Look at what was lurking in the parking lot of Miller and Son’s in Verona, Wisconsin… It’s the Sharkmobile! The creator made the Sharkmobile because he wanted to uniquely cover his van’s front mounted spare tire.

Torey Toppings and I visited the Iowa State Capitol building in Des Moines, Iowa. Upon arrival we were asked to empty our pockets by a security guard named Gordon.  After finding out that we are Hotdoggers, Gordon gave us a world-class tour of the capitol building, including a trip to the top of the building’s golden dome! After climbing nearly 300 steps we were greeted with a franktastic 360° view of Des Moines. Franks a lot to Gordon for the special tour!

Oscar Mayer, as you may know, is one of many bunderful Kraft Foods brands. Torey Toppings and I were able to visit some of our corporate brothers during our visit to the Kraft Foods Plant in Champaign, Illinois.

These Kraft Foods employees relished the opportunity to tour BOLOGNA during their lunch break.

After greeting the hard working folks who make the delicious food we know and love, we were given a tour. The Champaign plant produces an amazing 1.2 billion pounds of food every year! Some of the tasty products we saw being made included Kraft Singles, Velveeta, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and a variety of Kraft Salad Dressings, just to name a few. Franks a lot for the tour!

One fateful Friday we stumbled upon the cross-country Lunchables Lunch Combinations: Lunch Your Tummy Right Tour. The tour included several interactive stations where young and old could play. The station that caught my eye was a huge inflatable Lunchables wall. Believe it or not the wall was pretty hard to climb, even though it was only twice my height. Who knew giant pieces of cheese could be so slippery?!

What do jazz musicians and champion distance runners have in common? They both flock to Davenport, Iowa every year for the Bix 7 Memorial Run and Jazz Festival! The Bix7 is named after Davenport, IA native Bix Beiderbecke, a Jazz musician who was extremely popular in the 1920’s. The event is in its 35th year and attracts runners and musicians from all over the world. Torey Toppings and I greeted the field of over 15,000 at the finish line with Wiener Whistles.

We attended the Jr. Bix run for children 12 and under the night before the big race. After the Jr. Bix, Oscar Mayer served lots of free hot dogs for the young runners and their families.

Please don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t get arrested. Torey Toppings and I merely befriended two of Chicago’s finest police officers. They were excited to see the Wienermobile parked on their beat, so they pulled over to take a closer look. Torey and I gave the officers a few Wiener Whistles and a VIP tour of BOLOGNA, and to say thanks the officers drove us a half-mile to our hotel in the back of their squad car.

I’ve always been a sucker for animals and giveaways. So naturally I was thrilled to find out that the St. Louis Zoo has free admission. My friend Catherine was in the area so we hopped in the Wienermobile (her first ride) and drove to the zoo.

The Great Hornbill's black and gold feathers brought out my school pride.

People turn their heads when they see a 27-foot-long hot dog cross into their state. This photo was taken by an engineering professor who wanted to see BOLOGNA up close. Torey Toppings and I were delighted to hear that he wanted a photo of the Wienermobile to use as an example of unique design in one of his classes.

We had buns of fun with BOLOGNA at the 22nd annual Sun Prairie Strawberry Fest! There were many events including 5k & 10k fun runs and a Strawberry Idol talent competition. All proceeds from the festival benefited the Sun Prairie Senior Activity Center.