From "The Land of Living Skies" to "Wild Rose Country"

Saskatchewan is behind us, and the MLF Special Events team is up to new adventures in Alberta.

I'm sitting on a suede purple couch under harsh lighting in a rectangular room. The air is hot and a bit musky (and yet, smells mountain fresh) and I'm dressed in a pink shirt and pink pajama pants.

That's right folks, it's laundry day on the road, and my darks and whites are spinning away in a 1970s washing machine in the Ramada Hotel in EDMONTON, which features in-lobby botanical garden and renovated bathrooms - truly a step up from Saskatoon lodging.

Believe it or not, today marks the end of week ONE of this Great Canadian Chicken Expedition! We departed Maple Lodge seven days ago exactly, but at dinner tonight we all agreed that this week has felt more like a month. I guess that only makes sense when you travel 3500 kilometres in five days!

We arrived at the hotel at about 3:30 this afternoon. But before checking in, we decided to do what any typical tourists in Edmonton would do and boot it to the West Edmonton Mall to beat the 5:00 closing time.

Now, you must understand, I am from Georgetown, Ontario. My definition of a mall is a single-storey building featuring a Wal-Mart, a Zellers, a five-venue food court and a few clothing stores placed here and there.

Sorry Webster, the West Edmonton Mall does NOT fit this definition.

Unfortunately, you will have to come back tomorrow to get the whole scoop on this place of pure WONDER. It deserves a wall post all its own, and since we're going back tomorrow after our lunchtime event to get our shop on, there will be plenty of pictures included.

Other than a six hour drive and a taste of the largest mall in Canada, day 8 also called for another trip to the grocery store to purchase mass amounts of wrap-making material for event number three. Tomorrow, we're making lunch at Sobey's head office and our menu features three flavours of deli wraps, some chicken dogs, and this time, we're crackin' out the chicken bacon. Get ready to pig out.

But for now, I must get back to the washing machine. The stranger who was occupying the dryer has finally made an appearance, and Grant and Josh just transformed the purple couch into a pull-out bed. Time for a movie on the laptop, like we own the place.



Of course.