As promised, we shall re-commence our question and answer session.
The floor is now open.
Q6: How many hotels did you stay in?
Over the past four weeks, the MLF team has bunked in a grand total of SEVENTEEN hotels, which I have kept track of like so:
I do believe I'm missing two, but I feel as though I won't run out of ink anytime soon.
As you can see, we didn't stick with just one chain of hotels throughout our journey, so each one offered a unique lodging experience - some of which deserve a special mention.
The Country Inn and Suites in Calgary had the best breakfast, complete with a waffle making machine, a parfait-making materials and four different kinds of cereal.
We were at this place for four days, and each morning was gloriously delicious.
Then there was the Heritage Inn in Saskatoon. We were there for the same amount of time, yet there was no breakfast, our rooms had a bit of a jail cell vibe, and our bathrooms hadn't been renovated since the '70s.
What's funny however is that I miss this hotel the most! It was our first major stop of the trip and the first place where we had a full day off, so I had time to settle in and find joy in the bleak square of a room. Ah, Heritage Inn. I did grow fond of you and your desolate corridors.
We also took full advantage of the swimming pool and hot tub at each location they were available. The most impressive facility was at the Holiday Inn in Winnipeg.
The pool room was like a mini indoor water park! Honestly, I was probably more excited to be in here than the five-year-old children in the kiddie pool.
Q7: How do you wash the truck?
I'm sure you have seen the pictures of the poor butterflies, bees and other buzzing wildlife that have gotten themselves stuck in the grill of the truck since we drive 100 kilmoetres per hour down the highway in their flight path. As picturesque as I have made them to be, they aren't visually appealing to the many customers that hang out around the Showtruck during events...nor is the coating of dirt that settles on the truck and trailer. When we're doing events back at home, we powerwash the whole trailer at our shop the end of every event. But out on the road, we've had to scope out places to do so.
There's nothin' like a shiny Showtruck to lift your spirits I tell ya.
Q8: Where do you get the product for your events from?
Another thing about doing events at home is that all our product is located at Maple Lodge. Before events, we simply walk into the reefer we have at the Special Events Team shop and take out the product we need for the day, as stated on our request form. Unfortunately, the reefer inside the Showtruck isn't big enough to carry enough chicken for ten events. Even if it did, we would have to spend an insane amount of money on fuel to keep the generator running for a whole month. Therefore, at every major stop on this trip, we went to a cold storage warehouse to pick up our chicken that was shipped to us from Maple Lodge.
What made it interesting though was that all the roasts that were shipped were not sliced yet. In order to make wraps, we had to get the deli emloyees at our grocery store events to do it for us!
The trick to getting these people to slice 10+ roasts in one sitting? Smile sweetly and say "Thank You" about 392 times. Oh yes. They were big fans of ours.
Q9: What was the best event of the trip?
This question is a little tricky. Each event had its own good and bad qualities, and each one varied by demographics, location and menu. If it has to come down to just one event, I would say it was Thrifty's Head Office in Saanichton, British Columbia. This event was such a great promotional opportunity for unlisted products, and the response we got was amazing!
Q10: What do YOU eat while on the road?
Contrary to popular belief, the six of us DO eat more than just chicken. Sure, we've had more chicken dogs and thai wraps than anyone should eat in a year, but we do enjoy pork and beef dishes as much as you. During long days on the road, we ate at a LOT of Subways and other fastfood places. We grocery shopped from time to time too, but we've definitely had our fill of restaurants for a while.
The best culinary experience I had was in Winnipeg at White Tower Restaurant. It was a family-owned greek eatery and I dove into my adventurous side and tried "Mousaka." Can I get an O-PA?
Q11: Are you excited about going home tomorrow?
I'm SO looking forward to returning to the luxury of home-cooked meals, the convenience of free laundry, the comfort of my own bed, the laughs with my sisters, the days without long drives, the bonfires with my friends, and the atmosphere of my own house.
But at the same time,
I'm going to miss the deliciousness of restaurant dining, the adventures of coin laundries, the softness of pillows made-to-order, the jokes with my work siblings, the days of beautiful views out the truck window, the conversations with the people we've met along the way, and the look of the Showtruck venturing across Canada.
And now, too bed, for the final stretch starts at 6 a.m.
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