The newly minted Almquists savor a romantic and intimate “last dance” amid the chandeliers at the end of their reception.
Katy’s Hayden Baker received a gift from his dad, who worked security at the Houston Rodeo, at age 3 — an acoustic guitar autographed by country duo Brooks and Dunn, who added the directive “Hayden, practice!” alongside their signatures.
Twenty years later, Baker signed a publishing deal with Dunn’s publishing company Perfect Pitch. He also recorded a cover of the group’s “South of Santa Fe,” which appears on Baker’s latest album Barely Gettin’ By, an alternately raucous and introspective collection of songs spanning modern and traditional country styles, with heartfelt tenor vocals bolstered by some serious guitar shredding. This summer, in between trips to Nashville for songwriting sessions, he’s on tour to support the album, with gigs booked across Texas, including a solo acoustic show at The Dosey Doe in The Woodlands on Sept. 21.
When it comes to mastering an instrument, there are no shortcuts, but when Baker picked up a guitar at the relatively late age of 15, he discovered he had a natural facility for the guitar. “It fell under my fingers very fast, and I just became obsessed with that,” says Baker. He learned how to play by ear, listening to solos by guitarists Vince Gill, Stevie Ray Vaughn, top session guitarist Brent Mason, and even Eddie Van Halen.
But it was seeing the multitalented Paisley perform live at the Houston Rodeo that set the course for Baker. “I was like, ‘Yep! I wanna do that!’” says Baker of that teenage epiphany. “I went home and, over five years, learned everything he did.”
On Barely Gettin’ By, Paisley and Baker trade licks on a scorching electric and acoustic guitar duel titled “Don’t Meet Your Heroes,” sounding for all the world like Buck Owens and Roy Clark plugged into a couple of Marshall amps. “He always says the licks that make him laugh the most are the ones he keeps in a song,” says Baker of Paisley’s fearless, go-for-broke guitar playing. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Baker is getting his props as one of the nominees for Guitarist of the Year at this year’s Texas Country Music Association Awards. It’s an honor he takes very seriously and might not have imagined as a baseball-playing teenager who initially picked up a six-string to impress a girl.
“When it comes to my guitar parts, I take my recording sessions very, very seriously,” says Baker. “Because I know some kid out there may hear it, and it might spark something in them. So I might as well give them the best that I’ve got.”
Surf lessons are taught by handsome Australian instructors
At first, “no news, no shoes” might seem kitschy to an American worried about traffic, exhausted from the election news cycle or recovering from a hurricane. But stress seems to melt away and the mantra becomes reality, as soon as the glittering resort comes into view. It’s actually paradise, a deep sea archipelago about 500 miles off the southern tip of India — a haven that’s picturesque and made for exploring, and completely disconnected from the outside world.
Gili is a five-star resort — named TripAdvisor’s number-one hotel in the world multiple times — comprised of 45 overwater villas surrounding a private island only available to hotel guests, complete with white sand beaches, schools of fish swimming in perfect blue water, and impeccable service.
While there’s plenty to satisfy the adventure seekers, Gili is made for relaxing in absolute luxury. For $10,000ish a night, it’s home to the world’s largest overwater villa, only accessible by boat, and hosts a private pool, gym and movie theatre. The other villas are open-air with stairs that lead directly into the crystal clear water of the Indian Ocean, with a private water garden that encloses the shower where manta rays and grouper fish swim freely. Measurements are taken before you arrive so personalized fins and goggles are waiting in the villa for a snorkeling adventure — without leaving the bedroom!
From the villa, it’s just a quick bike ride on an overwater wooden path to the island — peep the friendly blacktip reef sharks swimming underneath on the way. There’s no hotel tower or town, so it’s possible to wander among the bright green palm trees and beaches (which are raked every morning to be easy on your bare feet) without running into another person. Unless one would like to, which is where a personal butler — called Mr. or Mrs. Friday, a reference to Robinson Crusoe — can help. The staff at Gili, and especially your Friday, is omnipresent (while not being intrusive in the slightest). They’ll coordinate any of the many activities on Gili: Try snorkeling with the resident marine biologist to discover “coral farms,” through which the resort is growing and replanting coral; relax in the glass-bottomed spa; or take a swing during a private tennis lesson. Of course, there’s also plenty of food to be enjoyed.
Chef Hari oversees a small army of chefs and cooks from around the world that staff the island’s three restaurants, where every meal begins with a bracing shot of fresh juice. Don’t skip the breakfast spread served in the villa; it’s a full-service experience with fresh fruit, eggs and various curried, porridge-y Maldivian specialties served on your private dock as the fish splash and play in the ocean.
Chef Hari didn’t know what a “chef” was when his parents enrolled him in culinary school — and the first time he had to prepare beef, his Hindu mother banned him from the house. He has since spearheaded the island’s vegan and vegetarian programs, including highly customized multicourse meals and cooking classes, which are becoming the talk of the Euro-travel set.
Dinner is a nightly show. It adopts a different rotating theme, like Asian-street-market night, during which rows of live cooking stations are erected on the beach at sunset. Alternatively, Mediterranean night includes a full fire pit, and Brazilian night includes live-fire cooking carts rolled from table to table.
After serene days of no news and no shoes, lacing up sneakers for the trip back home is a hard-hitting reality. Gili, always with the special touches, has an airport concierge that helps guests through check-in and security, so there’s no need to part with the personalized luxury or friendly staff until the very last second.
The Gili Lankanfushi resort is made up of 45 luxury overwater villas connected to a private island with three restaurants, tennis court, pool, outdoor movie theatre and more.
Chef Hari’s hot chocolate lava cake topped with vanilla bean ice cream
The friendly and always attentive staff at the resort
The tennis court