Dr. Jazz Soda Fountain in Lebanon, Illinois

Just got back from a weekend get-away to St. Louis and had to share about Dr. Jazz Soda Fountain and Grille in Lebanon. My husband and I spent this past weekend at the bed and breakfast above the soda fountain/restaurant. One of the things that came with the package was "Soda Jerk School." After the restaurant closed at 9:00 p.m., Paul, the owner, gave us aprons and invited us back behind the old-fashioned fountain and taught us how to make chocolate sodas, sundaes and ice-cream sodas. We had a blast -- the whole building dates back to the 1850s and Paul has renovated the building back to what it would have looked like a century ago, complete with a telephone booth, eating booths, and of course, stools at the fountain. The food is excellent and the ice-cream sublime! We plan to rent the two room suite later this summer and take our kids so that they can go to "Soda Jerk School" and learn some history while they are at it!

Lebanon is also a great jumping off point for doing activities in St. Louis -- less than 30 minutes from downtown and the Arch. You can get to Lebanon by taking I-55 to Route 4. (about an hour and fifteen minutes from Chatham) For more information about Dr. Jazz, visit his website at: www.drjazzsodafountain.com or call 618/537-2200.