Hotdogger Blog

While in Missouri we decided to take the scenic kraut and drive to see the Lake of the Ozarks.  We almost froze our buns off and were very chili-dogs but we got to see a phenomenal view of the frozen lake!

Rachel Relish and I were in Seattle with the Wienermobile and had to take the ferry to Bainbridge Island!  The ferry ride to the Island was beautiful.  Seattle’s skyline was in the background with puffy Jumbo All Condensation clouds.  I was caught up in the atmosphere and Relish snapped a pic of me in a Titanic moment.  The only way to top off such a spectacular day would be with an eight pack of the finest Oscar Mayer hot dogs!

A-dog Alison and I had a bun-believeable time cruising through Nevada when we stumbled upon the bright lights and glitz of Las Vegas!  It was my first time in Vegas and I got to see it all from the driver’s seat of the Wienermobile.  Even in a town as colorful as Las Vegas, we definitely stood out and spread miles of smiles all along the strip!

As a Midwestern girl born and raised I’m used to cold and snowy winters. Travelling the Pacific Northwest has afforded me the opportunity to experience a different kind of winter. One without subzero temperatures and 3 feet of snow. Although this part of the country does get more wet and rainy weather we experienced a few beautiful days in Oregon. On our way to Seattle we decided to take advantage of the warm air and sunshine and made a detour to the Oregon Coast.

Our destination was the small town of Seaside, OR. While walking the streets and checking out the sights we discovered a kite shop. I picked out our lucky kite and headed for the beach. Chris and I had a BUNderful time flying our kite and wading in the water of the Pacific. If it was a few degrees warmer I may have even went for a swim.

While passing through South Dakota on our way to Montana, Cruisin’ Crystal and I were informed we had to stop at the Corn Palace. Now neither one of us knew what this was, or had we heard of it before, but we figured me might as well check it out. And if we weren’t already convinced to stop and see this palace, all of the billboards every couple miles for the hundred miles leading up to it were convincing enough. Once we pulled into Mitchell, South Dakota we followed the signs to the “World’s Only Corn Palace.” Surrounded by regular buildings and residential homes, the Corn Palace definitely was noticeable.

You may not be able to tell from the picture, so you should probably go visit Mitchell, SD, but everything on the outside is decorated with different parts of the corn stalk. After all the anticipation leading up to our visit, we didn’t even get to go inside because the palace was closed. We arrived twenty minutes too late, and it was closed for the day. So I checked out the website to find out what was inside. Maybe I’ll get to stop by the next time I’m swinging through the area so I can see for myself.

Took the scenic kraut, totally worth the pit stop.

On that particular day, Lil Links Laura, WEENR and I were the only living souls admiring the beautiful landscape in Utah. The deep canyons resonated with boisterous echoes when we honked WEENR’s horn and tooted on our Wiener Whistles.  I’m surprised we didn’t cause an avalanche.  Or at the very least, wake a hibernating creature.

Two humble survivors of Devils Canyon.

Despite the snow and mountainous terrain, I would say that the most chilling sight in Devils Canyon was a single dignified Joshua Tree, alone in the cold, isolated desert.  For years, I thought this particular species was a mere fable because I had never seen one in my 22 years.  Rumor has it, U2 even named their fifth studio album Joshua Tree because this particular species symbolizes the American Dream of independence, strength and integrity.  So imagine my bewilderment and incredulity upon finally seeing such a benevolent, meaningful specimen.  I’ve finally found what I’m looking for!

Like the Wienermobile, mythical Joshua Trees DO exist?!?!

A-Dog and I couldn’t have imagined spending the week before Christmas any other way: visiting five military bases in the greater Seattle area. From McCord and Ft. Louis up to Bremerton and Oak Harbor, we were honored to meet military families from around the region.

Although it was raining cats and hot dogs while we were visiting the Bangor Trident Base, we were still able to spread smiles to children and adults alike.

Not only were we presented with certificates of appreciation and United States Navy hats, but also U.S. Navy key chains, which we added to our WEENR keys. Thank you for a bunderful visit, and thank you for your service to our country!

One of the many, many perks of driving cross country in the Wienermobile is getting to see places you’ve never seen before. For instance, I haven’t really traveled much out West, so on my journey towards Montana I was taken back by the beauty of the wide open terrain of the West. Another breathtaking beauty I was able to see was Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota. Unfortunately most of the attractions were closed for the season, but we still got to drive up to memorial and walk around.

I’m still in awe as to how Gutzon Borglum and his crew were able to carve out such intricate details in the rocks and create this beautiful monument. I learned that the faces were created by using dynamite and blasting each face into an egg shaped formation. Then each face was carved by using a scaled model of the memorial, where the faces would be from those of a 465 foot tall man. Fun facts that I also learned about the memorial are that each face is the size of a six story tall building, it took 14 years to carve all of the faces, and the workers had to climb 506 steps daily to get to the top of Mount Rushmore to continue carving.

The Avenue of Flags leads from the concession building to a lookout terrace of the memorial. All fifty states and six territories have a flag represented in the Avenue of Flags. And each pillar that the flags are hanging from list the states and territories with their date of statehood on them. Walking through this and then looking out at Mount Rushmore is sure to increase anyone’s patriotism.

Avenue of the Flags

my home state

A-dog Alison and I got to take a tour of campus while at the University of Missouri and see the famous columns!  Good thing I’ve been jumbo-beefing up at the gym because I was able to lift all 6 of them.