Zurich, Switzerland + Punta Mita, Mexico
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Alison is obsessed with her new crimper. We know, but listen, there’s this whole trick making it cool again, or should we say, useful. Lulu is obsessed with Jalapeno Cheetos., which she has sitting in her parents’ “snack cupboard”. Yeah that thing would be empty five seconds after stocking it if it were in her home.
Alison is wishing it was clear when it will be okay to travel. There are so many different rules that seem ever-shifting. Not only that, she has Frontier points that expire in November. So 1 - can there just be a chart about where and when travel is allowed, and 2 - can Frontier just extend their points use policy considering the current climate? That’d be great!
Lulu is wishing it was easier to find things to watch on streaming services once you’ve finished your current binge. The recommendations are not always on point, and the hours spent searching for the next show when you could just be watching already! We’ve started a section on one of our Pinterest boards about the shows and movies we’re loving…so perhaps in the future that will be a good reference for her..and you!
Lulu is headed to Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, which according to CNN Travel is emerging as one of Europe's hottest food destinations. Therefore this seems the perfect spot for our resident foodie who has been stuck at home like the rest of us, unable to indulge in decadent food not prepared by herself. #quarantinecooking
A stay at the luxury hotel Baur au Lac is in order, as her Deluxe Suite is the epitome of everything you could want in a European hotel - just check out the pictures below! It is set inside its own park with a lake, and boasts views of the Alps! Its decadent grounds, multiple eateries, and ample amenities are just part of what make this spot the whole package…because, wait for it…you can bring your dog. Swooning, yet?
A stop at Babu's Bakery and Coffeehouse is first up on the agenda. You can walk in for a la carte menu items or to-go coffees, or you can make a reservation, where you are required to preorder their popular etagere. Connoisseurs of all things brunch won’t mind one bit.
Pursuing all things food, she goes for the next Swiss thing she can think of…CHOCOLATE! Specifically she is going to the chocolate workshop at Funky Chocolate Club. This private group class is for up to four people, which she buys out, so that she gets all the one-on-one chocolate making expertise to herself. Includes a welcome drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and if you aren’t sold on this yet, this pitch from their website should do the trick - “you can eat as much as you want in the workshop… our goal is to get you #chocolatewasted“. Umm, YES.
After recovering from her chocolate coma, Lulu heads to Oepfelchammer Tavern where there are rules. Lulu loves rules, because she loves loopholes. After 6pm you can only drink water, grape juice, or wine. There are rules about the types of singing allowed on stage, a dress code, knocking on tables or sending half-pints is the way instead of applause, oh and there is a challenge to drink wine while hanging upside down from a rafter. Lulu is going to brazenly take on this challenge, with a little help from a stunt pad, a mini trampoline, and a hired sports announcer, who'll have some OTC pain relievers ready for her after her, uhmm, performance.
If you’ve ever imbibed alcohol while upside down before, you know Lulu is in need of some food. Specifically, carbohydrates, but whatever accoutrements come with her next indulgence will have to do, as the next stop in her Swiss foodie tour of Zurich involves…CHEESE! The Zurich Fondue Tram runs at lunchtime on the weekends, and at two evening time slots. Your ticket on this vintage tram includes a welcome drink, appetizer, dessert, coffee, and unlimited fondue, all to be enjoyed while taking in the best sights of the city. It is $98 per person and each setup looks like it seats four. Lulu is buying all four seats so that she doesn’t have to share her fondue with strangers with suspect dipping habits.
Food and drink and food and…time for another drink. Lulu heads to Old Crow Bar in the “Old Town” - or Altstadt, which on another trip she would totally love to explore, but I digress, back to the food. This bar has over 1600 spirits, 800 of them whiskeys. Lulu goes big and orders a shot of 1963 Glen Grant 50 year Single Malt Soctch Whiskey, a bottle of which most recently sold for $12,000. The shot costs her $1300. That might be the most we’ve ever spent on booze here at 10K Dollar Day.
While this is not food or beverage, it is beverage-adjacent. Lulu purchases an iconically Switzerland item that is equal parts souvenir and necessity - the Wine Master Swiss Army Knife - has a foil cutter, a large locking blade for cheese and charceuterie, as well as a corkscrew, obviously.
For dinner she heads to Rechberg 1837 which is situated in a building erected in 1837, so the cuisine “is devoted to local products which were already available on the markets in Zurich of the early 19th century.”
