Hotdogger Blog

While in Los Angeles, Maria and I took RELSHME to the hills of Griffith Park near the Hollywood sign and did some hiking. There are great views of the city and the famous Hollywood sign. Originally, the sign was for a neighborhood housing development called Hollywoodland. Eventually, the sign was shortened to what we know it as today.

Me and the Los Angeles skyline.

Upon entering Utah, license plates everywhere remind you to “Ski Utah!” Although both Maria and myself have gone skiing before, our skiing has been in the Midwest and East coast. Always looking to push our skills to the next level, we jumped on the opportunity to ski in Park City, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

We were thrilled to bring RELSHME to Deer Valley Resort and park our buns right out front! It was a perfect day for skiing right after a fresh snow storm.  The staff loved seeing the Wienermobile. We spent the entire day on the slopes and couldn’t get enough! I’ve never been to a park that offered such a wide array of runs and trails.

Meeps and I relishing the slopes and the incredible mountain views. We also found this to be a perfect opportunity to wear the beloved Wienermobile turtle neck shirts.

Every morning of a long drive, Maria and I load our things into the back of the Wienermobile and hit the highways. Maria also has a special area in the back closet for her shoe boxes.

West Texas is truly one of a kind. In all of my travels, this area seemed to have the most remote stretches between cities. It makes for a very unique drive of seemingly endless countryside; however, this drive does not provide too much to look at. For that reason, we were very surprised to see a Prada store right on the side of the road.

Maria made me pull over so she could get a closer look at what seemed like a mirage. There it was: an Italian designer shoe store right in the middle of Texas ranch territory.

The windows displayed real shoes and handbags.

Frankfully, the store was not a real Prada store, so we didn’t have to worry about finding more room for Maria’s shoe boxes. The truth behind this “store” is that it is not a store at all, but an art installation. The product inside is legitimate product sold under the brand in 2005. The front of the store is sealed and serves as a time capsule of sorts. Oddly enough, this is the only Prada store in the state of Texas.

Some ask how many miles Maria and I have traveled. We tend not to think of our adventure in miles, but how many great places our dusty old boots have touched. We’ve gone from the Pacific coast to the Gulf coast, from small towns to the big city lights, from Mountain peaks to the valleys, and everywhere in between. At the end of the day, I know there is only one steed Maria and I can trust as we ride into the desert sunset to our next adventure: RELSHME.

Maria and I have long considered ourselves just two cowboys roaming the wild west, on a simple quest to spread smiles. To truly get in touch with our herdsman roots, we had to saddle up and hit the wilderness.

RELSHME was able to stretch her legs out in the Arizona fresh air.

When we found M Diamond Ranch, we knew it was the perfect place to mosey on by and grab life by the reigns. The fine stallions at this ranch were ready to carry Maria and myself where we needed to go. With our guide, we went on an hour long trail ride through the beautiful Coconino National Forest outside of Sedona, AZ. My horse’s name, coincidentally, was Patty. We made a great duo: Picklin’ Pat and Patty: conquering the wilderness as one.

All in all, both of us enjoyed being able to give RELSHME a break for a while as we took the reigns of another type of transportation. We got to experience the area just like early settlers of the area: on the back of a horse. We were able to get a specific lay of the land that the Wienermobile couldn’t traverse. For this rugged terrain the horses at M Diamond Ranch were the perfect way to experience this scenic territory.

Franks for the great time, M Diamond Ranch!

Maria and I were driving RELSHME across Arizona on our way to Flagstaff when she spotted the sign for the Petrified Forest National Park over the dash dog. We both knew we had to immediately mustard up the courage to go in and check out one of our nation’s great National Parks. It turned out to be a great decision. Not only did we get to see one of the largest and most colorful collections of petrified wood, but we got to see the Painted Desert, and ancient Indian Petroglyphs.

Getting a view of the Painted Desert badlands.

When roaming the park, Maria and I each had the same question: What is petrified wood?

Frankfully, we had a brochure from the park that explained that a petrified tree is a tree where all if its organic material is replaced by minerals and thus, it turns from wood to stone. These didn’t decompose because they were initially buried under layers of sediment that lacked the oxygen needed to break down the organic matter. Water flowing through the area brought with it minerals that were deposited into the cells of the trees, eventually turning them into stone.

Looking at these stones up close, it is easy to tell that they were once trees years ago. FUN FACT: It takes less than 100 years to petrify a tree. These trees were alive about 200 – 250 million years ago when this desert landscape was lush with trees, plants, animal life, rivers, and streams!

We also saw ancient Petroglyphs made from Native Americans thousands of years ago at the park.

Glendale, AZ: Meep! Meep! Maria took on Mr. Peanut in a friendly corn hole competition. Mr. Peanut challenged Maria for parking lot dominance. On his side he had Kool Aid Man and the Oreo Man there to cheer him on. Although Mr. Peanut had skills, Maria was able to pull off the big win. Perhaps the monocle didn’t allow for the proper depth perception? Or perhaps the cane threw off his balance? Whatever the reason, Mr. Peanut accepted the loss with dignity and didn’t go nuts. He is one classy guy.

The form of a champion: Meeps tossing the game winning bag.

Strangely, this shadow Meep! Meep! Maria and I came across in the Arizona desert looked very similar to the Wienermobile.

I’ve always dreamed of going to a beach where vehicles can drive right up on the sand next to the waves. Frankfully, while visiting Padre Island National Seashore in Corpus Christi, TX I found such a place. It was awesome to drive RELSHME right onto the sand and get a bunz-eye view of the gulf.

RELSHME left the beach with a nice coating of sea spray and a great orange tan.

Whilst in Phoenix, Arizona, Meep! Meep! Maria and I decided to conquer Camelback Mountain. A 1.5 mile hike up the mountain leads to the summit where awesome views abound. It wasn’t always easy, but it was definitely worth it. I’d highly recommend a visit to any one traveling to the Phoenix area. It is free and is also a great way to enjoy the beautiful Arizona weather.

The trail started with stairs, but got harder as we climbed higher.

Maria and I doing our best Cactus impression on the way up.

We made it to the top: two mountaineering Hotdoggers enjoying the view.

Tatum, my partner throughout my first 6 months with the Wienermobilevehicle, WEENR, was present in the form of this street sign. Maria spotted it near Camelback Mountain, which you can see in the background.