Hotdogger Blog

For this past Valentine’s Day, Dylicious and I asked, “What is it that links hot dog lovers together?” It turns out the answer was simple, the Wienermobile. Well it’s probably obvious how much the Hotdoggers love the Wienermobile as we have been writing about and taking pictures of it since we found out we were the lucky dogs that get to drive it. But, what about our visitors? We asked the people of Martinez, California to write down what they loved about the Wienermobile and Oscar Mayer and then linked their answers together as a symbolic gesture to link strangers together by their love of hot dogs.

Our franktastic fans could also sign our guestbook to show other visitors just how many smiles are actually spread across the country.

The little links were then hung in the Wienermobile as part of our Valentine’s Day decor. Young or old, west coast or east coast, we are all brought together by our love of this iconic piece of American culture.

Dear Wienermobile, Roses are red. Violets are blue. We all love hot dogs, but we especially love you!

Many people often wonder what it would be like to ride on top of the Wienermobile in parade. Well, I consider myself a pretty lucky dog to be able to say that I have. The seat is comfortable, the ride is smooth, and the view is bunderful.  It’s nice to see the world from a new perspective, and this is one scene I’ll never get tired of.

Hot dogs are synonymous with baseball, the Fourth of July, and weekend cook-outs on a hot, sunny day. Not surprisingly, the summer season sees Oscar Mayer hot dogs fly off of the shelves.

Well, it’s December and the Midwest team is layering up, tying up our boots, and wrapping ourselves up like pigs in a blanket. We may be chili dogs, but nothing is going to stop these Hotdoggers from what we set out to do — spread miles of smiles on our coast-to-coast wiener roast.

Being a native Texan, I don’t typically experience “winter” weather or any weather below 40 degrees until around January or February, but I’m learning a few winter tips from my New York co-pilot, Beefy Brian. We break out all of the tricks (including hand warmers) to keep warm and toasty; after all, no one likes frozen buns. I think I’m adapting fairly well to this new environment; you can hardly tell I’m freezing in the picture below!

Hotdogger days usually consist of following our trusty GPS to our destinations, parking our buns, and spreading miles of smiles. Our day at Pierce’s Grocery store was anything but ordinary. We were visited by some very enthusiastic Wienermobile fans that could hardly contain their love for YUMMY. After eating a delicious lunch of Oscar Mayer hot dogs and coloring pictures of the Wienermobile they burst into song! Beefy Brian and I were so happy to meat the future Oscar Mayer wieners of America!

As the days get colder, there’s nothing quite like firing up the grill and hearing Oscar Mayer hot dogs sizzle. Beefy Brian and I experienced this first hand at the Fort Knox commissary in Kentucky while standing outside serving up hot dogs and smiles. Our noses may have been cold, but we could still smell the savory scent of hot dogs charring on the big red grill inviting us to grab a bun and take a bite!

One Wienermobile, millions of smiles, and hundreds of cities equals one amazing year for Hotdoggers. I’ve been lucky enough to share the first six months of my adventure on wheels in the Midwest with my franktastic co-pilot Beefy Brian. We’ve shared laughs, smiles, bunderful food, and amazing stories. From 100 degree weather to below freezing, corn fields to winding roads, great plains to rolling hills, New York to Minnesota, Kentucky to Nebraska and everywhere in between, this dynamic duo has seen quite a lot. Frankly, it’s been buns of fun.

We started out Midwestern journey in Wisconsin and headed east to Beefy’s home state of New York. It was my first time to the state so we thought we’d put on our tourist hats and visit Niagra Falls. We threw on our ponchos and boarded the Maid of the Mist. There were no soggy buns for these two Hotdoggers!

From there we headed Detroit the, Motor City, to see the 1952 Wienermobile  in all of it’s hot dog glory. It was nice to see the history of the iconic vehicle and the road to it’s position in American history and pop culture. It may be 59 years old, but the buns still sparkled like it came out of the shop yesterday.

Sometimes we took the job a little too seriously… 

We did our part to help end hunger in by participating in the Share Your Holidays telethon to benefit Second Harvest of Southeastern Wisconsin. Beefy and I had a santariffic time!

It’s been a fun ride with Beefy and I’ll never forget all of the incredible adventures we had. Though we’ll be on complete opposite sides of the country in one month, we’ll always have those great Midwest memories.

Beefy Brian and I love the holidays so we jump at any chance to showcase our spirit. Beefy put his light-hanging skills to good use and I cut out some snowflakes to hang from the ceiling. After careful planning and snowflake designing, YUMMY was transformed into a franktastic Winter Bunderland. And though the weather is getting colder, the Wienermobile gets warmer and cozier.

Oh I Wish I was an Oscar Mayer Wiener...

They say to never let a job become who you are; I guess Beefy Brian and I missed the memo, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Apparently if you are an Oscar Mayer Wiener, everyone is in love with you.

It is turkey dog season and this Hotdogger has a lot to be frankful for this fall. I am one of the lucky dogs that gets to travel the country in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, and the people I’ve met on the road have made foreign places feel like home. And, I couldn’t do it without Beefy Brian, my franktastic co-pilot. We hope you all have a great Franksgiving, eat some turkey dogs, and enjoy your time with friends and family!

One of the most common questions Hotdoggers get on the road is, “Do you sleep in the Wienermobile?” The answer is, no. While on our coast-to-coast wiener roast the Hotdoggers stay in hotels. We’ve stayed in big hotels across the Midwest. But perhaps the most unique places we’ve stayed are the small bed and breakfasts like the cozy Oliver Inn in South Bend, Indiana and the classy McCormick House in Hayward, Wisconsin.

LTL LINK in front of McCormick House

Recently Beefy Brian and I had the doggertunity to stay in an incredibly unique location in St. Paul, Minnesota. Located on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, the Covington Inn offers a view of downtown from a tugboat, that’s right a tugboat.

I woke up to ducks swimming outside my window, I watched the sunset on the river and the city, and we found a comfy little home on the high seas. You can see YUMMY loved her stay by the boat hotel too. If you look closely at the picture below, you can see YUMMY behind the boat hotel!