage for horse trailers and tractors became the Yoga Barn, which opened in summer 2006, a namaste haven with heated cork floors, recycled cotton and denim insulation, abundant natural light, serene views of the woods, and enough space for fifty yogis to bend into downward-facing dog. In a nod to Oklahoma, the Yoga Barn’s logo is a stick figure in the Warrior II pose wearing a cowboy hat. It was Sam’s vision to develop a boutique resort in Wagoner, Oklahoma, but the Canebrake’s emphasis on sustainability is all Lisa. “Not to get woo-woo, but it’s hand in hand with my yoga practice,” she says. “I’ve always had kind of a green streak, and when I started really embracing the practice of yoga, it started seeping deeper and deeper that we need to tread really lightly on this planet.” Those efforts are paying off. In March, the Canebrake was named the first gold-level ECO-certified restaurant and lodging facility in Oklahoma (see story on ECO, page 22), and is one of the first Oklahoma businesses to participate in the Clean the World program, donating soaps and shampoos to third-world countries. The restaurant’s leftover cooking oils are recycled into biodiesel and given to Tulsa Public Schools. Every journey starts with a single step, or in this case, a single stretch. “The very first thing we ever did here was teach yoga in this barn, and people

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came,” Sam says. “It gave me the motivation to say, okay, how far can we push this thing?” The next push was the Guest Services Building, open since June 2007 and once a seventeen-stall horse barn. It includes a boutique (organic cotton “Okie Yoga” Tshirts are among the “eco-chic” items for sale), gourmet restaurant, bar, spa rooms, and conference facilities. The jewel tones, open-concept floor plan, and minimalist décor would be a hit on any HGTV show, while geothermal energy, stained concrete floors, recycled insulation, compact fluorescent lighting, no-VOC paint, and clay-plastered walls show consideration for planet Earth. Equally sustainable and luxurious are the Canebrake’s overnight options, the

burlap sacks and eating moss,” says marketing director Adam Miller. Guests will be relieved to find that instead of burlap and moss, the accommodations offer 100 percent fair-trade cotton terry-cloth robes and chocolates amid comfortable surroundings with understated décor. Tile flooring that mimics the look of hand-scraped wood, organic cotton bedding, and energy-saving lighting are a few of the green touches. The suites offer cushy chairs for curling up with a good book or Facebook (WiFi is available), plenty of storage, gas log fireplaces, and a huge walk-in shower. All include a refrigerator, private deck, wet bar, microwave, and television with DVD/VHS. The Queen Suite adds a queen bed, whereas the King Suite tallies

The Canebrake’s Guest Services Building is a 12,000-square-foot facility that includes the restaurant, a boutique, a conference room, and rooms for spa treatments.

Spa On East meets Midwest in the Canebrake’s spa treatments. The Canebrake’s next phase, planned for the next five years, will include an aquatic center and spa. In the meantime, spa rooms on one end of the Guest Services Building are the Canebrake’s most recent nod to achieving balance amid luxury. The menu of bliss-you-out treatments and services is comprehensive, from a skin-firming body wrap to hot-stone massage to Ayurvedic treatments like shirodhara, the continuous pour-

ing of warm oil on the “third eye” of the forehead, which promotes deep relaxation and mental clarity. Director of spa services Holly Kirk of Tahlequah may be the only trained Ayurvedic body worker in Oklahoma and surely is the only one offering Ayurvedic shirodhara. Ayurveda (which translates to “the science of life”) is a sister science to yoga that originated in India, a five thousand-year-old practice considered the mother of all medicines. “In the West, we believe that our skin is our largest organ,” says Kirk. “Ayurveda takes it one step further. Whatever we put

eight-room Deer View Lodge and four cottages—Redbud, Sunset, Dogwood, and Moss—each of which includes two suites. “We want to demonstrate to our guests that you can have a really nice luxury experience that doesn’t involve wearing

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on our skin, we digest. So if you cannot eat it, you cannot put it on your skin.” Therefore, Ayurvedic treatments include only pure products like natural nut oils, crushed flower petals, teas, and herbs used in specific combinations to ensure that a client’s dosha, or specific mind and body type, is in harmony. The result can be a heady experience, the body deeply relaxed and the mind attuned to every unfolding sensation. The Canebrake’s spa treatments are by reservation only. Spa menus and pricing are available online. (918) 485-1810 or thecanebrake.com.

a dining area and larger bathroom with jetted tub to the list of accouterments. Deer View’s rooms, ideal for a small group retreat, include split-king beds, bathtubs with showers, refrigerators, Wi-Fi, and sitting areas. All overnight guests receive a brown-bagged, organic continental

This spa room is used for facials and body treatments.

