The 29 new daily routes will run between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, Boston, Toronto, Buffalo, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Harrisburg and State College and are slated to begin July 21. For a chance at a free seat, just use the promo code LUVPHL when you log on to the Megabus website to book your tickets.

Photo courtesy of Megabus.

I didn’t know it at the time, but the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus had already been on the road for two years at the time. A non-profit 501(c) (3), the bus is a mobile audio and video recording and production facility.

For more than a decade, this unique educational outreach has given countless children and young adults in hundreds of colleges, high schools, music festivals, Boys and Girls Clubs, community organizations and conventions a one-of-a-kind opportunity.

The hands-on programs are all free, and staffers actively encourage students to play music, write songs and take an active part in recording and producing audio and video creations. Of course, they aren’t expected to do this on their own. In fact, the help they get will be from some of the best and brightest in the biz.

Make and record music and video for free

Thanks to the Lennon Tour Bus, kids and young adults from all kinds of backgrounds, from small towns and big cities across America, can take a hand (literally) in making music and get expert help in writing and recording their own creations.

Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow, is promoting this year’s tour across America to mark Lennon’s 70th birthday in October. “It’s a cause he would have supported enthusiastically,” says Ono.

The tour “. . . is committed to providing students with increased access to music, audio, video and broadcast technologies.

“The program works together with local partners to create free events for middle, high school, and college age students to tour the bus and participate in the production of music, video and digital photography projects reflective of their ideas and concerns, regardless of their levels of expertise.”

The bus has a number of special education projects: high school battle of the bands, college and university visits, concert tours, assemblies, documentaries, technology expos, essay contents and teacher training. Interested? You may view video overviews of these various programs to learn more.

Fans of the bus

Is the bus really fulfilling its mission and connecting with kids? Here are a couple of testimonials from those who have hosted a bus visit. And here are plenty more.

“It meant more to them than you’ll probably ever know. From the tours, to the donated instruments, to the music recording of the Little Jazz Giants, your visit to our city has made a far reaching impact that shall never be forgotten.” – Gwendolyn A. Faison – Mayor of Camden, NJ.

“We were very fortunate that we were selected to have the bus visit us. It was fantastic. It even impressed me with the equipment that is now available! We would love to host you again next year if it possible. Thanks again for everything! It was FANTASTIC!” – Mike Gjurich, Band Director, Western High School.

Between June 10 and the end of July, the bus will visit more than a dozen states, including Midwest stops in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Missouri. Here is the complete schedule.

Not up to traveling with the kids to where the bus is? No worries. Maybe it will come to you. Email for details.

Photo courtesy of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus website.

If there was a less-traveled road to anywhere, Dad would find it. I spent a good deal of my youth traipsing up and down dusty stretches of gravel with names like Struble, Westbrook, Stone, Crandall and Nickel Plate. Most of the time it was with Dad in one of several Fords he owned over the years.

Often we were on some errand or another or on the way to an odd job to which I often lent a hand. But a good many of those trips were to seine minnows (minnies as Dad called them) in the small creeks that crisscrossed Michigan’s eastern Ionia County.

We used them as fish bait on our frequent trips to Loon Lake, a small private lake on a farm northwest of Ionia. I remember so well stopping at the farmhouse to pay our fifty cents for the privilege of unloading our small aluminum boat onto Loon Lake’s mirrored surface.

Memories along childhood’s roads

Even this brings back memories of roads traveled. The road down to the lake was Fenwick. Ironically, my brother bought and restored an 1883 house on Barnes Road, just north of Fenwick Road and Loon Lake. Strange how things work out, eh?

Dad was a simple, hardworking man. Raised by a stern father after his mother died early in his childhood, Dad never had the benefit of a gentler woman’s touch during his formative years. So sometimes he was a little rough, a little gruff to sensitive and impressionable youngsters. But he was a kind and caring man.

Money was scarce so we didn’t travel much. Restaurant meals were rare, and present-day commodities the likes of ice cream and soft drinks seldom graced our refrigerator.

