I found this today and enjoyed playing with it. My test? Hot Dogs Across America
So far this summer, I've been a little bit of everywhere. In late May, I was in New York City for the Paulist Fathers' Pre-Assembly. In June, I drove to Bapchule, AZ for Camp Bapchule.
While I was in New York City, my mind was fixed on one subject. Hot Dogs.
Since it is NYC, I figure I have to get a dog out of a street vendor's cart. This task was well, pretty easy. I start out on Saturday morning at the Today Show. I made a little screen time and started the search. Since it was 8 a.m., there was not a hot dog to be found. I continue sight-seeing throughout the city and found my way at the World Trade Center site.
After exploring St. Paul's Chapel, I discovered a street vendor selling hot dogs right outside. I laid down $2 and took a bite. They weren't bad at all. I enjoyed it actually.
I finish the hot dog and look up at the subway station I had emerged from not long before. It is also a PATH station. Wait a second, I tell myself. I thought I saw something about Newark on the PATH side of the station before stepping out. I look and yes! The PATH goes to New Jersey! After more investigation, I found that they run on a very regular schedule and are actually cheaper than NYC subways! I couldn't say no to this. I ride the train to Newark.
I arrive it what appears to be the Newark version of Grand Central Station. When I started the trip, I didn't think about where I would find a hot dog. I find my way to the concourse and lo and behold, there is a shop in the food court that sells various forms of hot dogs. It was beautiful. One trip, one day, two states.
Fast-forward a month. Picture it. Four friends with a common mission- to get me a hot dog in New Mexico. Actually, we were going to run a mission trip, but that was just a cover for the hot dog.
We drive through a random city. We exit onto Business I-10. We look for a place that would sell a hot dog. We look and look. There's nothing. Sadness begins to set in when out from behind some trees emerged a beautiful sight. Sonic! Sonic has saved me in the past, in Oklahoma, but they come through again in New Mexico. We quickly pull in and after a strawberry limeaid and a hot dog, I realize that the entire trip was worth it.
I was in Kansas this week for the Veritas Conference- a conference of the Big 12 Conference's Catholic Campus Centers.
While I was in the great and glorious state of Kansas, a "grey" state on my hot dog map, I had to find out more about Kansas hotdogs. Also, after the last day of the conference, we took Fr. Ed from the UCC to KCI Airport, just inside of Missouri.
We drop off Fr. Ed at KCI and head down I-29 toward Kansas City. We take the I-635 exit as a cut-off to I-35. We take the final exit before the state line in hope of finding a hot dog vendor.
After driving a few miles, we found it. A "PLEASE STOP!" gas station which proudly proclaimed "HOT DOGS!" on its windows. As it is with many of these hot dogs, it seems to work out just too well. I go inside and fix myself one of their jumbo dogs. Missouri is one of the states where gas stations can sell hard liquour- something I hadn't noticed anywhere else before.
I make the purchase and enjoy it in the car just before hitting the road. One more state out of the way.
We hit I-35 and head towards Texas. We see a sign for Dairy Queen around noon and we thought the should work out for us as well. We stop in the town of Ottawa, KS at the Dairy Queen on Main Street.
I'm used to Texas where smoking in food establishments just doesn't happen anymore; if it does, it is a section of the store. Apparently, this isn't the case in Ottawa, KS. There are people smoking everywhere.
Amelia, Maria and myself all order a foot-long chili and cheese hot dog and enjoyed them with various "cool treats".
With that, I am 15% along the way toward the goal of a hot dog in every state. Eight down, forty-two to go.
I was in Oklahoma last week checking out the Blanchard Relay for Life. While there, they had hotdogs and remembering this grand quest of mine, I asked someone connected to the event to try to sneak me one.
She couldn't and so I didn't get a hotdog there. But, there was a Sonic's down the street so I went corporate.
The best part about this hot dog was not the hot dog itself. I bought it on my way out of town (and thus out of state). While driving down US 62 towards I-44, I pondered how would be the best way to eat this chili-cheese hot dog while driving. I turn onto the I-44 on-ramp and see a toll booth in front of me. It's automated requiring exact change, something I was not sure if I had. I stopped, backed onto the grass. While Christy and I searched for change, the timing seemed too much like fate to ignore.
I couldn't find the fork that the usually put with these hot dogs. Without fear, I went for that hot dog without a fork. Soon, there was no doubt that real men don't need forks. Another state's hot dog was no more.
Then, I found the fork in the bottom of the bag.
At this point, we found the 25 cents we needed after digging through bags and change bins. We pull back onto the service road, deposit our two dimes and a nickel and never looked back.
Well, until the next day when we made the drive again. That's a different story...
As some of my friends already know, I have decided to start to quest to have a hot dog in every state. I've had hot dogs in more below but I am going to count only those since this summer when I decided.
After the Wrigley Field-less trip on the Chicago Transit system, we walk down the stairs of the Randolph/Wabash "L" station only to face a Gold Coast Hotdog storefront. It was as simple as could be. I ordered a "chicago dog" char-style. After a few minutes, and after I few minutes of listening to the employees talking about me in a foreign language after I corrected my order, my hot dog arrived with mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, a pickle, hot peppers and celery salt. Honestly, it was the best hotdog I have ever had.
That was Thursday. Friday passes. On Saturday, we took a drive to Michigan, only to find a hot dog stand. We drove a few miles and could not find anything besides gas stations. At the last minute, we see a certified hot dog stand. A storefront selling nothing but hot dogs. We stop. Another chicago style hot dog. One trip, two states.
Saturday night, we head down to The Huttle, Notre Dame's student union store. After midnight, they sell hot dogs for a quarter. No tax, just a quarter. It wasn't a bad hotdog, plus it was only a quarter. One trip, three states. God must be smiling down upon my endeavor.
