HOUSING REQUIREMENTS

Through trial and error, we have developed a list of special needs to help match potential housing volunteers and our team.

• Full use of a kitchen during the day.    Although we travel with a full size freezer, grill, pots, utensils,  plates, chairs, and cutlery, meal preparation requires the use of a  kitchen, sink, stove, and refrigerator during the day to create our  magic. 

• Use of an outlet for our freezer and refrigerator.   In our truck, we carry frozen meats and seafood in a freezer, and cold  foods in a full-size refrigerator.  The ability to plug our extension  cords in outlets while visiting our host homes allows us to keep our  food frozen and safe.

• Access to a washer and dryer.   Each rider sports a Team Cuisine jersey.  Since customized jerseys are  pricey, we each purchase one shirt and deeply appreciate the ability to  wash and dry a few loads of laundry each day.  We travel with soap,  assign someone to laundry duty, and respect the house rules for using  the washer and dryer.

• Inside sleeping accommodations if possible.   After kitchen duty and extreme weather, most of us are eternally  grateful to sleep on any available stretch of floor space in the house  or basement.  Some team members enjoy the privacy of their tents in the  yard.  We are not demanding, and have improvised by sleeping under pool  tables, in wine cellars, on cement floors, in garages, and around an  indoor pool.  Our previously infamous and most powerful snorer now  travels with a machine that silences his snoring and requires an outlet  while he sleeps.  If a bed is available, we accommodate our chef in a  bed.

• Showers.   Our riders typically arrive at the house between 2-6:00 p.m., depending  on the difficulty of the day’s ride and total towns on the route.  We  maintain a shower list to keep the shower line moving and appreciate a  second shower if available.  We are happy to exchange a gourmet dinner  for the use of a neighbor’s shower or floor space for sleeping. We  travel with our shower soap and towels.

• Space to park a truck and a car.  Our support vehicles usually include a large rental truck and one car.