The Canebrake boutique carries handmade jewelry, health and beauty products, organic chocolates, and the Canebrake’s Okie Yoga clothing line.

In addition to a large bed and sitting area, the Canebrake’s King Suites include a porch with rocking chairs, a kitchenette, and a dining area.

Jetted bathtubs are part of the King Suites’ amenities.

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During warm-weather months, the Canebrake’s patio is a popular respite.

Yoga classes are free to the Canebrake’s overnight guests.

Canebrake owners Lisa and Sam Bracken with their rescued standard poodles Pema, Gilda, and Louie

Crème brûlée flavors change with the seasons.

The Canebrake restaurant seats sixty-five for dinner service and Sunday brunch.

Sous chef Danny Savala

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Cooking classes and demonstrations are held at the chef’s counter, which seats up to 30. “People love to watch the chefs work,” says marketing director Adam Miller of the exhibition-style kitchen. O k l a h o m a To d a y. c o m

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“Our dress code is be dressed and not dripping wet.” — S a m breakfast, and coffee and tea service is available in each room and suite. Beverly Smith of Muskogee not only takes three yoga classes a week at Canebrake but has twice stayed in a cottage during girls’ getaway trips with her high school friends. “They’re so aesthetically pleasing,” she says. “They’re very comfortable rooms. The walk to and from the restaurant through the woods is very nice.” That short walk is an unexpected pleasure: The only place to park at the Canebrake is in front of the Guest Services Building, meaning the noise of car engines and doors won’t intrude on guests’ tranquility or frighten off wandering deer. Staff-driven golf carts transport luggage— and if they so desire, guests—the short distance back and forth across a lighted gravel path. “I can’t say enough good things about the Canebrake, the type of facility it is, and how customer-oriented Sam and Lisa are,” says Smith. “They pay attention to detail and want to provide those things they have found to be important, those little comforts.”

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ew things provide as much comfort as food and drink. That’s the case even when it’s prepared by a gourmet chef like Sam Bracken in a restaurant as high-end as the Canebrake’s. “I like to tell people this is five-star dining with southern hospitality,” says Miller. The restaurant, open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner and for Sunday brunch, is a compelling mix of

Conventional Wisdom The Canebrake offers conference facilities with something extra. First bonus: Your conference is at the Canebrake.

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The Canebrake is a seven-day operation. Monday through Friday, visitors tend to be doing off-site professional development—in style. “There are a lot of reasons to have your business meeting right here,” says CEO Sam Bracken. Among them? The Meadow View Room, a private conference room, is comfortable, with a gas log fireplace, Wi-Fi, projection equipment, and flexible seating arrangements for up to seventy-five. All participants have access to the recreation area—once a horse arena— and for an extra cost, the on-site ropes challenge course with a three hundred-foot zip line can accommodate up to forty people, bringing new resonance to team-building. Muskogee Regional Medical Center is one of many Oklahoma, national, and international

white tablecloth-meets-casual. Among the high-style elements are Murano light fixtures made in Italy, sleek furnishings, a wall of windows looking out onto an outdoor patio abuzz with activity, and a half-moon chef ’s counter from which diners can get a gourmand’s eye view of the kitchen.

The Canebrake’s wine list includes ten made from sustainably grown grapes.

The zip line, 50 feet aboveground and 300 feet long, is the inspiration for the Canebrake’s Zip-n-Sip events.

A resort-casual element comes in with the friendly staff, all of whom are foremost concerned about offering exquisite and attentive service over appearances. “Our dress code is be dressed and not dripping wet,” says Sam. The adjoining bar and its many nectars of the gods is a frequent first stop for those interested in an apéritif and conversation with Phillip Baxter, the

Canebrake’s convivial twenty-eight-yearold bartender. Often, that chat begins with education. “Give me some flavor profiles—you like it fruity, you like it dry, you like it spicy—and I can pick out a couple of wines,” says Baxter. “People also come in and say, ‘Phillip, I’m having this for dinner. What do I get?’ Sometimes I know what they want, and as soon as

Canebrake Calendar

Every month at the Canebrake brings a panoply of activities. This spring is no exception. Every Wednesday: Live music in the

bar, 7 to 10 p.m. May and June will include performances by David Castro Band, Travis Linville, and Carter Sampson. Every Thursday: Dog Night on the Patio, 5:30 p.m. This popular event for pooches and

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their people includes “carefully crafted canine cuisine for dogs with discriminating palates” and a few treats for their human chauffeurs as well. BYOD—bring your own dog. May 5: Cinco de Mayo party, 7 to 10 p.m. Mariachi Tulsa performs, and food and drink specials are muy bueno.

