News and Updates
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo, Indiana, was born in a boom of natural gas that was plentiful and
free! Inventors and manufacturers flocked here and built a city that is, still
to this day, charming, industrious and inventive. We knew nothing when
we came, and in four short days we felt like the Beach Boys should have
been singing about this real place called Kokomo!
West Allis, Wisconsin
West Allis WI is the place to be – to be fed, to be nostalgic, to be happy! John thought he knew West Allis because of its Allis Chalmers roots and its new foodie vibe. He didn’t know he’d find military collectibles, tons of shops, a hub for artists and innovative manufacturers. This city should be renamed Best Allis!
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin is well known as a Great Lakes shipbuilding hub. It’s also mistakenly known as the “gateway” to Door County. But when you’re driving up the peninsula to Door County and you get to the steel bridge in Sturgeon Bay, you made it! You’ve found fish boils, light houses, orchards and tranquil scenery. This IS Door County.
La Salle & Peru, Illinois
La Salle & Peru, Illinois La Salle and Peru are the twin cities of Illinois, and before we came, we just didn’t know. We didn’t know the important history that put these towns on the map. We didn’t know the downtowns are classic small-town USA with great...
St. Paul, Minnesota
To find the Cathedral Hill neighborhood in St. Paul, MN, just look for the 6th largest dome in the nation. It sits commandingly on a hill that overlooks the Mississippi River and the longest avenue of Victorian homes in the country. Once you’re there, you’ve got so many diverse options for dining, shopping and exploring. One day will not be enough!
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Frankenmuth, Michigan Frankenmuth, MI, also known as Little Bavaria, has more than one reputation. Town with the best family dinners? True! Zehnder’s and the Bavarian Inn are icons. Christmas year-round? Check! The worlds’ largest Christmas store is open 361 days a...
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids Iowa strives for good. You can feel it everywhere: The Kirkwood hotel where they train the future; Matthew 25 where they help people in so many ways; The Grant Wood studio where art is revered; the National Czech and Slovak museum...
Indianapolis, Indiana
The Massachusetts Avenue neighborhood on the northeast side of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana is a vibrant blend of revitalization, transformation and preservation.
The Bottleworks district, Circle City Industrial Complex, and the whole
neighborhood right up to Monument Circle are hotspots of dining, creating and playing. And we didn’t even leave Mass Ave!
Long Grove, Illinois
This town checks all the boxes. You can shop, eat, play pool, dance, have high tea and shop some more. Gifts? All over town. Baby boutique? One of very few left anywhere. Oldest tavern in Illinois? Right on Old McHenry Road. The warmest people in an idyllic village who make you want to come back again and again? Check, check, check!
Clipsville, USA
Clipsville, USA Some of the best moments that happened while filming “Main Streets” this year didn’t make it into any episodes, but they do make a hilarious finale to the season. Uncover those miscues, interruptions and favorite things that didn’t make the final cuts...
About John
John has shared his memories through his one-man shows for his whole career. His stories are personal and funny and touching and familiar, and they remind us all that as specific as we might believe our experiences are, we all share a universal human experience.