It’s been a busy couple of weeks as the team zipped through Oregon, to Washington, then Idaho…no wait, back to Washington…noo Idaho it is…actually, back to Washington…Ok ,Oregon, they are going to Oregon…no, time to go back to Idaho! This week, the team had a heck of a time trying to figure out what state to stay in! It’s safe to say they all improved their juggling skills while they strategized events between the three bordering states!
Monday morning, the group departed from their home state (for the third time) and headed for Seattle, Washington. The beautifully sunny day was the perfect set up for Ellis and Kaiti to explore and take in the busy streets of downtown Seattle! They filled up on mouthwatering fruit from Pike Place Market and had to keep their wits about them in order to avoid the flying fish throughout the market! It wouldn’t be a true costal visit without a filling bowl of clam chowder on the pier! Ellis enviously eyed Kaiti’s sourdough bread bowl that over flowed with the creamy chowder as he ate from his ordinary paper bowl. Next time he will hopefully trust Kaiti’s tasteful pallet and follow her lead when ordering food.
Although the giant spud was going head to head with the countries second ranked potato producing state, QFC and Haggen NW Fresh proved to be two wonderfully successful events, Tuesday afternoon. The team was humbled to hear many potato lovers state, “The potatoes here (WA) don’t compare to Idaho’s!” Who wouldn’t feel a tinge of triumph knowing they maintain a loyal fan base from a competing area?! 🙂
Alright, back to Oregon! The team packed up and hit the road Wednesday morning for an event at Fred Meyer in Portland, Oregon! It was a busy event with many admirers (a couple that even stuck around the entire event)! No fan left empty handed as the team was sure to fill them up with postcards, potato pins, and even free packages of Idahoan mashed potatoes! Mother Nature blessed the trio with yet another stunning day! After the event, Kait and Ellis hopped on the metro and zipped into the heart of Portland! While taking the city on by foot, the two stopped by a famous Oregon doughnut joint, Voodoo Doughnuts! The bakery is known for its very unique doughnut flavors and designs. Ellis man-handled his chocolate frosted doughnut, topped with Oreo cookies and peanut butter drizzle, while Kaiti daintily ate her chocolate frosted one with raspberry filling. Oh, and it was in the shape of a of a voodoo doll! Hopefully no one was hurt while she consumed the sweet treat. After dessert, the two hit up the food truck park for dinner! You don’t think those two eat too much, do you? 😉
Thursday morning came all too soon and it was time to head back to Idaho! With Portland to Shelley being a very ambitious trip, the team stopped in Boise after eight hours of being on the road to call it a day. The Tater Team picked up where they left off Friday morning and continued on their path to Shelley!
Saturday was a day for the age books! Shelley Spud Day had the whole town in an excited frenzy! Well, considering over 10,000 people were expected to show, I’d say it was a little more than just the town. It was a celebration to kick off the potato harvesting season for the great state of Idaho. The big potato truck felt right at home as it spent the day surrounded by thousands of potato sculptures, costumes, and loving fans! The morning was kicked off with a two hour parade with the potato truck in the lead! Kaiti, Ellis, and Ms. Idaho rode the spud all the way down the two mile stretch. Kaiti was ecstatic when generous kids along the route began throwing candy to her. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?? Either way, Kaiti got lots of sugar treats to munch on!
A few hours after the parade, the Tater Team was focusing on their next challenge; the Spud-Tug! A tug-of-war tournament straddling a jumbo pit of creamy mashed potatoes! The team consisted of Kaiti, Ellis, Adam, Natasha (both friends of Ellis), with Paul as the anchor, and Ms. Idaho as the lead! Wanting the competition to recognize the team meant business, they dressed their faces in the most intimidating fashion they could; war paint! The whole team was pumped with adrenaline and stoked to get in the ring. Finally, the Tater Team was called to face their first opponents. The five husky firemen that they prepared to face off didn’t realize that they would soon be pulled into the pit of spuds! Victory! One minute later, the team was up again. After an unusually long and grueling battle, they pulled out another win! The team got one more minute to regroup before they were up yet again. The six were winded as they picked up the thick rope once again with shakey legs and weak forearms. They pulled together all the strength they could muster and battled one last time. The Tater Team put up a long and merciless battle against their six male opponents only to get yanked head first into the pit of mush!! The Tater Team pulled out third place out of sixteen. Though, in their hearts, they placed a solid first!
Now the tour is headed back to Boise for a two week break!! The three are all stoked to get some relaxation from a life on the road. They plan on spending the two weeks with family, visiting loved ones, and playing a lot of “catch-up”. The truck hits the road once again October 1st! Mark your calenders because the team with be well rested and eager to take on the road once again for even more epic adventures!