I can still feel the excitement when, on a warm summer evening, Dad would unexpectedly toss me a dollar bill and say, “Run over to Steve’s and get some ice cream.” I was out the door and down the driveway almost before he had the words out of his mouth.

Longer, loftier roads

Most of my recollections of childhood travel were to the area around the straits of Mackinaw. Dad had relatives who rented tourist cabins, and we would occasionally “go up north” and stay a few days.

As soon as I sniffed out word of an impending trip north, I would pack a little black satchel I had, often days in advance, and set it beside the door. My sisters always made fun of me, but it didn’t matter. I was excited to be headed north, and I didn’t care who was laughing.

In 1965, we traveled to Oregon to visit an uncle – five of us in an eight-foot truck camper. Then in 1976, I took my parents to Alaska. Getting there was Dad’s lifelong dream. He caught a grayling, marveled at Mt. McKinley and saw a grizzly bear. Not bad for a simple, hardworking veteran from Muir, Michigan.

It’s been more than a dozen years since we welcomed Dad for a holiday. He died long in advance of Trips with a Twist and before he truly understood my fascination with the open road. If he were here today, I think he would be proud.

If you’re like me, you’re in luck! Until June 30, Tourism Vancouver is running the “Be Here Vancouver” Sweepstakes—and the winner will receive two round-trip business class flights to Vancouver, six nights of accommodation at the beautiful Fairmont hotel line, and general VIP treatment that includes special sightseeing tours, a spa visit, top-notch dining, and more.

I’ve already entered; don’t miss your chance to do the same! (Full list of contest rules.)

And, to fully plan your trip, send away for some free resources. Download Tourism Vancouver’s Annual Visitor Guide and travel guides for the greater British Columbia area here.

(H/T: Daily Candy. If you don’t already subscribe to the Daily Candy e-newsletter in your area, check it out. They send short and pithy daily emails with the latest fashion, food, fun, and culture goings-on in your area. Daily Candy has chapters in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. They also have a great travel section in their online edition.)

Photo obtained from flickr.com, taken by user Kennymatic.

Dubois County is a county or two north of the Ohio River at the bottom of Indiana. So it’s close to Evansville on the west and Louisville on the east.

Nearly smack dab in the middle of the county is Jasper, a town of about 12,000 that lends its name to the excursion train (the Spirit of Jasper) that regularly winds its way from Jasper to French Lick.

Southern Indiana is pretty territory. In fact, not too far north of Jasper is wonderful Brown County with its popular artist’s colony of Nashville.

In addition to the Spirit of Jasper, the burg and surrounding area have a fair number of other attractions to draw visitors, including a sidewalk chalk festival, the Jasper Arts Festival, the Monastery Immaculate Conception and Patoka Lake.

The later is one of eight Indiana reservoirs designed and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The lake serves many purposes, including flood control, recreation, water source for the surrounding communities and wildlife refuge. The 8,800-acre lake and the surrounding 16,920-acre reserve were first opened to the public on August 20, 1980.

In truth, what really makes Jasper (and the Spirit of Jasper train) worthy attractions is their proximity to more significant traveler magnets: Nearby Louisville and even closer, the spectacular hotels and casino in the French Lick and West Baden areas a scan few miles north and east.

Since I visited both recently and plan a separate column on them, I’ll let them pass with only a mention. However, they deserve much more.

Catch the Spirit of Jasper

But back to Jasper, the Spirit of Jasper, to be specific. Pulling power for the Spirit is courtesy of a 1956 General Electric 80-ton diesel/electric-powered switch engine.

The Club Car was built originally for the Milwaukee Railroad in the 1940s and used as an overnight coach car. When it arrived in Jasper, local volunteers rebuilt it as a passenger car in a club-seating configuration.

The Lounge Car was built much earlier, between 1917 and 1922, and originally used as a “coffin car” to transport bodies of World War I soldiers. Also dating from the 1940s is the Parlour Car.

In its former life, it served as a military hospital car. Today, it has been reborn as a lounge for 32 passengers, complete with leather couches and a 19-foot long bar.

