The Bus Came By and I Got On, That's When It All Began

The Jack Kerouac Park had always been on my list of interesting places worth visiting. Like many, I was inspired by his novel, On the Road, and how it was continually written on one lengthy scroll. I was also fascinated to think it was actually on display in a Mill in Lowell, not far from my home. I drove approximately 40 minutes to the old industrial Mill only to find out the scroll was itself on the road and currently on display in an exhibition very far away. Years later, I would finally see the scroll in the Jim Irsay Collection of memorabilia and artifacts at the TD Garden. Pressing on to the park, which upon arrival, was smaller than I had imagined. Perfectly quaint and unexpectedly hidden away within the city. It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon. I can remember trying on a few benches before finding the proper one. I sat, ate a sandwich, and life was good. I wanted to capture that peaceful feeling and take it with me. I stayed a little longer than planned and just as I turned to go, I heard a strange popping sound to my right, followed by several oddities and other unidentifiable noises, and then like out of a rainbow colored cloud appeared a bus. I immediately saw this as an impressive imitation of the "Further Bus" from the late 60"s, although certainly out of place in downtown Lowell in 2015. Never did I imagine it would actually be that bus, with the son of Ken Kesey at the wheel, Zane Kesey. He was filming a coast to coast documentary and just happened to arrive at the park the same afternoon as myself. If I had left a few minutes earlier as planned, I would have missed the bus, literally. As you can see, the modern day pranksters were friendly, gracious, and sober, while offering a tour of the historical artifact on wheels. Forever grateful for this incredible experience and those that followed. Michael Kalish (10/31/23)