Coleman County, Texas + Denham, Australia
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Alison is obsessed with Thrive Causemetics' Brilliant Eye Brightener Pencil in the Muna (Mauve Taupe Shimmer) color. It is like a light shimmer eyeshadow pencil that you use around your whole eye for instant wake-up call look for your peepers!
Lulu is obsessed with making instastories. So while we are sure you're already following 10K Dollar Day on Instagram, perhaps go follow Lulu too.
Alison is wishing she had some carpentry skills. She could build backdrops, furniture, anything really. Plus she loves spending a few minutes on Youtube and then trying her hand at a profession without getting any actual professional training. Tune into her insta to see if she actually decides to embark on this DIY endeavor.
Lulu is wishing that she had an easier time with vitamins. She’d love some suggestions on ones that work for sensitive guts…if you have ideas, shoot her an email!
Lulu is taking a group road trip to Texas! She found a unique spot with just enough room for ten guests, so she brings Alison and two Texan Baes and their invited guests. That’s only six guests. She knows, as a surprise Lulu invited Gordon Ramsey and his daughter to keep Alison company (Alison is obsessed), and Lulu’s honored guest is whomever decided to have the Coperni Autumn/Winter 21/22 fashion show on the top of a parking garage, because that's just awesome enough that she wants to be their best friend.
This rag-tag group hops on a 25-seat mini-bus Lulu rented through Texas Charter Bus Company to Coleman, where she's found what she would call a Texas destination restaurant! Rancho Loma is a reservation-only restaurant and ranch style accommodation by way of a 5-bedroom boutique inn, it’s a “restaurant + rest”, they say. This place was created by visionary host/chef/maker/artist duo Robert and Laurie Williamson, who essentially throw a dinner party every weekend but for paying guests. They hope to attract creative types looking for a respite and time to recharge. There are four queen bedrooms in this 1878 limestone farmhouse, and one king bedroom that features a freestanding soaker tub and a private outdoor shower. Lulu claims the king bedroom for her and Alison, and lets the rest of the group pick their rooms.
For lunch Lulu takes everyone for a dose of nostalgia to the Owl Drug Store Old Fashioned Soda Fountain & Grill, where she gives everyone $20 to spend. No one’s judging if someone gets two milkshakes and an egg cream. Wondering what Gordon is going to have to say about this cuisine choice…
Lulu pops into 410 Gallery, where she is drawn to the powerful and intense nature photography of Robert Williamson. Does that name sound familiar? That’s because he is one of the owners of Rancho Loma where the group is staying. So they’ll probably get to see some of the horses he’s photographed on the property! Lulu buys a piece to take home with her.
For dinner it’s back to Rancho Loma, where the ingredients are sourced locally, some even right off the ranch property! They do not sell alcohol, but will serve BYOB with a corkage fee, so Lulu buys a bottle of Fall Creek Tempranillo, a full-bodied Texan red wine, for EACH of her guests!
She then spends a little time shopping at Prickly Pear, a cute local boutique with an owner pictured on the website whose smile is as irresistible as the items for sale!
After that it’s a leisurely evening of watching the sunset and the wildlife from the sprawling deck.
Alison commemorates our 180th episode with the choice to go half way around the world (180°) from where she was right at that moment. Apparently that point is called an antipode? Who knew? Well now, you do. Go ahead, find your antipode! We’ll be here when you get back.
Alison’s antipodal search took her to the middle of the ocean, but the closest city is Denham, a remote part of Western Australia where she is sure to have a fun time! She is staying at On The Deck @ Shark Bay, a DIY-feeling bed & breakfast nestled in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. The accommodation and facilities are located on a large deck overlooking the red sand of the outback in one direction, and the beautiful waters of Shark Bay in the other. The room comes with a continental breakfast, the eggs and bacon from which you have to cook yourself, however. Alison is not feeling that so she hires someone to cook her eggs and bacon for her through Take A Chef. Hey, at least there’s a hot tub with a view!
After her breakfast Alison embarks on her first activity, a morning cruise from the Monkey Mia Reserve to Blue Lagoon Pearl Farm to learn about a working pearl farm and all it entails. It’d be cool if she was able to harvest her own pearl! Or at least enjoy some fresh oysters…doesn’t get much fresher than that!
Still up for exploring in nature for a while longer, Alison heads to Ocean Park Aquarium, where she takes the full aquarium tour with a marine scientist guide. You get to “watch the raw fury of sharks feeding”, discover eels, sea snakes, stonefish, stingrays…and sure to be Alison’s favorite - visit with their rescued sea turtles.
Next is a visit to Shells Beach, which is a sliver-thin strip of coastline on an inlet of Shark Bay that due to geography and marine life, consists entirely of sea shell bits! Stunning to see to be sure, but not where you’ll want to head for a barefoot walk on the beach we’d bet!
For a different beach stroll, Alison goes in search of The Thong Shack, a shrine of sorts to the sunny-climate-footwear-staple. Much like the love lock bridge in Paris and other such shrines, Alison intends to leave behind a flip-flop with a message written on it. In fact, she’s going to leave one Indosole recycled rubber tire flip-flop with a personalized message written on it for every single one of our 10K Dollar Baes. That may take awhile.
For dinner Alison is stoked to sample the “Seafood Platter for One” at Old Pearler Restaurant, an authentically-quaint looking dining destination.
After dinner Alison visits Hamelin Pool - home to the most diverse and abundant examples of stromatolites in the world. What is a stromatolite? We had to look it up too. A stromatolite is a living fossil, a representative of life when there were no complex life forms. Millions and millions and then some more millions of years ago…these things were here on planet Earth and we were very much not. Don’t fret, there is a boardwalk from which you can view them without causing any harm to them! Alison plans to watch the sunset from this boardwalk and hopefully capture one magical shot of the stromatolites when there’s only a sliver of the setting sun visible with her new Sionyx Aurora Black Night Vision Camera.
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
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