Wienermobile Takes a Trip to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands By JOY CRIST
Locals, visitors, and even NCDOT ferry personnel on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands were surprised on Tuesday when they encountered a vessel that’s even more famous than the ferry itself – The Oscar Meyer Wienermobile.
There are currently six Wienermobiles cruising around the country, and they are all manned by “Hotdoggers,” who are traditionally younger college grads who take to the road to share the joys of hot dogs – and the inherent excitement of spotting a Wienermobile to begin with. It’s a tough job to land, and thousands of people apply for the opportunity to take to the streets in the giant hot dog, and to share their adventures via social media and surprising in-person encounters.
There’s a reason why we’re all familiar with the concept of the Wienermobile, too. Its prototype was created around 1936, and despite a few setbacks over the decades – (like a fuel shortage that kept the Wienermobile off the road during World War II) – the now famous hot dog-topped vehicles have more or less been joyriding across the country ever since.
According to a wonderfully detailed story by the Ocracoke Current, this particular Wienermobile was en route to Ocracoke Island for an impromptu day of visiting friends by Hotdoggers Kayla Kawalec and Taylor Lennox. But its brief presence on the islands certainly lead to a ton of great photos on a number of social media accounts.
In fact, even the North Carolina Ferry System shared a postcard-worthy pic of the Wienermobile seemingly guiding the way on the ferry, courtesy of a shot taken by Jason Wells of Jason’s Restaurant, and boasting the caption“Hey! Look what came aboard the Hatteras ferry today!”
The Wienermobile didn’t stick around for too long, as it was on its way to a NASCAR event in Charlotte where it will naturally meet up with the Planters NUTmobile, per the Ocracoke Current. Nevertheless, it certainly made many islanders’ Instagram and Facebook Feeds a little more interesting on an otherwise typical Tuesday afternoon.
