Today star Al Roker went on the road during Tuesday's edition of the NBC show for a very special installment of the 'On The Move' segment.
The weather forecaster spent the morning riding around New York City with some of its bus drivers, paying tribute to the profession as well as to his father, Albert, who worked as a bus driver for over 20 years.
Introducing the segment, the 68-year-old told the show's viewers: "Hey guys, good morning. It's hard to believe 1.5 million New Yorkers take the bus every day. The largest bus system in the country and we are going to be getting on the bus and picking up some passengers.
MORE: Weatherman Al Roker walks out of Today only to be faced with a big surprise
"It's also a tribute to Father's Day for me because my dad was a New York City bus driver for more than two decades. So we're going take a look at that and give you an inside look at the bus system with some great operators."
© InstagramLater on in the show, Al shared stories of his childhood with the bus controllers, recalling how his father would give him a tasty drink to sip on when Al joined him on his bus route, which began in Brooklyn, and would even let him steer the wheel once his dad had finished his shift for the day.
"My dad used to give me Yo-hoo when we would drive on the bus together," he said.
Reflecting on other fond memories, Al went on to say: "When I was off from school, he'd take me on the bus with him and at the end of his run, we'd be in a parking lot and I'd sit on his lap and he let me steer."
© GettySpeaking of the pride he feels over his late father's profession, he said: "There was this two-way street of pride. I was so proud to see my dad doing this and he was proud to see me see him doing that."
Fans of the show will be pleased to see Al out and about following his recent hospital visit.
In May, the TV star was admitted to hospital to undergo knee replacement surgery.
© InstagramAfter a brief absence period, Al returned to Studio 1A and received a very warm welcome from his co-stars Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.
After introducing the show, Savannah addressed the viewers as the camera panned to Al, who was standing in his usual spot by the weather monitor. "Look who's here! Mr Roker we are so happy to have you back in our studio," she said, prompting applause from Hoda, who cheered: "Come on!"
© Getty ImagesSavannah continued: "You've got a brand new knee. How is it?" prompting Al to share an update: "It's all good!"
Prior to his return to the show, Al revealed the challenges that came with the recent surgery. "I'm going to be honest. I've had a number of replacements, knee replacements. It's not a big surprise," he said.
"This one has been the toughest one yet because they had to take out the old one, which had some complications, and then put in a new one."
