I'm on vacation this week, up at beautiful Lake Pend O'Reille, trying to keep my kids from drowning themselves or falling on sharp rocks or passing out from heat stroke - we're in the upper 90's (Fahrenheit), and it occurred to me that perhaps the most relaxing part of this trip so far was the 9 hour drive up.

On family trips we eschew music on the car stereo and instead favor spoken word stories and informational pieces. I wasn't able to elicit any family interest in listening to a podcast series on how cryptography works (it's actually beautifully elegant and simple), but we did listen to a number of This American Life episodes/podcasts. Unlike some podcasts which are free, you can listen to This American Life free on the web, but if you want to download the podcast to take with you, you have to pay $.95 for each episode. It's well worth it, for the great admixture of pathos and humor delivered in each installment. I'd recommend the following episodes:

Babysitting - includes a wonderful real story about some kids in rural Idaho, left in the care of their older brother who enjoys subjecting them to bravery tests and has them convinced he's a werewolf.

Fiasco - includes the epic story of a production of Peter Pan for the stage that went oh so wrong...

While I'm dispensing roadtrip audio advice: we also picked up books on CD, and other programs - such as Garrison Keillor pieces on Lake Woebegon - at the library. It's a great resource.

I'm hoping I can avoid succumbing to a fatal dose of heat stroke tomorrow, and get to listen to more of the above on the way home Friday...