Hotdogger Blog

After spending several weeks in Seattle over the past four months, I have constantly been tempted by the Canadian border just about an hour and a half north of the Emerald City. When the opportunity presented itself and I had a few days to myself, I hopped in my ketchup-colored rental car and headed north (WEENR prefers to stay in his home country, as he doesn’t have a passport.)

Destination? Vancouver, Bristish Columbia, home to the 2010 Winter Olympics. And what a treat it was!

The sign welcoming MmmK to the city!

Over my two days up north, I explored Stanley Park via foot and bike, walked along the Seawall, took the elevator up to the Lookout Tower, and walked through the Olympic Village. While enjoying a delicious breakfast at the Public Market on Granville Island, I happened to see something that caught my eye.

The closest thing Vancouver has to the Wienermobile!

Although our Canadian neighbors treated me franktasticly, I sincerely missed the senic-crauts that I experience in my fun bun. I look forward to returning to Vancouver via the Olympic Games beginning February 12. Maybe they will have a Wienermobile race on skates?!

Most people come up to the Wienermobile and ask the oh-so-common question “Do you have hot dogs?” We hear it each and every day, and we love it, simply because we can say, “Yes!” and hand them a Wiener Whistle. It’s a form of a hotdog, right?

This time, it was our turn to ask for the food. Recently, in Portland, Oregon, A-Dog and I ventured over to visit our sister company at the Nabisco bakery. Here, they make delicious snacks that are common in all of our kitchens, including Ritz Crackers, Chips Ahoy, and of course, Oreos. Our one question after our tour, which we got since we are Kraft employees was, can we taste the fresh, right-off-the-line cookies? Boy, were they delicious.

Although we couldn’t bring our cameras through all of the food madness, we were able to don these stylish outfits during our walk-through.

Franks for letting us visit, Nabisco!

On a sunny fall Saturday morning, A-Dog and I piled into WEEENR and took THE 210 south to the town of Rancho Cucamunga for their Founders Day Parade. Established in 1977, this suburb of Los Angeles was proud to celebrate their heritage, and we were glad our fun bun could be a part of it! Santa also made an appearance, as well as local boy and girl scouts, cheerleaders, and the Red Hat Society.

We have noticed since making the trek to Southern California that everyone in the Los Angeles area refers to their approximately 50 highways as “THE 405″ and “THE 710.” It’s almost as if they have spent so much time sitting in traffic on their roads that they feel the need to add a special title to their name. I love it, and decided to jump on the bandwagon.

A view from the top of WEENR while cruising down THE "Parade Route Road."

A-Dog and I had the opportunity to spend over a week in the quaint Southern Oregon town of Klamath Falls. We were thrilled to plan our own events throughout the week and made an effort to meet as many of the approximately 21,000 residents as possible. From assisting with blood drive donations at the local Red Cross, visiting with ladies at a women’s crisis center, and assisting with a fundraiser for a local child with cancer, we were proud to be a small part of these important events.

The children at the Klamath Falls YMCA were big fans of WEENR!These Wiener Whistles found a resting spot and felt right at home.One of our favorite events of the week was reading hotdog stories at the Klamath County Library.

Klamath Falls is just an hour south of Crater Lake National Park, the deepest lake in the United States. My jaw simply dropped when I saw the beauty of this beast, with the blue of the water contrasting with the snow-capped mountains and trees. Although WEENR didn’t make the trek up to 8,000 feet with us, we are sure WEENR would have loved the scenery.

A little gem we found in the middle of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon.

Thanks so much to the people of Klamath Falls for welcoming us with open arms into your tight-knit community. We hope our 27-foot-long hotdog will be able to return soon to spread more smiles:)

We met some special friends while traveling through Western Washington. Members of Reach Youth Ministry, an evangelistic traveling retreat organization, visited our fun bun, walking up with smiles plastered across their faces before they even saw A-Dog or myself. We felt like we could hear the jingle coming from their mouths from miles away!

The joy that Joan, Alan, Kelly, Eli, Jordan, Kileen, and Martha spread to everyone in the area was contagious!

These young adults travel the great Northwest for ten months at a time spreading the main message of their organization, just as we travel our hot dog highways creating miles of smiles! It’s always a great feeling to interact with other folks who understand our love for traveling. Franks for visiting!

From left, Dakota, Cheyenne, and Tahoe peak out the door or WEENR.

While relaxing in a park outside of San Francisco, A-Dog and I had a wonderful visit from Dakota, Cheyenne, and Tahoe, three rescue dogs who reside in the area. Together, they have been on over 200 rescue missions, including helping in New York following the September 11th attacks, assisting with the Lacy Peterson case, and aiding after the crash of the Columbia Space Shuttle.

When we tell people we are on the road for an entire year, they often ask how we celebrate holidays such as Fourth of July and Labor Day. What makes our experience so special is when we get to meet new friends across the country to enjoy the holiday traditions with us, and Halloween is no different.

Top Foods in Yakima, Washington, decorated the entire front entrance of their store with pumpkins, so WEENR blended right in!

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to do something I hadn’t done in years: Carve a pumpkin! Although my creative side isn’t the greatest, I was able to carve my initials in the side of it. My pumpkin has been lighting up the Wienermobile all week!

Thanks Carson, Abbey, Jordan, Emily, and Tyler of Ellensburg, Washington, for carving pumpkins with me and bringing me back to the good old days.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL YOU FRANKTASTIC OSCAR MAYER FANS OUT THERE!

A recent stop on the PGA tour brought golfers from around the globe to Hillcrest Country Club in Boise, Idaho. Of course our beloved Wienermobile wanted to check out the action and meet the guys. With thousands of spectators walking throughout the course, the men with the clubs weren’t the only thing people were checking out.

WEENR fit right in with the pristine course and the beautiful mountains.

Fan Joe of Weiser, Idaho, impressed us with his outfit that matched WEENR perfectly!

For a re-grand opening of a Fred Meyer in the Hawthorne neighborhood of Portland, I was presented with the fantastic gift of a hot dog hat made out of balloons. We met some franktastic clowns and mascots, and had a bunderful time meeting this local band.

What more could an Irish gal like myself wish for on our first weekend in Oregon?

After spending the summer months in the great Midwest, A-Dog and I were jumpin’ at the bit to head in the direction of the Pacific Ocean. With neither of us being from anywhere near the Northwest, you can imagine how wide our eyes were while driving through the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Not only did we experience incredible views through Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon, but we saw the pure joy on many road-trippers’ faces as passed them in WEENR. Mom and Dad, I think I’m ready to move west. It’s simply beautiful out here!