Hotdogger Blog

Joey Bologna and I both share an affinity for zoos so when heard there was a free one in the area we knew exactly where we had to go. This is me and BOLOGNA in front on the Como Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, MN. We spent the day learning about animals from lions, to polar bears, to gorillas.

At the end of the day there was still one zoo attraction that caught our eye which we could not resist – the butterfly garden!  After we got inside we promptly sat down so hundreds of beautiful and rare butterflies could land on us and we could take exquisite pictures for our blog. We didn’t know it would take so long to get even a tiny butterfly to land! After observing a family on a bench we decided we had to be sitting there in order to attract these fragile winged creatures. After more patience we saw our oppertunity and snagged the coveted spot.

At first Joey was afraid of the butterflies and there are some hilarious pictures he asked me to delete. Luckily, Joey quickly got over this and began to relish the experience. After a while we got pretty good at capturing these moments and even got a shot of the two of us with butterflies!

While it was raining cats and hot dogs in Omaha, Nebraska, Picklin’ Pat and I had some free time on our hands.  We brainstormed activities we’d like to do during our time in the South region: climb a mountain, ride a bull, and camp in a state park were among the many.  When we really kicked our buns in gear and got to thinking, we realized most of our adventures could not be shared with our bunloved vehicle, WEENR.

Really wanting WEENR to be a part of our fun, I was reminded of a project I completed in the fifth grade.  Even as a fifth grader, I had quite the appetite for traveling.  Since I wasn’t physically able to visit everywhere I wished to see, I created a Flat Tatum (before my time as Tate-Yum).  Flat Tatum was placed in an envelope and mailed to friends and family across the country.

Flat Tatum learned how to operate a 747. This was perfect preparation for Hot Dog High and learning how to drive a Wienermobile!

Flat Tatum also visited a television station where she was taught how to be the Top Dog on camera!

With Flat Tatum as an inspiration, Picklin’ Pat and I decided to create a Flat Wienemobile.  Now, when we visit somewhere that can’t quite accommodate our 27-foot long hot dog, we still have Flat Wienermobile with us to relish the memories!

Flat Wienermobile first adventure was to California Tacos & More.  California Tacos & More is an Omaha, Nebraska favorite featured on the Food.

Flat Wienermobile First Adventure

Picklin’ Pat and I are looking forward to sharing more dognamic adventures of Flat WEENR with you!

While passing through the scenic krauts of South Bend, Indiana, R-Dog Rachel and I parked our buns outside of the beautiful Oliver Inn Bed & Breakfast. It lies just minutes from the downtown area of South Bend and is a perfect place to get the feeling of being back home.  The owners were very welcoming and loved seeing the Wienermobile in their driveway every morning.

Being on the hot dog highways for a year can really make you miss the little things such as home cooked food and spending time with the family but at the Oliver Inn, R-Dog and I were two lucky dogs that got  to experience buns and buns of delicious home cooked breakfast and met bunderful new friends that were there making their own franktastic memories with our 27-foot long hot dog on wheels.

Seeing the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile vehicle is a bun-of-a-kind experience, and Hotdogger Class 23 just got to meat their franktastic 27-foot-long hot dogs on wheels!  We never sausage a thing!  Watch this video to see our reactions the first time we saw the Wienermobile.  It was love at first bite!

Click here to see Class 23 meet the Wienermobile

When arriving in Chicago, Tera Louise with Cheese and I had a question for local foodies. What is a Chicago hot dog? At St. Anthony Hospital’s Summer Fest, we found our answer. After enjoying an afternoon loaded with entertainment and activities, we asked people what they thought was the most franktastic way to enjoy a hot dog.

Topping Off Chicago

Joey Bologna and I decided to venture out on a drizzly off-day in St. Paul, Minnesota. We thought the nation’s biggest hot dog on wheels would like to see the nation’s third largest cathedral, The Cathedral of Saint Paul. BOLOGNA had to stay outside, but we were  lucky enough to get a quick tour of the inside. The cathedral, which is the highest point in the city, is only a few years older than the first Wienermobile. The outside of the cathedral was completed in 1915, and the first Wienermobile hit the hot dog highways in 1936.