When you ride from Jasper on the French Lick Express, you’ll enjoy a route through the southwestern Indiana countryside and pass through the second longest railroad tunnel in Indiana and over several railroad trestles and bridges.

Enjoy a cash bar and complimentary hor d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages as you watch the sights roll by. Dessert and coffee are served on the return leg.

The nearly three-hour layover in French Lick will give you time to explore and learn why this hotel duo—joined more recently by a 50,000-square foot casino—has been a hideaway for the rich and famous for decades.

Check out complete details about schedules, costs and ride-and-dine options at the Spirit of Jasper website.

Photo courtesy of the Spirit of Jasper.

But The Red Skelton Hour was a family favorite when I was growing up. Originally aired on NBC, the show moved to CBS in 1953 where it continued until 1970.

His signoff at the end of each show, “Good night and may God bless.” became as famous as the parting phrases of Edward R. Murrow (“Good night and good luck.”) or Walter Cronkite (“And that’s the way it is.”)

Skelton was the symbol of conservatism and traditional values. His material was wholesome and squeaky clean. Even in the face of slumping ratings and other signs that he was losing touch with younger viewers, Red never lowered his standard for what he regarded as decent and acceptable for family audiences.

A life of performing

Born in Vincennes, Indiana, in 1913, Red Skelton tasted show business as early as 10. It was at that tender age that he caught the eye of Ed Wynn, who spied him hawking newspapers in front of the Vincennes Pantheon Theater.

After buying every newspaper Red had, Wynn took him back stage to introduce him to cast members of the traveling show.

At 15, Red was on the road full time as an entertainer, working everything from vaudeville and burlesque shows to showboats and circuses. He married his first wife, Edna Stillwell, in Kansas City in 1930.

Red soon worked his way into film and radio, and by 1941 he had his own radio show. He was drafted in 1944 and served overseas with an Army entertainment unit. Years later, he joked about his life in the service: “I was the only celebrity who went in and came out a private.”

After the war, Red resumed his radio show. By 1951, he was on NBC television, the first step in what would become a long and successful small screen career.

Although Red Skelton brought comic relief to millions, his life off the air was a stark contrast to his on-camera clown. He struggled with drinking and failed marriages.

Then, in 1957, Skelton’s son was stricken by leukemia. The decline and death of Richard Skelton at age 9 left his father ravaged by grief and unable to perform for much of the 1957-58 TV season.

When Red left television in 1970, he returned to his roots, live performing. He continued to delight audiences in nightclubs, resorts and casinos. He also devoted more time to a life-long love of painting.

In time, his work—mostly of clowns—began to attract prices in the neighborhood of $80,000. In 1983, he married Lothian Toland, who became his third and final wife. The International Clown Hall of Fame inducted Red Skelton into membership in 1989.

The Red Skelton Festival

Vincennes is Red’s hometown in southern Indiana. It is rich in history and has much to offer the visitor in its own right. The small town is also home to the Red Skelton Tribute Festival, featuring the popular “Parade of 1,000 Clowns.”

This year’s parade is Saturday, June 12 at 11 a.m. Billed as the biggest clown parade in the Midwest, the thousand-clown strong march is the signature event of the annual festival.

Although the parade is the main event, there is a good deal more for visitors to sample during the festivities. In addition to food, entertainment and activities for kids, there is an All-Star Clown Show, featuring ten Ringling clowns, including two from the International Clown Hall of Fame, and The Red Skelton Follies later in the day.

From June 9-12, the Red Skelton Jr. Joey Clown School holds daily clown camps for kids, aged 8-12. If you want to come and spend the night, check out free dormitory accommodations on the campus of Vincennes University.

All things considered, it’s a festival of a different sort—one devoted to nobler causes than most, clowns and laughter. Besides, it’s a low-cost family opportunity. So go ahead, take in Vincennes this June and make some memories.

Everyone knows that Chicago is famous for its pizza. (Well, that and Rod Blagojevich.)

