Some things are essential for a road trip: a concise packing list, snacks, directions, working vehicle, more snacks and of course entertainment. Alex & I gear towards podcasts for entertainment over music or audiobooks. Our tastes vary wildly, so even if the subject does not interest both of us, the narrator or style can still be entertaining.
Here are our favorite choices for podcasts, especially if you have a long road trip in front of you!
Non-Fiction:
Ologies with Alie Ward
Olodgies is Alex’s favorite science podcast. Immediately, the listener and the host, Alie Ward, are on an even playing field. She’s as ignorant about volcanoes, postcards and squids as any of us. Her humor and the comradery with the “ologists” will get you excited about even the most obscure subject. Her motto, “ask smart people dumb questions” is something we can all take to heart.
Favorite Episode(s):
Herpetology – as a pet python owner, Alex is biased, but this episode might make even reptile-phobes appreciate lizards, snakes and all critters who wear scales.
National Park After Dark
NPAD is my favorite podcast. We started this podcast on a 14 hour road trip to Great Smoky Mountain National Park in 2021 and Taylor has been hooked ever since. One of the earliest episodes is set in the Great Smoky Mountains, so it was meant to be! Taylor listens to episodes without Alex; to his detriment because he misses out on some amazing stories. The hosts, Danielle and Cassie, immediately entice you with their passion for all things National Park (in North America and beyond), silly sense of humor, and the variety of subject matter they research and bring to the listener.
Favorite Episode(s):
Night of the Grizzlies – all about grizzly bears in Rocky Mountain National Park… what could go wrong?
A Fatal Lightning Strike and the Jenny Lake Rangers – a thrilling story about the worst possible rock climbing scenario and the amazing lengths taken to rescue the victims.
Wild Thing
We have not listened to this one yet. When Taylor first asked what podcasts would be good for road trips Alex assumed we were making a list for ourselves. The summary of the first season caught his eye, as Alex is a Sasquatch skeptic. The narrator’s family connection to a known Sasquatch researcher gives this story a unique spin on a well covered topic. we know why he doubts there’s an eight foot tall primate hiding in the forests of North America, now we want to know why people (passionately) want the “wood ape” to exist. A question this podcast looks suited to answer.
The Atlas Obscura Podcast
Although Alex has thumbed through the written version and frequent the website, he somehow missed the podcast. Similar the written version, it’s a catalog of unique, unusual and sometimes unsettling places, people and phenomena. As a geographer Alex wants to know why something is where it is as much as what it is, and the content of Atlas Obscura will also make me ask “why?”
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
Save this only if you capital-L love history and are on a particularly long (talking cross country, 10+ hours) trip. Individual episodes regularly reach up to four hours. Alex also suggests breaking listening marathons up with lighter materials, as war and episodes of human suffering make up the bulk of the catalog. Be warned, it’s a monolog format that delves into granular detail, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
This is often the first long-form history podcast a lot of history buffs get recommended. The market is now flush with shows specializing in specific time periods, places and/or people. In retrospect, other historians have valid criticism of Dan’s methodology and sources. Even in light of that, I think it’s still a great jumping-off point. Nevertheless, it successfully brought the hyper-focused, intense, subject driven history podcast to the masses for a reason.
*The majority of his material is behind a paywall, but there’s enough free stuff on the streaming services to last a good while.
Favorite Episode(s):
Supernova in the East parts I-VI – how Japan went from isolation to victim of the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
Blueprint for Armageddon parts I-IV – the First World War from every conceivable angle.
Radio Rental
Like Tales from the Crypt was for the previous generation, Radio Rental retells weird and creepy stories introduced by eccentric video store owner, Terry Carnation (Rainn Wilson). It balances silly with scary and (especially in the first season) the stories are grounded enough to not be totally unbelievable, but you are ultimately the judge.
Endearingly, the stories use the people who experienced them as narrators whenever possible. This keeps the focus off the perpetrators, which is where most true crime podcasts get lost. It’s further helped by how the producer chooses stories to fit the feel of the show.
Favorite Episode(s):
Ham and Swiss – a low stakes twist, possible multiple realities, and sandwiches.
Laura of the Woods – JUST LISTEN TO IT! (We found Radio Rental through this episode as it was on a handful of “best of” lists.)
Fiction:
Limetown (1st Season especially)
Whew.
Whew lad.
The first season had us so captivated we finished it in one go while on the way to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mystery agendas, specter of shocking violence, creeping conspiracy and hidden connections which cast everyone’s motivations into question. Saying any more will ruin the fun. Fantastic enough to draw allusions to the X-Files but grounded enough to feel like an episode of Serial.
…which is why we highlight the first season, specifically. The second season changes the format and POV so radically as to dilute those original qualities. Allegedly, the creators really banked on the Facebook TV adaptation (yeah, right?) taking off and completing the story on that platform. A prequel novel also exists; most fans agree that anything outside season one is a letdown for a variety of reasons. Sadly, there will be no conclusion, but season one still exists as one of the great podcast audio dramas, though it stands alone.
Favorite Episode(s):
Season One – in case we didn’t make that clear.
Alice isn’t Dead
Human evil, natural savagery, trucking, queer relationships and shadow governments are a few of the ingredients of this horror drama. Most of the narration takes place in a truck cab, making it an eerily appropriate road trip listen. There is one primary storyline throughout with enough monster-of-the-week episodes sprinkled throughout to keep it from getting monotonous. It captures a feeling that may be familiar to anyone who’s spent time on the road or ever wondered “what’s behind that old service station?” or felt vulnerable for no fault of their own.
As the story continues in seasons two and three, it loses some of the suspense and tightness of the first season. Still, a handful of episodes from the remaining seasons standout as some of the best in the series.
Favorite Episode(s):
“Mouth of the Water” – a break from the main plot, a tempting mystery on its own.
“The Monk of Crystal Springs” – even old gas stations may have a weird history.
“Prey” – the horror of realizing you didn’t even know you were in danger till well after the fact.
The Bright Sessions
As opposed to NPAD, The Bright Sessions is my favorite fiction podcast. It’s a science fiction podcast that follows a therapist and her patients. Though, the therapy patients aren’t normal patients, each are gifted (or cursed) with supernatural abilities. Interesting, right? This podcast made me fall in love with audio dramas! Captivating and character-driven. Sadly, it’s finished its original run but there are plenty of seasons and episodes that will keep you occupied for months! There are also two spin-offs: The AM Archives and College Tapes.
Favorite Episode(s):
101 – Patient #12-D-10 (Sam), Session 1 – the first episode is what hooks you.
The Magnus Archives
Alex thinks he stumbled across this show while looking for a podcast that approximates the X-Files. In that sense, it begins as a seemingly independent monster-of-the-week show that builds into a unified story, intricately connected from beginning to end. The format of the show is justified by a set of in-universe rules that are consistently developed. Unlike the X-Files, it relies on the supernatural over science fiction, in a contemporary setting.
The stories use our primal fears as the monsters and the threat is serious enough to bring every character’s safety into doubt, regardless of their importance to the story. A handful of episodes made Alex put the headphones down and watch cat videos to decompress.
It runs between graphic and subtle depending on what fear is being covered. If you’re triggered by anything in particular, the episodes are pretty well covered online.
Favorite Episode(s):
Lost Johns’ Cave, Trail Rations – Unsettling examples of what you might do to survive, each is a great example of the nature of the show.