Traveling cross-country has really beefed up my desire to see more of the world. When I had some off time, I went to England to ketchup with a friend. English winters are famous for their rain, mist, and fog. To keep warm and dry, I took my super comfortable and durable Hotdogger jacket with me.

The adorable Wienermobile patch started up some franktastic conversations. From Oxford to Plymouth to London, people are just as fascinated and amused by a giant hot dog on wheels as those of us across the pond in the United States. As I was introduced to my friend’s relatives and classmates, everyone was curious and asked buns of the quintessential questions. Is it fun to drive?  What’s on the inside? Is it the best job ever? (Answers: Yes; Beautifully blue skies, the biggest squirt of mustard ever, meat belts, and a hot dog bun box; and an enthusiastic YES!). I loved telling people all about the Wienermobile condiments, and in return, learned some fun facts.

In Plymouth, we ferried over to Cornwall, the peninsular tip of Great Britain with a meaty culinary heritage. Hot dogs are an American staple, and its Cornish equivalent would be the pasty (a savory pastry with meat and vegetables). As we think about the infinite combinations of hot dog toppings, there are also infinite combinations of pasty fillings. Instead of ketchup, mustard, and relish, the three big fillings of pasties are beef, onion, and potato.

During our trip to London, we toured the Transport Museum to learn about London’s version of a tubesteak taxi…the historical Underground, which is nicknamed the Tube. Founded in 1863 (twenty years before the founding of Oscar Mayer in 1883), the Tube is the world’s oldest underground railway. I rode the Tube multiple times and loved the convenience of getting around the city easily, but I definitely missed the comfort of the Wienermobile vehicle’s ketchup and mustard seats. Plus, no riding shotbun? After meating buns of new people and swapping travel stories, my trip to England helped me appreciate being a Hotdogger even more. No matter where I go, I’ll always be spreading some miles of smiles and Wienermobile magic!

Who doesn’t love a canine in costume and why wait until Halloweenie?

These cuddly hot dogs come with all the condiments.  The cuteness brings miles of smiles no matter what time of year it is.

Tera Louise with Cheese gives Roxie and her adorable buns some love.

This chi-weenie pup can't wait to ketchup with us.

Collections come in all sizes, some small and some large. Sometimes, just one treasured object is all someone needs. Jerry, a longtime Reno resident and favorite postman, has kept his original Wiener Whistle since 1955. The very first Wiener Whistle was invented in 1951 and became an iconic symbol of American pop culture. Jerry held on to this piece of his childhood.   Hearing that the Wienermobile was in town, Jerry made sure his whistle was tucked into his mailbag. He told us that he hasn’t seen the Wienermobile since he was little, but always looks at his whistle to remember his original experience. He smiled fondly as he showed us his treasure.

If you’ll notice, the 1955 Wiener Whistles doesn’t have the bun and wheels like they do today!

One of the nicest men we’ve ever met, Jerry told us all about places to go and things to see in Reno. Of course, we added a new 2010 Wiener Whistle and special glow-in-the-dark whistle to his now growing collection.

To bring a little bit of home with us on our travels, Tera Louise with Cheese and I both brought furry friends from childhood. She has Muttsy, a sweet and sleepy pup, and I have Cookie, a perky smiling bear.

We grew up with these stuffed animals and even brought them with us to college…so of course, they’re here to cruise the hot dog highways with us.

Safely buckled by their meat belts, Cookie and Muttsy check out the scenic krauts from the ketchup and mustard colored seats.

Along our travels, we gradually found more animals to fill our seats.  Meat Bat Damon. He’s a curious, sassy hot pink bat with bulging eyes. I conquered a claw machine and won this little guy right before Halloweenie.

He even made it with me as I braved rainy weather to the Potterific opening of Seattle’s Harry Potter exhibition at the Science Center.

Finally, I picked up our newest addition to the Wienermobile in Yakima, Washington. Bucey, a pink and purple plush unicorn!

He now keeps us company as our co-navigator in the shotbun seat.

With these guys, it makes being on the road feel a lot more like home.

Seattle is one of the Wienermobile vehicle’s many stops in the Pacific Northwest. The brief appearance of this gargantuan hot dog adds to the city’s already incredibly unique backdrop.

Seattle is home to some bunderful architecture.

At 605 feet tall, the Space Needle is the highest building west of the Mississippi River. That’s almost 22.5 Wienermobile vehicles!

The Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum (EMPISFM) is an interesting sheet-metal structure designed by the famous Frank Gehry. Located on the Seattle Center campus near the Space Needle, this textured building is a colorful blend of gold and silver, reds, purples, and blues. Despite debate over the building’s aesthetics, this museum houses a variety of pop culture history…including the world’s largest Jimi Hendrix memorabilia collection.

The Seattle Central Library is an 11-story glass and steel building that measures 185 feet (or 411 hot dogs high). The library can hold about 1.45 million books…now that’s a bun of books.

One of my favorite things about the holidogs is snow. Tera Louise with Cheese and I got a chance to play in beautiful white, fresh snow when we visited Crater Lake National Park near Klamath Falls, Oregon. On our drive up the mountain, we watched the scenery transform from the autumnal browns to wintry white.

As the the world’s third deepest lake, Crater Lake is 2,148 feet deep…that’s almost 80 Wienermobile vehicles! The lake is what is known as a caldera lake, which means it was formed when land collapsed after a volcanic eruption. The lake is around 7,700 years old…definitely way older than the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, which is nearing its 75th birthday.

After taking photos of this natural beauty, we made snow angels on the mountain overlooking the famous crystal blue lake.

As far as franktastic rides go, it’s hard to top the Wienermobile. However, other than the typical boats, planes, and trains, there are some other unique ways to get around. Until I can afford a Lamborghweenie, here are some of my favorite ways to travel:

5. Bike – This is an old, tried and true favorite from when I was little. As far as adventures go, nothing beats the breeze in my hair as I pedal my way across countrysides and cityscapes. Northwest cities are biker friendly with designated bike lanes and trails throughout all parts of the city.  Those who want a little bit more oomph and pedal power, many city bike rentals offer tandems and electric bikes!

We took a bike across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco to Sausalito.

4. Roller Skates – My personal eight-wheeler!

I love the orange wheels, because they remind me of IWSHIWR’s bright hues.

3. Radio Flyer Wagon – After driving the Wienermobile, I want a vehicle of epic proportions. This giant Radio Flyer Wagon is stationed in Spokane, Washington’s Riverside Park. Designed by artist Ken Speiring, the wagon is almost the same dog-mensions as the Wienermobile.

It is 27 feet long and 12 feet high. However, it doesn’t really go anywhere, but if it could, it can carry up to 300 people.

2. Trolley – Historic cable cars are not only a nostalgic piece of San Francisco history, but also an easier way to manage the city’s hills.

Hold on tight! These manually operated vehicles have been around since 1873, and their drivers are known as the gripman!

1. Side car – This mini-side car feels like riding in a flashy red convertible that I don’t have to drive. I get to sit back, relax, and play sidekick when cruising the hot dog high ways.

Other than a shotbun ride in the Wienermobile, what are your favorite ways to cruise around?

In beautiful Boise, Idaho, we had special Wienermobile parking at the Hillcrest Country Club for the PGA’s Albertson’s Boise Open. At the Wienermobile, we had our own version of the PGA: a par one course where people could putt for a chance to win a prize.

Buns of kids were super excited to play golf at the Wienermobile. With a slight uphill slope on bumpy terrain, our greens proved to be a challenge people couldn’t wait to take on.

With only six Wienermobile vehicles traveling the United States, you’re a lucky dog when you spot the Wienermobile on the hot dog highways. We parked our buns in Spokane, Washington to visit its historical Centennial Walk. Can you spot the Wienermobile?

There's IWSHIWR up on the hill!

The Centennial Walk takes you right through Riverfront Park as well as the Spokane Falls, a series of waterfalls and dams in the downtown area.

People can ride the small purple cable cars to get a better view of the dam. Now that's a cute way to travel too!

Above, you can see the Lower Falls, also known as the Monroe Street Dam. It was built in 1890 (older than the first Wienermobile!) and is the longest running hydroelectric generation facility in Washington. The dam’s turbine can produce over 14 megawatts of energy!

We visited beautiful Multonomah Falls near Portland, Oregon for a morning hike. When we pulled the Wienermobile up into the state park, we became the next big tourist attraction!

These are the tallest falls in Oregon. The upper falls and lower falls combined are 611 feet…or 22 and a half Wienermobile vehicles! Now that’s buns and buns of water.

The bottom half of the waterfall!

You can see the Benson Footbridge, a 45-foot long bridge named after its builder. The Wienermobile and the mini Wienermobile could fit comfortably across this bridge.