Its signature style—deep dish, buttery crust, chunky tomato sauce, and robust amounts of cheese and ingredients—is sought out by visitors and locals alike at Chicago’s Holy Trinity of pizza joints: Pizzeria Uno, Gino’s East, and Lou Malnati’s. Pizza lovers also flock to Giordano’s, famous for stuffed pizza, a twist on the original Chicago deep dish.

But if you ask me, the best pizza in the Windy City is not produced at any of these famed pie shops. At the risk of being run out of town, I challenge you to come to Chicago for pizza—but stray from the typical tourist traps.

Here are my picks for the best pizza in Chicago:

Piece

As their website proclaims, “Piece unites New Haven-style thin crust pizza with award-winning microbrews in a spacious loft setting.” It’s a Build-Your-Own kind of place and there are red, white, and plain styles to choose from, along with a whole host of topping options.

In 2006, Piece won the World Beer Cup Champion Small Brewpub Award. That same year, Piece’s brewer Jonathan Cutler won the Brewmaster Award. Cutler has won twelve awards in all since Piece opened. This may explain why the cast of Real World Chicago spent so much time there.

It’s loud, not fancy, and simply the best place in Chicago to get thin crust pizza and a pint of microbrew.

La Madia

La Madia is a more trendy and gourmet option. They offer their own signature creations—Taleggio and 3-Hour Roasted Grapes, House-made Fennel Sausage and Sweet Onion, Shaved Artichoke with Parmesan—alongside classics with an added boost of flavor (like the Triple Pepperoni with White Truffle Oil, which is out of this world).

In addition to pizza, La Madia’s menu includes salads, pastas, desserts, and an incredible wine list with more than 75 offerings by the glass and hundreds of bottles.

Spacca Napoli

If you couldn’t tell from the name, this is true Italian-style pizza—specifically, Neopolitan style. As described on their website, “Spacca Napoli Pizzeria was inspired by the authentic aroma, taste, and craft of pizza found on the streets and in the pizzerias in Naples. In fact, the food, wine, and service at Spacca Napoli are all designed to reflect southern Italy’s proud traditions and gracious hospitality.”

Now, if you’re used to Americanized pizza, this will be a little different—some of the choices are topped with cold or uncooked ingredients, like prosciutto and arugula, but they are delicious. To experience a little bit of Italy right here in Chicago, this is the place to go.

Pizano’s

Pizano’s was my first favorite pizza when I moved to Chicago—and now, four years later, the buttery and flaky, yet crispy, crust keeps me coming back.

Pizano’s is actually part of the Chicago pizza legacy family, the Malnatis. Rudy Malnati Sr. featured deep dish pizza at Pizzeria Uno when he opened it in 1943. Rudy Malnati Jr. then opened Pizano’s in 1991. But in my humble opinion, Pizano’s is the best of all the Chicago deep dish shops.

For authentic Chicago pizza, try Pizano’s. You won’t regret it. Plus, as a bonus, you’ll likely face a much shorter wait than you would at some of the other famed pizza joints since Pizano’s is not as well known.

Great Lake

Fair warning: I have not been here yet. But after rave coverage in the Chicago Tribune and New York Times, among many others, I’m dying to go.

It’s a tiny shop tucked away in a northern Chicago neighborhood and is rumored to have the best pizza in America. Who wants to come with me?!

So, there you have it. Everyone has their favorites. You may disagree with my picks; if so, take to the comments! What are your top choices for Chicago pizza?

Photo by flickr.com user Joe Marinaro, published under a Creative Commons license.

In a recent column I shared that Paul’s organization was relocating to the Gilmore Car Museum (GCM) in May. I think his quote is worth repeating here: “The Gilmore is rapidly becoming one of the nation’s premier auto museums.”

Well, now comes word that the H.H. Franklin Club, Inc. dedicated its new 7,000-square foot facility on the Gilmore campus on Saturday, May 15. The new building resembles a vintage dealership.

In fact, it is a faithful replica of a Los Angeles dealership once owned by Ralph Hamlin, a former bicycle racer who became Franklin’s West Coast distributor and the firm’s largest and most successful dealer.