She’s looking for a unique watering hole for her next drink, and play on words, found out the Swiss have what are called badis - public swimming pools along the lake and river with bars attached. Seebad Enge has swimming, saunas, food, yoga, stand up paddle boarding…and drinking. Perhaps save the latter for after the former?
Alison’s done it, she’s found paradise! Punta Mita shares the same latitude as the Hawaiian Islands which gives it 345 days of sunshine per year. It’s just north of Puerto Vallarta, just a bit more removed and slightly less touristy. Alison books Casa Kalika, a Balinese-style villa above the Pacific Ocean. This luxury villa is bookable on Airbnb, though is a part of the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, which definitely has its perks! With its breathtaking views, private oceanfront setting, and space for 12 people, this is your next girlfriend’s getaway or family vacation! Each of the six bedrooms comes with an en-suite bathroom, three of them also have hot tubs and outdoor showers!
The villa boasts a salt water infinity pool with in-pool loungers, a daybed under a pergola, and extensive outdoor living and dining areas. Beach towels, chairs, and umbrellas are included. Also included is a staff of four - housekeeper, butler, waiter, groundskeeper - that provides “attentive, yet unobtrusive service”. You are welcomed to your villa with margaritas and guacamole, and you have the option of pre-stocking the fridge and having a chef on-site to prepare breakfast, lunch, and a snack. The 6-seater golf cart to get around is pretty great, too. Can you believe all this? Two nights comes in at $4800, which means $200 per person, per night. Not a bad price tag for paradise!
After the chef-prepared breakfast Alison is going golfing! Now she’s not very good, she’s been only once besides mini golf, but luckily for her, Punta Mita Golf Club offers lessons, and features TWO private Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses. She has no idea what that means, but imagines that those who golf regularly are in the know, and that it’s a big deal.
Wanting to be properly outfitted, Alison purchase some items from Golftini before her trip:
Exhausted from playing golf, Alison is in need of some sustenance, and rather then head back to her villa where her private chef has lunch prepared, she heads out in search of a local haunt. She can always have the prepared lunch later as a midnight snack poolside. The oceanside Tuna Blanca has caught her eye with their “Temptation” tasting menu with wine pairing. She enjoys it so much she orders the vegetarian tasting menu and wine pairing as well!
After her golf game and fancy lunch, Alison is headed to the Four Seasons Spa. She’s skipping the usual facial-massage-manicure and going for something a bit more, experimental. Science and a Sublime New You is a luxury experience that begins with a simple cheek swab. What?! Yes. Following said cheek swab, professional trainers create a custom program designed to reach your fitness goals based on the blueprint of your genetics. How cool is that? Hopefully it tells her she will highly benefit from golf, seeing as she has the outfit now.
Next up is a Whale Photo Safari with Punta Mita Adventures. They use a spotter plane to track the whales, so while there is no “typical day” for this adventure, they ensure you are able to see as many whales as possible. They also follwo the instinct of the whales - and sometimes dolphins, too! - by following the mammals along their preferred routes! Alison decides she needs a waterproof camera for this day, hoping that they get close enough to the whales for a lot of splash action! She picks up the Fujifilm FinePix XP130 Waterproof Digital Camera
While she’s done a trip to Tequila, Mexico, Alison feels any trip to Mexico needs to a tequila-centric experience. Or at least a bevy of margaritas should be had. Both, it should be both. Fortuitously, the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita offers a tequila tasting experience where you get to make your own customized tequila blend! Discovered on HotelWhisperer.com, to reserve this experience you have to email the hotel. An expert teaches you about the alcohol made from agave while you taste some varietals, then you put what you’ve learned to the test! You have the chance to create a blend of tequila all your own! And the awesomeness doesn’t stop there...your blend is poured into a handmade bottle, numbered and signed by you. It is then registered in a logbook, and you can call the factory to request more bottles of “your blend” once you run out at home…or the next day. Alison purchases four rounds of this $150 tequila tasting and blend making extravaganza, so that she can make a blend for herself, a blend for Lulu, a blend for 10K Dollar Day, and a blend for Outlier.
To end her day in Punta Mita, Alison goes to Hector’s Kitchen for dinner. It may not sound fancy but it is oh-so-gourmet! It is “the culmination of a visionary chef, bountiful country and beautiful destination”. Well said! Seafood cones, octopus tacos, and lobster are hitting the spot, and going out in style, Alison orders every dessert off the menu. We are talking chocolate mousse with hazelnut ice cream, corn cakes with root beer leaf ice cream, pumpkin pie with goat cheese ice cream, and orange biscuits with mascarpone and fig. ¡Sabroso!
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