A-dog Alison and I climbed Mt. Bonnell in Austin, TX and found this amazing view!

While working at Kroger in the small town of Harriman, Tennessee, two sisters approached me with an absolutely delightful photo of their childhood:

Here is Donna and Debbie as young girls in front of the 1958 Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. I deciphered it was the ‘58 because of the phrase ”All Meat Wieners.” The sisters have held onto this photo for over forty years because of how it reminds them of their love of the 27-foot-long hot dog. When they saw the posting on Kroger’s door that we were coming, they took it out of safekeeping and brought it to our event.

I had Debbie and Donna stand in front of YUMMY to recreate the moment, and what a mighty fine moment it was:

I did miss one little detail! They’re on the wrong side for the photo. But that’s okay! It adds character and creates a new memory. In the new photo, Debbie is on the left and Donna is on the right. In the vintage photo, they’ve switched places.

I hope all readers use these women as an example to share all of your wacky, wonderful stories and encounters with the Wienermobile when you see us on the hot dog highways!

. . . at the Petrified Forest National Park in AZ!

Standing petrified outside the park

But then I realized it was just mother nature showing off! Check out some of the incredible sights of the “painted desert”!

RELSHME and the painted desert

 Covering over 200,000 acres, the Petrified Forest National Park provides miles of hiking trails, petrified trees, and breath-taking views.

Jumping for Joy in the Southwest!

The chance to see such wild and unique landscapes is exactly why I wanted to be a Hotdogger!

One of the great rewards of hotdogging is that oftentimes when you’re visiting a cool city, people like to come visit you. That was the case with my family when I was in Las Vegas – since my Dad had raised us on Elvis, we knew we had to reunite in the bright light city!

The fam and the sphinx!

We got to see some shows, ride roller coasters, and cruise down the Strip in the Wienermobile! One day, we even went to Red Rock state park to see some bunderful Southwestern scenery!

Sibling high-five!

This family reunion is going to be tough to top!

You may have thought the title was a typo, but it’s purposeful.

Durham, North Carolina is home to many wonderful things. Full of culture, museums, and top tier colleges, it’s also home to a place where people hold onto to hope. That place is the Ronald McDonald House of Durham.

A Ronald McDonald House is a place of residence where the parents of children that are being administered treatment can stay at night for reduced or no cost. When medical bills are quick to pile up in this day and age, it’s a charity that is extremely beneficial for loved ones wanting to stay close by.

Atta-Dog Adam and I loaded up on Wiener Whistles and stickers and set out to make every family we came across in the house smile. Residents ventured out excited upon us arriving. I guess it isn’t hard to miss a giant hot dog that plays a jingle for a horn.

Director David Knobeloch greeted us with a sense of warmness that you could only have if you truly loved your job and cared about the people you were working for. As he was giving us a tour of the facilities, I paused in the playroom when I noticed a similarity:

Do you see something the Wienermobile and the playroom share in common? Perhaps one sky-covered ceiling?

Us Hotdoggers’ are always looking for ways to learn about a way to participate in helping a cause. David shared that what sets this Ronald McDonald House apart is the way they turn trash into treasure–or, in this case, money.

Over $23,000 was raised last year by collecting the little tabs you pull to open soda, soup or other aluminum cans. The funds generated from recycling these aluminum gems help offset the House’s expenses. Talk about making something out of nothing!

We’ve included a paper house on our Hotdogging table just in case anyone with a tab nearby can ‘pop’ in some much needed help.

Thanks to David and all the families we were fortunate enough to ‘meat’! We’ll wear our t-shirts with pride.

Let me sum up my adventure for you in photographs:

Visited Pike Place Market

Took the ferry across the Puget Sound

Went up in the Space Needle

Ate some amazing seafood

It was a lot to cram in to 40 hours, so I really did feel like I was sleepless in Seattle. But it was a great trip and definitely worth every minute of it. I can’t wait to “ketchup” with Rachel Relish and C. Melton Cheddar soon!

While we can’t have a dog while traveling across the country in the Wienermobile, Hotdoggers seem to have a special affinity for our four legged friends.  On our day off I decided to take WEENR to the dog park,  apparently dogs share the same affection for hotdoggers- these two might be our biggest fans!

At Oscar Mayer, heritage is important to us. When we began our wonderful, yet intense week of learning at Hot Dog High, I was exposed to the rich family history of the organization that involves much more than just a name.

Cut to ten months later: Atta-Dog Adam and I were rolling the streets of Savannah when we came across a woman with quite a story to share: Oscar G. Mayer (grandson of our founding father Oscar F. Mayer), was her father-in-law. Her husband is Donald Mayer, the second son of Oscar G. Mayer who, when he was President, had great influence in the expansion of the company and greatly shaped the values upon which the company became successful.. Sandy Mayer, considering us members of her extended family, invited us over for a wonderful home cooked dinner with her husband.

We were regaled with stories of the evolution of the Wienermobile, about “Uncle” Carl Mayer and his vision of pre-sliced bacon and modern America. After we had finished savoring the flavorful meal (it’s apparent cooking comes in the family blood), we were taken down memory lane, seeing photos and articles that have appeared over the 125+ years of good food and family.

This is the Mayer’s first share of stock they owned. I offered them ten dollars for the one share, but they decided it’s priceless to them :

It’s comforting thought to know the family company you work for was built on hard work, faith in their product, and the idea that everyone deserves a little bite of happiness.

As Hotdoggers, we commit for an entire year to cruise across the hot dog highways spread miles of smiles, make the magic happen everywhere we go with the Wienermobile and many more great things. One other part of our job is to make history. We are historical makers!

Doggone Dave and I, were on our way to Las Vegas and decided to take a couple minutes to admire the landscape, take some pictures and keep making history! As we walked back where we parked the Wienermobile, people surrounded the Wienermobile to look at it and snap a picture. What a great feeling to put a smile on their faces!

To celebrate his 24th birthday, I took Chris to one of Boise’s most famed establishments, Big Jud’s, to conquer the 1lb burger. It was a mammoth sized portion but oh so deliciouse. We are used to driving an over-sized hot dog! Together we couldn’t finish the burger, but it was a meal fit for a birthday king.

Look at that thing…it’s the size of his head!