“We’ve seen a lot of car museums, so we knew what we didn’t want when we designed this place” said Bob Harrison, chairman of the museum’s building committee. “Franklins are unique in a lot of ways, and I hope we’ve found a unique way to tell the Franklin story,” he said.

About 150,000 Franklins were built between 1902 and 1934 in Syracuse, NY. An estimated 3,700 still survive. With the opening of this brand new facility, the Franklin will live again—and get a second chance to catch the public’s fancy.

Come see one-of-a-kind autos on display

The dealership-like museum will house some rare automobiles of historic interest. Among them is a Franklin Model A runabout—the first four-cylinder car built in America. A similar Franklin made the trip from San Francisco to New York City in 1904, cutting in half the cross-country record set the previous year.

Other cars in the collection include Franklin’s answer to luxury sedans built by Packard, Pierce and Cadillac, a 1932 Model 17 sedan, which is the one and only American car powered by a 12-cylinder air-cooled engine.

The 1911 racer, in which Hamlin won the Los Angeles-to-Phoenix race, is also on display, courtesy of an Oklahoma collector. You can also see a 1928 sedan that closely resembles the Franklins in which “Cannonball” Baker set so many jazz-era cross-country and hill climb records.

“The goal of this museum is to tell the Franklin story of efficiency, light weight and direct air cooling autos,” said Bob Amon, president of the H. H. Franklin Club. “People sometimes think my air-cooled car is strange,” he says. “But they forget about the 25 million air-cooled VW Beetles—the best-selling car of all time.”

Photos courtesy of the Gilmore Car Museum.

Looking for something different than the usual suspects clustered around the exit ramp? How about sleeping in a former prison cell? Sure, it sounds eerie. But you have to admit, it’s intriguing . . . and educational. Believe it or not, there is quite a lineup of former prisons and jails turned hotels or bed and breakfasts.

Think about it: What do prisons and hotels have in common? Each typically houses a variety of guests in quasi-identical rooms and has a large staff to run the place. The main difference is that one houses guests that choose to be there. The the other handles visitors who, well . . . don’t.

Therefore, a former prison is an ideal structure to remodel into a hotel. And also a creative way to turn a run-down piece of property into something chic and cozy. The folks at Carpenter & Company Inc. have done just that with the former Suffolk County Jail in Boston, MA, built from 1848-1851.

Opened to the public in September 2007, The Liberty Hotel combines luxury and history in 298 guest rooms, three restaurants and one stunningly landscaped courtyard. Listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, the hotel is located in the Beacon Hill borough, which puts it smack dab in the heart of Boston.

Two of the three restaurants sit in the vestiges of old jail cells, which have been turned into private nooks for romantic dinners. The courtyard was the old exercise yard for the prisoners, and the prison guards’ catwalks overlook the lobby with its impressive 90-foot tall central atrium, complete with a cupola at the top.

Eighteen of the 298 guest rooms are in the original building, complete with original details of exposed brick and bars. The rest of the rooms are located in the new tower adjoined to the former jail. The new Liberty Hotel is a far-stretch from the cold and damp jail it once was. (View Flickr set of images)

The Liberty: Born as a big house

Gridley James Fox Bryant designed the Charles Street original building with the help of Rev. Louis Dwight, who advocated for prison reform. Bryant was widely considered the most accomplished architect of his time and his design became reality with the completion of jail in 1851.

Some famous prisoners include James Michael Curley, former governor of Massachusetts, Malcolm X, Sacco and Vanzetti and suffragists imprisoned for protesting while President Woodrow Wilson was in town.

The jail functioned like any other until 1973 when the prisoners revolted because of poor living conditions. Although the U.S. District Court quickly declared it unfit, it took until 1990 to move all the prisoners to the new Suffolk County Jail on Nashua Street.

