Byron Bay, Australia + Newark, New Jersey
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We now have a website for our forthcoming web series, Live from [Blank]! Check it out and follow along! After the success (and safety compliant-ness) of our #10KDrivewayTour, Alison felt onfident she could safely plan a surprise roadtrip for four teenagers for her daughter’s Sweet 16! She used her dashcam and even put together a little video of the trip.
Alison is obsessed with chunky sneakers and her new sporty spice look in general.
Lulu is obsessed with some new apps on her phone and iPad. She is a big art-lover, and she loves being able to see art, though can’t quite afford it. These apps - specifically DailyArt and Google Arts & Culture - allow her to display works of art on her phone or iPad, and provide information about the work, the artist, the processes. It’s all very aesthetic and educational, Lulu’s two main vibes.
Alison is wishing for a really good chapstick. She is caught in the viscious cycle of putting so much on only to need more. Lulu suggests plain ol’ Vaseline, per her dermatologist’s recommendation. Lulu is wanting the Guppyfriend Washing Bag she found from Reformation. It is a bag that collects microplastics that get released from synthetic fabrics when they are being washed. It keeps the microplastics from going into our waterways and polluting them. One more step towards a more clean living way of life!
Alison is headed to Byron Bay, the go-to spot for snorkeling, scuba diving and surfing in New South Wales. She is looking forward to her picturesque accommodations at the relaxing, air-conditioned, tropical-vibes resort affectionally known as The Lord Byron. She is staying in their spacious 3-Bedroom Apartment with living room, dining room, full kitchen, and two bathrooms. Attached to the main building, in addition to ample space guests of this apartment have access to all of the hotel amenities, including in-room coffee machines, poolside bar service, and bike and surfboard rentals. A short walk past charming shops and restaurants leads you to the beach, though you may never want to leave the hotel!
Alison is starting off the day very early… she’s heading out on a sunrise hot air balloon ride. After an hour in the air seeing the sun and the sights, you land to a champagne breakfast. The excursion costs $350 per person, and can hold up to 10 people!
Next up is some adventures in health and healing with Byron Wellbeing. She does some picking and choosing between their retreat options in addition to yoga and surfing. She gets the colonic hydrotherapy treatment and the naturopathy consult that come with their Yoga and Detox Retreat. She also takes an interactive ‘cooking’ class from their Raw Food Retreat.
For lunch Alison heads to Three Blue Ducks. An intentional community focused on sustainable food, at this place you can dine-in, or fill a picnic hamper with food and wander the 80-acre working farm to find the perfect picturesque picnic spot. Alison opts for their sourdough bread and butter, yellow curry with mussels and prawns, and a bottle of Chardonnay.
Alison heads to the Gold Coast Wax Museum…with its unique feature - a “chamber of horrors”. There are wax figures in macabre repose… recreating torture setups. Not your typical wax museum vibe, but there are the typical celebrity ones to look at as well.
For dinner Alison tries out Harvest, a restaurant, deli and bakery with a 118-year-old oven! It even has its own farm and an in-house forager! They have a monthly menu, and as of publication the featured dish was kangaroo loin. Feeling adventurous, Alison gives it a try, as well an order or potatoes with whipped ricotta and seawood, some prawns with pepper butter, and a dessert of white chocolate, fingerlime, passion fruit. Of course, a wine pairing option was added to her evening meal.
Lulu is heading to Newark, New Jersey, and she is determined to do everything there, no cheating and heading to NYC. She starts by booking the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel at the Newark Airport for $95 a night. Just in case that doesn’t suit her, she has also booked a Blacklane Business Van/SUV for 24 hours, and she may just sleep in it.
Aware of the lack of a bathroom that a vehicle-as-accommodation-setup lends itself to, Lulu is prepared with The Pee Pocket, a Sani-Hands box, and Who Gives A Crap recycled TP.
For her breakfast Lulu gets a pork roll and coffee at The Deluxe Diner. After that quick bite she’s in for a bit of learning at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park - “where modern America was invented”. You get to explore the inventor’s home AND laboratory.!
Lulu is most excited about this next experience. She is dropping $6700 on a Zero-G Experience. You go up in a plane to an altitude of 24,000 feet, flying level with the horizon. The pilots then gradually increase the angle of the aircraft to about 45° relative to the horizon until reaching an altitude of 32,000 feet. During this phase, passengers feel the pull of 1.8 Gs. Next, the plane pushes over the top of the parabolic arc and the zero-gravity phase begins. For the next 20-30 seconds, everything in the plane is weightless. This happens FIFTEEN times! In addition to zero gravity, flyers aboard G-FORCE ONE (get it?) experience Lunar gravity (one sixth your weight) and Martian gravity (one third your weight), achieved by flying a wider arc over the top of the parabola. This might be the most exciting thing we’ve done yet here at 10K Dollar Day!
Next Lulu goes on a culinary expedition as she discovers all that the Ironbound District has to offer. All Portugese, Spanish, and Brazilian dining, Lulu is going to be having the meat sweats later, to be sure. But how can she resist all of the regional chorizos?
Her day in Newark ends with dinner and drinks at BOTH Fornos and Vivo Tapas Kitchen & Lounge, the latter known just as much for its nightlife as its paella!
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
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