Dallas Business Trip- Plant Tour

After being in the roofing industry for nearly four years, I finally got to attend a plant tour. Despite everyone saying it wasn't much to look forward to, I was super excited. 
 
Juaquin and I decided to eat breakfast at the hotel. By no means was this breakfast worth the $30 we spent, but there was something about their cheap pancakes that was incredibly tasty! Everything else was mediocre, but we still enjoyed ourselves. 
 

The plant tour was 45 miles away from the hotel, and we headed out at 10:15. After a few wrong turns, (blamed on iMaps) we finally arrived. We didn't quite know where to go, so I called Francisco to get instructions. He said to go past the guard station, but we found out shortly afterward he meant to drive past it on the road, not turn in and just pass it up. We somehow ended up on a trucking scale with an 18 wheeler. The speakers at the weighing stations were blaring for us to move. At the time it was purely embarrassing, but now I'm stifling a giggle. 


We toured the map plant first. It was mesmerizing to watch the little fibers turn into giant rolls. These giant rolls were then transported over to the shingle plant. We learned about how the granules are mixed, and then watched the asphalt coat the mat, get sprinkled with granules and then finally get cut into the shingles we see on the roof. My favorite part was probably watching the fresh batch of shingles get wrapped and then stacked by the automatic pallet stacker. It was definitely worth the trip!


After the nearly two hour experience, Juaquin and I talked about doing an escape room. On our drive back to the hotel, we looked up several, but couldn't find one that enticed us enough to overcome the desire to go back to the hotel room and just rest. 


At the hotel, I fervently searched for a restaurant to eat at that had a chocolate lava cake. I finally settled on Nick & Sam's. We arrived to find a modern elegant ambiance. The lighting was low, and the main source of glow came from the candles at the tables. The chandelier made me feel uncomfortable. Our waiter informed us that the restaurant doubled as an art gallery. Glancing around, Juaquin and I discussed the splatted paintings on the wall, and tried to guess their meaning


Despite my warning, Juaquin thought it would be fun to try the complimentary caviar. It took about two seconds for his face to grimace. We then discussed why people value such nasty food. The food was fantastic though. Juaquin got an aged strip steak, and we chose the two sides of creamed corn and potatoes au gratin. I had a caesar salad since I had my eye on the prize; chocolate lava cake! The steak had a unique charred flavor, that at first, I didn't like. However, it grew on me quickly and coupled with the potatoes au gratin.. tasty! 


Finally, the chocolate lava came out. The chocolate trickled down the sponge cake deliciously into the raspberry laced sauce. It was the perfect end to a wonderful day.