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May 20: Crab Boil, 6:30 p.m.

Southern hospitality on the patio with pots of crab, shrimp, corn, potatoes, beer, and zydeco May 22: Murv Jacob art opening, 7 to 10 p.m. Work from the acclaimed Tahlequah artist will be on display May 19 O k l a h o m a To d a y. c o m

to June 20 in the Guest Services Building. May 29 and June 26: Zip-n-Sip, 1 to 5 p.m. Guests can ride the zip line as many times as their thrill-seeking holds out, followed by a flight of beer or wine or a brownie fudge sundae.

they walk in, I’ll have it ready for them. It’s a relationship based on trust. That to me is paramount.” A bar menu with items like a meat loaf sandwich and pomme frites is available, as are specialty drinks including a tart Lemon Cielo and the GinaRita, named after a Canebrake regular who helped create the recipe. Tarrying in the Canebrake bar is all well and good, but eventually, it’s time for the main event—dinner—a few steps away. With twenty-three years in the business under his chef ’s coat, the self-taught Bracken has been bringing innovative cuisine to the Canebrake restaurant for the past three years. Every week, his four cooks are required to study dining trends on the coasts and in restaurant meccas like Chicago and Dallas—Sam says, “You can take those things and Okie them

up”—and everyone brings culinary ideas to the table at quarterly chef ’s summits, a meeting of the minds that yields the seasonal menus. That gourmet-meets-Oklahoma collaboration results in local, fresh, all-natural, made-from-scratch fare yearround. Whatever is in season is on the menu. A dish from the winter menu, the Creekstone filet topped with a green chili sauce and caramelized onions, was elegantly presented and served with rosemary root hash made from purple potatoes, parsnips, sweet potatoes, gold beets, carrots, and turnips, a delicious explosion of unexpected flavors with a satisfying crunch. Among the spring menu’s stars are a Pacific black cod dish with a kasu—the lees from sake—and sake marinade served over ginger wild rice and quinoa pilaf, roast lamb chops with a mint gremolata, soba noodles with sautéed shrimp, fish tacos, and a lavender-infused chocolate ganache bombe. Perhaps the best thing about the talented kitchen staff is that they’re as home grown as the ingredients with which they create. “I didn’t have to go to New York City or Chicago to find a chef or a cook or a sous chef,” says Sam of Danny Savala, Les Montgomery, Sarah Leavell, and James O k l a h o m a To d a y. c o m

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organizations that have taken advantage of the all-inclusive facilities. Their leadership staff has done two planning retreats at the Canebrake, and Rod Copley, the hospital’s quality improvement specialist, was impressed with the cost and amenities. But that’s not all. “The service was extraordinary,” he says, “better than any I’ve had, and I’ve been organizing conferences for a number of years. They were capable of providing everything we needed in a single setting.” The Canebrake’s conference facilities are $82 per person for a day’s use of the private conference room, including all-day waiter service, full continental breakfast, hot lunch, and a snack. (918) 485-1810 or thecanebrake.com. To make a reservation for the ropes challenge course, call (918) 485-1816.

Belknap. “There’s beaucoup talent right in front of you if you’ll just take the time and spend the money to turn these people on and turn them loose.” That investment­—in staff, in service, in sustainable practices and products (which, Sam says, generally cost 10 to 20 percent more than their counterparts), and in a first-class resort boutique with as many facets as a rare wine—is a delicate balance for the Brackens, one that keeps them focused on the realities of creating a niche in the fickle hospitality industry. “We don’t sell anything anybody has to have,” says Sam. “I’ve had customers argue with me about that—I appreciate that—but that’s the truth. We appreciate the effort it takes people to get here. You’re not going to pass this place on your way home, so we want to make sure we’re nailing it. If we get you to come here once, we really feel like you’ll come back.” Sam’s wife is even more certain. “You’ll believe it,” Lisa says. “We know you’ll come back.” Get There: Overnight visitors to the Canebrake must be at least sixteen years of age. Accommodations range from $139 to $294 per night. Children are welcome in the restaurant. 33241 East 732nd Road in Wagoner. (918) 485-1810 or thecanebrake.com.

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