Hotdogger Blog

Being a Hotdogger presents us with several rare or unique opportunities.  We find ourselves traveling through big cities and small towns alike.  While cruising through the northeast in a widely rural area, Tera Louise with Cheese and I discovered a hidden gem located a few miles off the highway.

At first glance, this may look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill gas station, but upon closer inspection, we were caught by surprise with what we found next.

All of the gas pumps were the old-fashioned rotary style which didn’t even have a place to swipe a credit card.  It was interesting to see and experience what gas stations were like back in the day as neither Tera nor I ever expected to come across a place like this.  One thing is for sure, WNR MBLE certainly got its fill from this blast of the past.

Greetings from Acadia National Park!  Tera Louise with Cheese and I had the opportunity to venture up to Maine and explore some of the breath-taking scenery the park had to offer.  We took WNR MBLE up Cadillac Mountain which is the highest point along the North Atlantic Seaboard at 1,532 feet above sea level and provides spectacular panoramic views of Acadia National Park and other surrounding islands.

At the peak of Cadillac Mountain, we came across some heavy fog, so it was difficult to see far off into the distance, but that didn’t stop us from taking in the mountain air and exploring everything the paths and views had to offer.

Tera and I also took the opportunity to venture up Beehive Trail, one of the steepest hikes the park had to offer.  From this peak, we saw a variety of different terrain and landscapes from Sand Beach to Desert Island, as well as various other mountains in the distance.

This was certainly a fun adventure and I’m glad we had the chance to experience the beautiful landscape Acadia National Park had to offer.

While on the road, we are always looking for new activities for people to partake in while visiting the Wienermobile.  Tera Louise with Cheese and I decided that everyone loves coloring, so why not let people express their artistic abilities with sidewalk chalk.  Even I got in on the action.

Several children and adults alike made their own additions to the sidewalk mural.  There were cartoons, fun shapes, and even the Oscar Mayer WIENERMOBILE that were drawn. Ellizanna from Parkersburg, West Virginia, was just one of many who contributed their artistic abilities by drawing some of her favorite cartoon characters, Phineas and Ferb.

Coloring with the sidewalk chalk provided a franktastic opportunity to have buns of fun under the sun for everyone.

While touring Buffalo, NY, Tera Louise with Cheese and I decided to make a trip to Niagara Falls.

After parking our buns, Tera and I walked to the observation deck where we could overlook the falls and see the United States/Canada border.  Even though we became chili dogs atop the waterfall, it was still an amazing experience seeing the world famous Niagara Falls.

Even the Wienermobile wanted to experience the famous falls.

Parked atop Niagra Falls on the bridge leading to Goat Island.

Blending in to he Philadelphia skyline.

Well, that may have been an easy find in the city.  Maybe a different type of landscape… Here’s the vehicle hiding in the terrain at Tablerock in Boise, ID.

(Photo courtesy of Smiley Kylie)

Even from afar, way off in the distance, the brightness of the Wienermobile can be seen.  And now for the real challenge! Try to find the Wienermobile from atop the Washington Monument at the National Mall in D.C.  The answer is below:

Hiding at the National Mall in Washington, DC

 Keep looking. Have you found it yet?

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ANSWER!

Thanks for playing “I Spy” the Wienermobile!

Any boy growing up who participates in Boy Scouts knows exactly what the Pinewood Derby is.  While in the greater Baltimore, MD area, a current Scout, Joeseph (10), brought a derby car that his older brother Peter made in 1998.  However, this was no ordinary Pinewood Derby race car.  While trying to determine a model that was aerodognamic and could really haul buns down the track, they decided to model their car after the Oscar Mayer WIENERMOBILE. 

When telling us about the adventures and races with their Wienermobile-shaped derby car, Joeseph told us that they have never lost a race with this unique piece of Wienermobilia that they created.  The detail put into making this Pinewood Derby race car is truly phenomenal. 

While traveling through the northeast region, Tera Louise with Cheese and I were fortunate enough to work around Washington, D.C.  While there, I toured the National Mall and saw several other monuments, museums, and memorials.  However, the Wienermobile couldn’t be left out of these adventures.  First on our list of sightseeing was the Washington Monument.

The world's largest hot dog on wheels sizes up the world's largest obelisk

The Washington Monument, which stands near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is the world’s tallest obelisk, standing at 555 feet 5 1/8 inches.  This is the equivalent of almost 20 Wienermobile vehicles stacked end to end!  The construction of the monument started in 1848 and was completed in 1884. The next photo-op for WNR MBLE came in front of the United States Capitol building. 

After posing in front of the capitol, we ventured on to the Smithsonian Castle and a few other famous Washington, D.C. areas. The Wienermobile was glad to join us on a tour of D.C. as can be seen by the continuous smile on the front grill.  It truly was a great experience for all of us.

During the weeks leading up to Saint Patrick’s Day, Tera Louise with Cheese and I set out to discover what made visitors to the Wienermobile a lucky dog.  We asked them to pick something about them that is special…something unique… something that makes them feel lucky.  The responses were written on shamrocks and posted on our boards for everyone to see.

Here are just some of the responses that visitors posted to our board.

We were lucky to have some of the Kraft mascots pose with all the "Lucky Dog" responses.

We were glad to have so many people willing to share what makes them lucky. Responses ranged from having a loving family and friends to possessing some type of talent they were thankful for.  Everyone has their own unique stories and special gifts in their life.  So, we’re curious…what makes you a lucky dog?

Throughout the past several years, the Wienermobile has had the opportunity to travel to several countries all over the globe and while it appears as if Smiley Kylie and I had the chance to voyage over the Atlantic to visit the Parthenon in Greece, don’t let these photos deceive you.  However, we did find an exact replica of the Parthenon located in Nashville, Tennessee.  This structure was first completed in 1931, only 5 years before the first Wienermobile. 

From a distance, the Parthenon may not look all that big, but don’t be fooled, OUR DOG didn’t quite size up to this landmark.  It would take almost 6 Wienermobile vehicles stacked on top  of each other to exceed the size of the Parthenon.

The Wienermobile has been invited to several car shows in it’s day and is often a people’s favorite.  At this particular car show in Florida, YUMMY sized up the competition and came away with its very own ribbon. 

 In addition to all the muscle hot rods and sports cars, there were also several classic vehicles such as the Model A .  It was neat to see such a wide variety of interesting cars and witness the love and care the owners had for their cars, especially since we, as Hotdoggers, often develop a special bond with the Wienermobile.