That night we decided to cross something off of our bucket list and take BOLOGNA to a movie. I relished my very first drive-in from an extra-special seat atop the bunroof. We’re looking forward to other adventures in the Twin Cities, but somehow I don’t think BOLOGNA will be able to fit inside the Mall of America.

After two weeks of Hot Dog High, all of the Hotdoggers took off in different directions across the nation to spread miles of smiles everywhere.  The East team of Superdog Sam and Meep! Meep! Maria as well as the Southeast team of Smiley Kylie and Brian the Bunderful took off towards the East to begin our year-long journey.  Both the WNRMBLE and the OH I WISH Wienermobile vehicles followed in tandem for several hundred miles.  It’s not everyday that people get to see two of them traveling through the city together.  While following WNRMBLE through Chicago, Smiley Kylie and I were able to get a photo of the giant buns traveling towards the Chicago skyline. 

After staying the evening in Cleveland, OH, our team split from the East team to embark on our journey to the Southeast region.  While many people were ecstatic to see two Wienermobile vehicles together, it was time to go our separate ways and spread Good Moods in our respective regions.  Look out southeastern states… Here we come!

After all 12 Hotdoggers graduated valedogtorian from Hot Dog High, it was finally time to hit the open roads. Tate-Yum joined Diggity Dog Drea and I in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin at our very first event EVER. We posted up at the starting line for the annual Strawberry Fest 5K/10K race and watched as a stampede of runners flooded past the wienermobile.

We rarely see so many people running away from the Wienermobile. While hundreds of local residents raced for miles across town, I opted to stay behind and sample strawberry shortcake, strawberry shakes, and other game-day fuel.

After the event, we were energized by the fast pace of race day only to be slowed to a complete halt by this adorable nuisance on our way out of town…

At graduation ceremonies, the candidates for graduation often move the tassel on their caps from the right side to the left side to mark their transition to graduate status.  As part of our final road test at Hot Dog High, Brian the Bunderful and I took our Wienermobile on a ferry ride across the Wisconsin River.  Moving from one side of the river to the other with the Wienermobile felt much like moving that tassel at graduation.  We were about to become alumni of Hot Dog High and embark on a franktastic new adventure.  Watching each pair of Hotdoggers head off to their new destination was like watching friends leave for college.  You will miss each of them, but know you always have the time you spent together.  Smiley Kylie and Brian the Bunderful are ready to start their new chapter as partners and  have buns and buns of fun in the southeast!  Congratulations Class 23!

Cruising across the Wisconsin River with the Wienermobile

Proud Hot Dog High alumni, Brian the Bunderful and Smiley Kylie, pose for a picture before they take off on their coast to coast wiener roast. Franks for the memories Class 23!

I went to my very first baseball game ever today. I’ve never been to one! Not even a little league game. So, on a scale of one to thrill, I was beyond super excited. It felt great to be a kid again at the local Madison Mallards game in Wisconsin. I ran around exploring every nook and cranny of the stadium, stood on my tiptoes to see the game, and cheered ridiculously and loudly whenever possible. I even bought a cheesy souvenir (re: hat below).

The ultimate topping trifecta: ketchup, mustard, and relish!

Of course, to complete the quintessential baseball game experience, I also had to eat a hot dog. And this particular dog was a triple play, loaded with ketchup, mustard, and relish. Delicious!!!

Meep! Meep! Maria and I found some extra large pants hanging along the side of the stadium. Do you think it could fit two Wienermobile vehicles in each leg? These pants could definitely be 60 hot dogs high!

We even met Maynard Mallard too.  Right before the first inning, this brave duck zip-lined across the stadium. I’ve never sausage a thing!

This was one of my favorite nights at Hot Dog High, and a perfect beginning to the amazing adventures soon to come.  Class 23 just graduated, so get ready, game on, and let’s hit the road!