Salt Lake City, Utah + Hanoi, Vietnam
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Alison is obsessed with Lumify eye drops, they remove any unwanted redness from your eyes, make them brighter, whiter, and more like you’ve used an instagram filter on your eyes but in real life. Lulu is obsessed with finally knowing her Myers-Briggs personality type. Those super-familiar with it who’ve listened to the podcast for awhile or who know her IRL will not be surprised to learn she’s an INFP. The best and most reputable test you can take online is 16Personalities.com.
In a long battle with her vitamins, Lulu is wishing for something you could take with your vitamins that would guarantee they wouldn’t hurt your stomach. Alison is wishing - and this is verbatim - that cars had speakers on the outside that she could speak into a microphone, and tell the driver who arrived at the four way stop at the same time as me that “no really you can go”. Who hasn’t been there and wished for that exactly?
Lulu "went" to Salt Lake City awhile back, and SLC was a stop on our IRL #10KDrivewayTour, where we recorded a live episode! Alison is going to take Lulu with her on this fictitious vacation to Utah’s capital, and has booked this Downtown Industrial Loft through Airbnb. Alison uses the word whimsy to describe this space, which is definitely a word you could use, though there are others. The unique apartment has a tree made of recycled glass bottles that lights up from within, dozens of lanterns hanging in the bedroom, black branches installed like tree silhouettes at the entrance, and the master bed is situated atop several painted black platforms. It’s fun and funky and an appropriate place to explore this fun and funky town. The host does warn that it’s “not your usual accommodations”, and recommends the Grand America across the street from his loft if a 5-star hotel is more your speed. Alison and Lulu are up for the eclectic experience this place has to offer, so on to the rest of their day we go!
The gals’ first stop is brunch at Bambara, where the Benedicts (a #Team10K favorite) come with avocado and carnitas! They also sample the deep fried french toast, baguette batons, and a mimosa or five… each.
Their first activity is a visit to the Hogle Zoo, where Alison has purchased the Steward Sponsorship Package, which means the 10K Dollar Day name gets listed on the website and signs, she gets 40 day passes, and can bring 12 guests to an annual fundraiser. Not that they can do this all in one day, but she’s happy to help the animals… and get some publicity for 10K! Wanting the zoo visit to be extra special, she books an elephant engagement experience, which comes with hand-painted wine glasses. This experience does not involve elephant trunks holding paintbrushes… the glasses are a souvenir of a proposal near the elephants, like if you and your significant other are animal lovers, and you want this to be the place you propose marriage. Alison has a different idea. She is going to “propose” that her and Lulu be best friends forever with this “You’re my Person” ring from Etsy.
Their post-proposal lunch is going to be at Red Iguana, a real-life favorite of the duo. Nachos, carne asada tacos, and margaritas. A couple rounds of each, this is a celebration after all!
Alison rents an Audi Q8 through Turo, as they are heading west to the Sundance Mountain Resort, because Alison wants to take a zip-line tour through the stunning scenery. Lulu is not so keen on zip lines, but hey this is what the for-better-or-for-worse part of their best friendship is all about, right? The resort is beautiful with breathtaking views, and was developed by Robert Redford (who knew?!), who aimed for a “community committed to the balance of art, nature, and community”. Alison and Lulu love it out here so much that they forego their previously booked Airbnb and instead reserve the Hawk’s Nest mountain home at resort for their evening stay.
The gals get dressed up and drive back into town to go to Table X for dinner. They buy out the 8-person minimum 5-course tasting private dining experience in the Garden Room, which overlooks the onsite garden. This space will have you wanting to redo-your dining room, and the food and wine are to die for!
To end their evening they head back to Sundance Mountain Resort where they are going to make the most of the in-room services offered! First things first, they get some food delivered. The charcuterie board looks divine as do the dirty fries with trout roe and the sweet potato pie. Guess this is like second dinner? Then they get in-room massages. But because they both enjoy personal space, they are going to take turns getting their massages while the other goes down to the Owl Bar for a drink. What a luxurious best friendship!
Lulu is headed to the capital of Vietnam, where she is staying at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel. She is dropping seven grand on two nights in the Charlie Chaplin Suite. It is where he stayed on his honeymoon, and is located in the historical wing of the hotel. It has a rainfall shower, Hermès bath amenities, and has 24-hour majordomo service. Complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails are included in the price as well. There are also a variety of Charlie Chaplin films for viewing in the room. Lulu is bringing friend Jason Wetzel with her on this trip, for reasons she will disclose later.
Lulu wants to take in the wild rush that is Hanoi Train Street, a stretch of a mostly residential area where the train passing through is so close to the buildings you could reach your hand out a window and touch it (and subsequently lose it!). We’re talking a plant on the doorstep would get knocked over, its such a tight space. Its quite the marvel to tourists, which is why authorities are cracking down on cafes that encourage visitors to observe the train passing. While residents are wise to its schedule and stay clear, many a selfie-centric tourist gets a little too close for comfort. The closure of these cafes may keep Lulu from sipping on a juice while the wind from the speeding train whips her hair, but one can hope!
For lunch Lulu plans to grab some pho, the ever-popular Vietnamese breakfast food… but not from any place that would have any web presence, she wants something real authentic. After lunch they head to the Trompe-l'œil Murals of Hanoi. The life-size murals create optical illusions, where one has to blink a couple times to see where the setting ends and the art begins. She’s going to take pictures “walking into” as many of these scenes as she can, and maybe throw in a lost-lover-footage-style photo of her reaching back to the photographer, which in this case, would be her invited guest Jason. Though this is not the reason she invited him, just wait.
Lulu and Jason head back to her suite at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel for some afternoon Charlie Chaplin film viewing, accompanied by her tabletop popcorn machine.
So here is why she invited Jason. As most of Chaplin’s films are silent, she is going to take turns with Jason underscoring the films with a Roland FA-08.
To end her day in Hanoi, Lulu takes Jason out for dinner at Bún Chả Hương Liên, an every day noodle shop that went from obscurity to international fame when two men sat down to dinner at a table that is now encased in glass. We’re talking Anthony Bourdain and Barack Obama, who shared a meal of bun cha, seafood spring rolls, and bottles of Hanoi beer, just as Lulu and Jason are going to do now!
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation
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