Hotdogger Blog

Driving across the United States in a 27-foot-long hotdog, you can imagine how often we see police officers. Whether they are visiting us on the hotdog highways to check out the inside, or stop by to grab a Wiener Whistle at an event, these men in uniform are never too far from the Wienermobile.

Dijon John and I spent an incredible three days in Lake Placid, New York, with 120 police officers and their families during their off time at the 16th Annual New England Police Ski Championship. All proceeds of the two-day race went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Police Teams from all over the Northeast accended upon the mountain town to fly down Whiteface Mountain, home to the 1980 Winter Olympics. These guys and gals are professionals!

We couldn’t have asked for better weather, a better venue, and better company. Thank you to everyone involved for having BOLOGNA and its two drivers at your event!

All of us at the bottom of the slops!

Dijon John and I knew exactly how we wanted to bring some smiles to the residents of Waterbury, Connecticut. The United Way of Waterbury connected us with the food bank at St. John’s Episcopal Church, where we were honored to volunteer by serving lunch to those in need. This particular food bank feeds anywhere from 150-300 people each day, depending on the weather and the time of month. We enjoyed meeting community members and showing our support for this wonderful cause. And BOLOGNA, of course, was a huge hit!

All smiles with the United Way!

Serving some delicious rice and meat.

BOLOGNA on campus prior to the blizzard.

Returning to Penn State with the Wienermobile was nothing short of a dream come true. Whether we were cruising down College Avenue, visiting the Joe Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium, or handing out Wiener Whistles outside of The Cremery, we were loving our Blue and White. And best of all, we got enjoy our two weeks in Happy Valley in the snow!

I think the Wienermobile looks perfect with a snowy background:)

What better place to play in the snow than at the Nittany Lion Shrine?

Coming back home with Wienermobile is a Hotdogger’s dream. After being in the Midwest and Northwest for seven months, seeing beautiful places and creating adventures, I was eager to see my home through the eyes of an American Icon. As of yet, BOLOGNA has not dissapointed. And it’s great to hear the ‘Yinzer accent once again!

Outside Phipps Conservatory with the Cathedral of Learning in the background

Dijon John wishing he was a part of the World Champion Pittsburgh Penguins

Only Oscar Mayer attire can be worn to shovel the three feet of snow Pittsburgh received in February!

A-Dog and I couldn’t have imagined spending the week before Christmas any other way: visiting five military bases in the greater Seattle area. From McCord and Ft. Louis up to Bremerton and Oak Harbor, we were honored to meet military families from around the region.

Although it was raining cats and hot dogs while we were visiting the Bangor Trident Base, we were still able to spread smiles to children and adults alike.

Not only were we presented with certificates of appreciation and United States Navy hats, but also U.S. Navy key chains, which we added to our WEENR keys. Thank you for a bunderful visit, and thank you for your service to our country!

I have always been a fan of McDonald’s growing up…it was that place that would be a special treat after a visit to the doctor’s or five stars on the “good behavior” chart. Now, at age 23, I had no idea how that same fast food meca would come back into my life in such a different light.

Ronald McDonald houses, which are located all over the country, house families while their child is being treated at a local hospital. After visiting the Houses in San Francisco and Seattle, I knew I had to do the same in my hometown of Pittsburgh. Dijion John and I had a blast spreading smiles to the children and families at the brand new Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in the Lawrenceville neigborhood. The families live on the 14th floor of a highrise adjacent to the hospital, also known as “The Penthouse.” We couldn’t think of a better name for the home-away-from-home for these special families. And look at their view!

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:)