Ensenada, Mexico + Marrakesh, Morocco
We are at our guest googler's apartment, who is the hostest with the mostest! I mean, we have a cheese platter, hummus spread, and there are heirloom carrots, you guys! Oh, and it's Vanessa Ray! Lulu and Vanessa met each other almost twelve years ago when they opened Finding Navajo, I mean, Finding Nemo together at Disney. Interesting word fumble there because Vanessa has news - 23andMe has shown her family that they are not part Mexican, but are part Navajo. Whoah!
And now we digress into Alison's obsession with dessert hummus, for the trillionth time. Vanessa and Alison want Lulu to throw her rules about hummus out the window, because dessert hummus is where it's at. We also discuss Shark Tank, all the emotions you feel watching it, and ways to improve the show...we decide it's going to be a show about helping those that miss the mark and oversell, called "Vanessa Ray Saves The Day". We're shopping it around, but until then, you can see her on Blue Bloods. Her character is finally at the family dinner table...if you don't watch the show, you'll have to catch up in order to understand what a big deal this is.
There is so much laughter in this episode you guys. And soooo many tangents. Join us, it's like chatting with your dearest friends over A LOT of wine. Vanessa is happy to be with us today because she loves the podcast, especially the episode where Alison buys the vacuum cleaner, which has a follow-up story that Alison shares, and to say laughter ensues is an understatement. Vanessa talks about her travels, her favorite spot being Barcelona, she would pack up and move there now if she could. Also, she had some fun experiences trying to drive in Ireland. Still on her bucket list is a visit to see the Northern Lights. The ladies discuss big trips they want to take. Perhaps for their 40th birthdays? Lulu is going to Paris, Alison chooses Iceland, Vanessa picks Mykonos, sisterhood of the traveling pants style.
We start talking about our obsessions this week, and Alison says that hers is more of a fascination, with uberPOOL. This doesn't exist in Florida where she lives with her family, so she found this odd experience to be truly unique. A study in human nature, if you will. Lulu is obsessed with hot sauce on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It sounds insane, but just listen to her describe this and we bet you'll get on board. Vanessa is obsessed with the t-shirt under dresses trend that we all rocked as kids in the 90's. It's coming in again, which is great for transitioning from summer into fall.
Our discussion about whats on our wishlist this week gets interesting, and not exactly supportive. Alison wishes for a Madison Braid, its a headband thats a braid. You can find it on the facebook ads that bother you incessantly, until you just succumb to the pressure. After an extended discussion with her girlfriends on air, she decides to renege this wish, because while Lulu wants to support her, she really doesn't want her to have a fake braid on her head. Lulu wishes that every kitchen appliance had a self cleaning function. Like it would clean itself, rinse itself, and you literally never had to clean anything. This wish is borne from Alison using her kitchen appliances inappropriately while staying with her. It's a racial misunderstanding apparently. Vanessa wishes for the impossible - she wants to be taller. She's a little closer to this wish thanks to a new mirror she got from Bed, Bath & Beyond. If being short just wasn't a qualifying factor, that'd be great.
Time for…10K DAYS!
First of all, Alison does all her Spanish-speaking friends proud by completely butchering the pronunciation of Ensenada. To be fair, she was overthinking it. We always do two nights in a hotel, so she does a 10k Dollar Day first and goes on a two-night Baja on the High Seas cruise with Disney Cruises. According to Disney cruise bloggers (yes thats a thing) you have to get the concierge package. It comes with snacks, personal robe and slippers, complimentary WiFi, a private sundeck, a down duvet, and a "pillow talk" program where you can select the pillow style you prefer. So of course Alison splurges on it! Oh, and just wait to hear the discussion about how to pronounce "concierge".
Before her departure Alison stocks up on some Dramamine®, grabs a Waterproof Pouch with Waist Strap for her phone and other necessities, and most importantly, purchases a four piece flask kit called Smuggs Juggs. They look like toiletry bottles, so you can smuggle in as much alcohol as you want. Lulu tells Alison that you can bring wine onto a Disney Cruise, and Alison quickly replies that they only allow two bottles of wine, and that’s not nearly enough. She's researched this, okay?
Also pre-cruise, Alison spends $1700 on a shopping spree at Zimmerman, snagging these gorgeous goods:
this Flat Crown Straw Hat
and a fabulous Beach Bag
After arriving in Ensenada dressed to the nines, she heads on a Canopy Tour for a day of zip-lining, paddle boating, and more! Next is the Calafia Valley Wine Country Tour. The snacks sound unbelievable, not to mention the wine. She buys wine to take back on the cruise ship...no surprise here, but she's smuggling some in a shampoo bottle. Also no surprise that she's joining their their Queen's Council Wine Club. How many wine clubs has she joined at this point of 10k days?
Dinner is at Palo, the adults-only, extra-fee restaurant onboard. She opens every bottle she purchased earlier to sample them all at dinner. She's got 10 grand you guys, so stop judging!When the ship docks in San Diego, Alison does a Speed Boat Adventure Tour. You get to be your own captain and drive the boat yourself. Lulu is in for this. So, after all that fun and excitement, she didn't quite reach 10k, because EVERYTHING is included when you're on a boat (cue that bit from the Andy Samberg and T-Pain song).
What an incredible day! Thanks Alison, now up is Lulu with an exciting locale of her own.
Lulu stays at Le Royal Mansour, where the most expensive room was $35,000 a night, so she goes for one of the smallest rooms. YEAH. Shockingly, Lulu starts her day by quad biking through the desert to a berber village where she has tea. For lunch she heads to Cafe Clock, where you can eat a camel burger. Alison and Vanessa do not sound excited by the idea of eating camel, I think they are a little weirded out. So Lulu orders a lamb dish as well in case she doesn't like the camel.
For her next excursion she struggled to find a car and driver, but she imagines a road trip in a luxury SUV will set her back $1400. She's estimating based on the many times she's hired a car and driver. Imaginarily, for the podcast, of course. She travels 5 hours round trip to Essaouira just to see tree goats. Go google "goats in trees". It's like the goats are the christmas ornaments on a tree. It's crazy! Good thing we have our guest googler to pull up pictures for us! After reading this article on henna she hires an artist to go with her on the drive to see the tree goats, and hires friend Jacob McAlister to make a design for her to give the artist. While she's in Essaouira, she purchases $500 of Argan Oil for herself and for gifts.
Back to Marrakesh, she’s going to the souk, or market, to get a different variety of Ras el hanout from every single vendor so she can taste test them all when she gets home. Lulu ends her day with dinner at Al Fassia, before retiring to her second tier suite.
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
HEY, FRIEND! IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, FOLLOW US!:
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. For a full understanding of how we use affiliate links on our site, please visit our Policy Disclosures page. Thank you! :)