The Long Road

There is a stretch of road I travel often that has a tendency to put me into a sleepy stupor. I-57 from I-80 South to Champaign is beautiful in a way with its wide open cornfields typical of the Midwest, yet I usually feel a need for a little external mental stimulation to help me stay alert. When I know a trip to Champaign-Urbana is coming up, I like to stop by our non-fiction books on cd section.

A full-length book is too long for the trip there and back. Also, I usually travel with my husband and with our different tastes it can be difficult to find a book we will both enjoy. The solution I’ve found is to choose radio talk show recordings or humorous recordings by famous comedians. Selections like this are entertaining; yet don’t require the concentration of a novel. A quick stop at a gas station or rest area, or even the occasional desire to have actual conversation with the person next to me in the car is easy to manage with these short, light-hearted selections.

Here are a few we have recently enjoyed.

Lake Wobegon U.S.A. – This recording contains touching and humorous selections from Garrison Keillor’s radio show, A Prairie Home Companion.
Pure Drivel by Steve Martin – Martin reads a collection of his humorous essays.
I’ll Mature When I’m Dead by Dave Barry – Barry takes a look at different phases of adulthood with his typical dry humor.
Car Talk: Classics – Here are some favorite episodes from Click and Clack’s zany car repair radio show from NPR.

I’ve already picked out a few for future trips.

Family Fun Pack – I think we’ll enjoy hearing some old-time radio shows such as The Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy.
The Bro Code by Barney Stinson, read by Neil Patrick Harris – Now that How I Met Your Mother is over, we can get our Barney Stinson fix with this recording.

If you have a road trip in your future, try checking out one of these entertaining selections. I’ve found that a little laughter can make for a much shorter trip.