Because we live on the road, it’s easy to keep tabs on travel fads.  The yummiest hotel trend we’ve noticed lately?  Freshly baked cookies.

A Fairfield Inn we visited in Tulsa, OK greeted us each afternoon with a cookie counter – one tray each of chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar and peanut butter cookies.  Staybridge Suites feature warm, gooey chocolate chip treats during its weekday Sundowner receptions.  And a Hampton Inn in Columbia, MO set out a basket of chewy chocolate chip cookies each workday afternoon.

Is this just a simple welcoming gesture?  Are cookies supposed to make us think of mom and after-school snacks?  We don’t really care.  Our only question is…how do we eat just one?

Sioux Falls, South Dakota was our first experience with snow and YUMMY. This got us, and many of our visitors, in the mood for the Holidogs! The people of Sioux Falls were generous and donated 153 toys to our Toys for Tots collection – enough to fill most of our Wienermobile. Their donations will make many children happy this season, after all, spreading smiles is what we do best!

After getting help washing the Wienermobile, the firemen insisted that I try out the engine, to see which was cooler to drive.  The Wienermobile won.  Hands down.

Haley, Jonathan and Jon in the Wienermobile

In Charleston, South Carolina, we met Jon and Matt, two Air Force Pilots.  Jon’s only request when he came home from overseas was to have an Oscar Mayer hot dog as his first meal!  To show our appreciation for what he does for our country, we decided to hand deliver an assortment of Oscar Mayer hot dogs for him to barbecue.  We spent the day with his family and friends and gave rides around town to everyone.  Jon, his wife Haley, and their son Jonathan especially loved watching people’s reactions as we drove down their neighborhood streets in the Wienermobile.  Maybe next time he will give us a ride in his plane!

During our time with the Mini Team, the girls and I got to visit Lake George, New York.  There, we found possibly the most magical place in the world–The Magic Forrest! A few of the highlights of this magical wonderland were a giant Uncle Sam statue, what I believed to be the realSanta Clause, a ferris wheel, a carousel, a potato sack slide, the scariest rollercoaster we had ever ridden, and an entire section of the park devoted to every fairy tale ever written!  As drivers of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, Meaty Magaly, Bunderful Beth, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the hot dog inspired displays (and who wouldn’t?) We even invested in some awesome hot dog hats that made everyone else in the park super jealous!  This was definitely one of the more random and interesting days on the road!

Sometimes, we’re lucky enough to roll into our hometowns with the Wienermobile. I was lucky enough to cruise into Des Plaines, IL with two Wienermobile vehicles: Oh I Wish and Big Bun.

En route to Wisconsin for our staff meeting in October, the East team met up with Selena and I at my family’s house outside of Chicago. Luckily, we had room for both vehicles in our long driveway!

Sweet home Chicago! It's two giant hot dogs!

 This premium all beef cow looks scared.  With good reason.

 When the Wienermobile goes to Las Vegas they always roll out the red carpet.

KEENE, NH-Big Bun has been able to see quite a bit of the country, particularly the eastern United States. Throughout our time in the area we have been met with smiles, excitement, and joy. However, it is very rare that we are met with a surprise welcoming committee. That ended up being the case while we were headed through the Granite state, New Hampshire. We pulled in after a gorgeous drive through Vermont and into Keene, NH to a hotel parking lot like many we have seen before. We checked into our rooms just as we have many other times before. Then something a little out of the ordinary occurred. The hotel manager informed us that the grill was just about to get started and everyone is going to be there in a couple of hours. We had time to freshen up, so to speak, and got back to the parking lot. Within no time at all, the parking lot was packed with the great people of Keene, NH anxious to meet Top Dog, Mr. Beeftastic, and most importantly, Big Bun. We had found out later on during the BBQ that this had all been organized and put in the local newspaper. The franks sizzled and the conversation was supurb–another great edition to the coast-to-coast weenie roast!

P.S. After much thought and second-party discussion, I have decided that this title is indeed funny.

Chip is a huge Oscar Mayer Wienermobile fan! Johnny Salami and I (Hammi Sammi) had the privilege of driving Chip and his new bride Angela from their wedding to their wedding reception.  Along the way we sang the jingle and even stopped at a hot dog stand!  Chip even had a surprise for us Hotdoggers; he gave us Wienerwhistles from the 80s!