As the new Northwest team, Beefelicious Ben and I had our first experience driving through a mountain pass during the winter. Cruising through the snowy mountains of Northern California on I-5, we were required to put chains on IWSHIWR. Can you imagine the sight of a 27-foot-long hot dog with cables on the back tires? It was definitely a franktastic sight to see!

Driving through the mountains

Beefelicious Ben cruising on Interstate 5

In Reno, Nevada, Beefelicious Ben and I took IWSHIWR on the scenic kraut to check out Lake Tahoe and hit the slopes. On the drive up the mountain, people were definitely surprised to see our hot dog hot rod round the snowy corners, and we were welcomed with honks, smiles and waves the whole way up.  When we got off the chairlift, the view from the top of Mt. Rose was franktastic. Check out some photos of the trip below and see if you can find IWSHIWR in the parking lot.

IWSHIWR hits the slopes

As you may know, Hotdoggers spend a year on the road, with our time split between two regions. Beefelicious Ben spend his first half hotdoggin’ around the Northeast, while I spent my time spreading miles of smiles in the franktastic Midwest. After reconvening with the rest of the Hotdoggers in Madison, Wisconsin for our January Staff Meeting, Ben and I set off for our first stop in Portland, Oregon.

As the new Northwest team, Beefelicious Ben and I are bunyond excited to explore our new territory. If you find us in your hometown, be sure to meat up with us and let us know some fun things to do the area!

Many often wonder about the jingle horn, the blue sky ceiling, the gull wing door – the flashier parts of the hot dog hot rod. But did you know that the our lightly toasted fiberglass bun has a trunk? At least 20 hot dogs long and set between two Thunderbird tail lights, the trunk is one of the most important parts of this frank. What exactly is inside the trunk of a Wienermobile? Well, here is our checklist of essentials:

It's even big enough for a Hotdogger to fit in!

As the Midwest team, Sal-Emy and I have spent quite a bit of our tour in bunderful Wisconsin, the home state of Oscar Mayer. As neither of us are from the Dairy State, we like to call ourselves “Honorary Sconnies.” Check out the photos below of some of the things that make Wisconsin, Wisconsin!

Wisconsin welcoming OUR DOG home

LTL LNK in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol

And of course, cheese!

Recently, the Midwest team visited Milwaukee, the home of Brooks Stevens, who designed the 1958 Wienermobile. We had tons of visitors who came to check out our hot dog hot rod who brought along their vintage Wienermobilia. Check out some of the cool things we saw below!

An old Wienermobile bank

A pedal car

A painted Wiener Whistle used for model train sets

A vintage Oscar Mayer ring

If you happen to come across the famous frank, be sure to bring your own Wienermobilia to share!

There are many ways to remember your visit with the famous 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels – stickers, photos, and of course, the Wiener Whistle. But, dijon know that you can send a postcard right from the Wienermobile?

That’s right, when you ketchup with the big dog, you can send your very own postcard to a friend or family member to let them you that you saw it! All you have to do is write your note, put it in the mailbox at the Wienermobile, and off it will go.

So, the next time you see us in your neighborhood, be sure to stop by and send a postcard to let your friends know that you were the luckiest dog in town!

The sizzle could be heard around the town. The smell of bacon was in the air. It was time for the celebration of all celebrations – the Second Annual Bacon Festival in Kirksville, MO.

Complete with 2,000 bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwiches, a recipe contest, and the crowning of Miss Sizzle, Young Miss Sizzle, and Little Miss Bacon Bits, Bacon Fest 2012 was definitely a hit.

Each year, Bacon Fest raises money and collects canned goods for three local food pantries, all while honoring the deliciously salty and crispy breakfast (or anytime) food. What could be better?

OUR DOG making some new friends

If Wisconsin is known for one thing, it’s cheese. The Sconnies in Monroe, Wisconsin love their cheese and definitely know how to celebrate it. For a few days each fall, the town hosts Green County Cheese Days, with tastings, contests, Swiss heritage, and plenty of cheese. This all leads up to the franktastic Swiss Colony Cheese Days Parade.

The first Cheese Days Parade was in 1915 and has been going strong ever since. The Wienermobile vehicle even made an appearance back in the 1940’s.

This year, we took our lamborgweenie to the parade and dressed him up for the occasion.

We had a bunderful time and we were grilled to spend the day celebrating delicious Wisconsin cheese!

Dijon know? Only 378 Hotdoggers have ever driven the Wienermobile vehicle, which means that more people have climbed Mount Everest than have driven the 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels.

Dijon know? This year’s class of Hotdoggers is the 25th class of lucky dogs who get to drive the iconic Wienermobile across the country.

To celebrate the silver anniversary of the Hotdogger tradition, hundreds of past Hotdoggers from Class I – Class XXIV made the trip to Madison, WI for the 25th Anniversary Reunion.

The day started off with pictures in front of OUR DOG and LTL LINK and time to ketchup with old friends and make new ones. The reunion wasn’t complete without taking the time to thank those who have made the Hotdogger program possible.

Class 25 with LTL LINK

One of the best parts of the weekend was hearing stories from past Hotdoggers about their time on the hot dog highways. It was fun to hear about how past classes had to use maps, pay phones, and beepers, when we now have a built-in GPS, air conditioning, and even Bluetooth and solar panels on the newest 2012 models.

It was great to meat so many Hotdogger alumni and I am proud to be part of such a great tradition!

Photo by Jim Mueller