Hot dog! Round Hill relishes Wienermobile visit (w/slideshow)

Click to Enlarge Douglas County sheriff’s Deputy Geoff Marshall smiles while examining the 27-foot-long, 11-foot high Wienermobile parked near the Round Hill Safeway on Wednesday. Jonah M. Kessel / Tahoe Daily Tribune

Jonah M. Kessel
May 1, 2008

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On a quiet Wednesday morning in the Round Hill Safeway parking lot, South Shore resident Josh Watson realized a dream he’s carried for most of his life: Watson and his 22-month-old daughter, Sierra, got to intimately view a 27-foot-long wiener on wheels.

“If I did anything good in my life, it was this,” Watson said with a huge smile on his face as he toured the kid-friendly limousine.

The famous vehicle, known as the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, pulled into the South Shore on Wednesday. Its two drivers had stopped for a little quiet and a cup of coffee at Not Just Java on Elks Point Road.

But, frankly, their huge, brightly-colored rolling snack was hard to ignore. As fast as you could say, “Whoa, that’s a big wiener,” Safeway employees, postal customers, coffee drinkers and even sheriff’s deputies began devouring the giant hot dog — with their eyes, of course.

“I’ve had to wait 28 years to see this thing,” Watson said as he explored the Wienermobile.

How ’bout that dog?

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile first was created in 1936 to promote Oscar Mayer’s products at grocery stores across the Midwest. As the company grew, the Wienermobile began traveling from coast to coast until 1970. In 1986, on the 50th anniversary of its first run, the Wienermobile began rolling again and continues to do so today. Here are some features found on the famous vehicle: -- Custom-made fiberglass hot dog resting on top of a “toasted” bun -- Chevrolet W4 Series chassis -- V-8, 6.0-liter 350 Vortec 5700 engine -- Anti-lock brake system -- 32.1-gallon fuel tank -- Hot dog-shaped dashboard -- GPS navigational system -- Seating for six in mustard- and ketchup-colored seats -- Exterior rearview camera -- Gull-wing door -- Mustard-splattered walkway -- Removable bun roof -- State-of-the-art audio center with wireless microphone system -- Blue-sky ceiling art Source: Oscar Mayer Web site, www.kraftfoods.com/oscarmayer

Click to Enlarge Josh Watson brings his 22-month-old daughter Sierra into the Wienermobile for a tour. Sierra’s excitement was dwarfed by her father’s over seeing the 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels. Jonah M. Kessel / Tahoe Daily Tribune

As fascinated onlookers toured the vehicle, Oscar Mayer’s suddenly famous employees “mustard” up the energy to talk about their jobs. The two Wienermobile workers, dubbed “hotdoggers,” had been relishing their day off and trying to “ketchup” on much-needed rest at the South Shore before attending a charity event in the Carson Valley.

“We travel the entire country bringing miles of smiles to people,” said Wienermobile driver Jeff Kendell, 24.

Click to Enlarge Caitlin Kwan and Jeff Kendell, the Wienermobile’s “hotdoggers,” sit in the mustard- and ketchup-colored bucket seats of the vehicle. Jonah M. Kessel / Tahoe Daily Tribune

His companion, Caitlin Kwan, said the two have been touring the Wienermobile around the United States for 11 months and have covered nearly 50,000 miles.

That impressed 10-year-old Kyra Washalefsky.

“I think it’s sick (as in cool),” she said after touring the wiener. “I would want one and keep it forever and ever and ever.”

Hey, Dad, maybe that could be Kyra’s next Christmas present. How about it?