In 1991, the Massachusetts General Hospital took ownership of the former penitentiary, eventually leasing it to Carpenter & Company in 2001. Together with a team of designers, architects, historians and conservationists, top executives decided to transform it into a luxury hotel. Their main goal was to ensure balance between preservation and dynamic use.

Boston not in your jurisdiction? No worries. Here are some other former incarceration options in the U.S. and abroad.

Other clinks to click

The Old Jail and Jailhouse Inn are two options located in the Midwest, in Minnesota to be exact. The Old Jail is located in Taylor Falls and was the first registered bed and breakfast in Minnesota in 1981. The sleeping quarters are in two different buildings. One is a former saloon, and the other is a former “drunk-tank.” Coincidence?

The Jailhouse Inn is located in Preston, MN, in the old Filmore County Jail. You can stay in the old sheriff’s living quarters and offices in this National Historic Site, which opened as a bed and breakfast in 1989.

A variety of other destinations are located across the pond and beyond. If you ever find yourself in Australia, hop over to the Jail of Mount Gambier, five hours west of Melbourne. If you happen to be visiting your chums at Oxford University, stay in the posh boutique hotel/former jail Malmaison Oxford, built in 1071.

Helsinki, Finland is home to Hotel Katajanokka, the past Helsinki county jail and Lucerne, Switzerland has Jailhouse Löwengraben, the first jailhouse in all of Switzerland turned neat-place-to-stay.

Others include the Four Seasons hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, Langholmen Hotel on a remote Swedish island, and the old Courthouse Hotel Kempinski in London, where pop stars like John Lennon and Mick Jagger spent time on drug charges.

Photos by flickr.com user P I P, published under a Creative Commons license.

“It was the last week in May of last year,” Greg told me over a cup of coffee. “After I heard the news, I headed back to work. Over lunch we started talking about what we could do about it. The bakery was supposed to close on July 1.”

The “we” Greg spoke of was the entire nine-member police department of Clare, Michigan: the chief of police, his administrative assistant, two sergeants and five officers. “We ripped a cover off a pizza box and started to write stuff down. That pizza box cover became our business plan.”

The plan was simple enough. Every member of the police department would chip in an equal amount to buy the bakery. They were betting on a hunch—the idea that a bakery leveraging the endless jokes about cops and their doughnuts would be just quirky enough to catch on. Or take off, if you will.

Known around the world

The result was Cops & Doughnuts, probably the only cop-owned doughnut joint anywhere. “We approached this like police business and just sent out a news release,” said Greg. Fox News came calling and brought their TV camera. Cops & Doughnuts hit CNN and enjoyed exposure literally around the world. Several local TV outlets came to do stories. So did newspapers and other print pubs.

The cop-owned doughnut shop caught the attention of news hounds at World News Now and Good Morning, America. In the space of a few days, a quirky idea in a small northern Michigan town had become a full-fledged phenom.

It’s ironic that the vintage bakery and the old pharmacy next door were rumored to have been hangouts of Detroit’s notorious Purple Gang. Now the place is owned by police officers.

“Felony Fritters” and more

As I sat with Greg Rynearson amid racks of Cops & Doughnuts t-shirts and other paraphernalia—all labeled with cop-oriented lines (“DWI—Donuts Were Involved” and “Handcuffs and Cream Puffs,” for example), Bill Horwood, a Clare city commissioner wandered over. “People from all over the state are talking about this. It’s helping the whole town.”

A well known coffee roaster is distributing a Cops brand of coffee to several grocery chains. “We’re going to add a dark roast and call it ‘Midnight Shift,’” said Greg straight-faced. There’s also talk of Cops Cookies and/or a Cops Cookie mix.

These, of course, will round out the full line of doughnuts, elephant years, cinnamon rolls, “felony fritters,” and assorted other sweet treats, including a bacon (yep, bacon—two strips) longjohn that tastes surprisingly like pancakes and bacon.

I went on a Tuesday, so the crowd was light. But if you plan to check it out on a weekend, expect to wait in line. “We put about 1,200 through here on a Saturday alone,” Greg said.

Only in America, eh?

Photo courtesy of the Cops & Doughnuts