{"id":29684,"date":"2014-07-25T16:05:35","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T21:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=29684"},"modified":"2018-03-02T16:20:56","modified_gmt":"2018-03-02T22:20:56","slug":"travel-insight-from-the-wheel-of-the-oscar-mayer-wienermobile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2014\/07\/travel-insight-from-the-wheel-of-the-oscar-mayer-wienermobile\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the wheel of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever spotted the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, you know it\u2019s like seeing a celebrity from an old sitcom you once loved: surprising, heart-warming and uplifting. Even if you don\u2019t associate the Wienermobile with Happy Days<\/em>-like nostalgia, nobody can resist smiling when they see a giant hot dog cruising down the street, unironically.<\/p>\n

Imagine being in the driver\u2019s seat of that hot dog and touring around the country in it.<\/p>\n

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Jackson, or as he\u2019s known on the road, \u201cPepper Jackson,\u201d and his co-driver \u201cColby Jack Jenny\u201d man one of six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles currently rolling around the United States. In particular, the one they pilot has a vanity plate that reads \u201cR DOG.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both recent college grads, they\u2019ve been on the road since mid-June and will keep on their cross-country spin for a full year. They\u2019ve already been to five Midwest states in the past month including Michigan<\/a>, Indiana<\/a>, Illinois<\/a>, Minnesota<\/a> and Wisconsin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt goes up to 90 miles per hour, but I like to tell people it can really bun rubber<\/em>,\u201d Jackson said. The Wienermobile drivers, a.k.a. Hotdoggers, can spit out hot dog puns a mile a minute.<\/p>\n

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Goofy roadside attractions have become a symbol of Americana, like the world\u2019s largest ball of string<\/a> in Cawker City, Kansas, and the Wienermobile is as Americana as it gets. Case in point: Fueling up at a gas station usually turns into a bit of a production. During one recent pit stop, a local news crew showed up within 10 minutes of the Hotdoggers.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople get so genuinely excited to see the Wienermobile and get a look inside,\u201d Jackson said. The best feeling, he says, is when people tell him that seeing the Wienermobile made their day\u2014like this couple on their wedding day below.<\/p>\n

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Jackson heard of the job from a college buddy and previous Hotdogger. It\u2019s any young person\u2019s dream\u2014to get paid to drive around the country for a full year, unlimited hot dogs included.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a chance of a lifetime, getting a year to explore the country,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just the travel aspect of it that attracted me, but the idea of meeting a bunch of different people from different places.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Hotdoggers get a fair amount of down time in the towns they visit, but not all of their checkpoints are considered hot destination cities<\/a>. The key to finding fun things to do is simple: Ask the locals. Of course, people might be more forthcoming to a guy drivinga giant hot dog, but it’s wise advice for any traveler.<\/p>\n

Jackson said he\u2019s learned to keep an open mind. Best practice is to forget any kind of previous notion about the places you\u2019re visiting. Even the most obscure towns have something to offer. \u201cAlways seek a true experience. Always explore, always find what there is,\u201d Jackson says. Clearly he’s been relishing the experience.<\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s be frank, though: First you have to land this dream job to gain any of that wiener wisdom. The big dogs at Oscar Mayer are looking for recent college graduates with great people skills who are outgoing and articulate. Other than traveling, Hotdoggers have to act as brand ambassadors for Oscar Mayer, so degrees in marketing, public relations, business and related fields are preferred.<\/p>\n

Here are the beefy details of what you need to know before applying to be a Hotdogger:<\/p>\n