Update Your Podcast and Audiobook Library
Driving for hours every workday or night requires the majority of an NTB driver’s attention. That being said, it can make the time seem to go faster if there is something to listen to in the background. Podcasts and audiobooks can be interesting, funny, informative, and entertaining. Because we live in and serve the Midwest, we’ve looked into some podcasts about the Midwest and audiobooks written by Midwestern authors to recommend for updating your library.
Podcasts
Who doesn’t love to hear about the lives of others or great short stories? We listened to a couple of episodes of Mid Americana and found the stories enjoyable. This podcast consists of two seasons to date. Season 1 is 8 episodes of stories about Iowans who left the state and their reasons for returning. Season 2 has 6 episodes in which the storytellers have immigrated to the Midwest from other countries.
With NTB’s headquarters being located in West Michigan, it seems appropriate to highlight the Wild Talk Podcast put out by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Division. Get updates on hunting regulations, learn about animal species found in Michigan, and get tips on outdoor safety. If you have questions or comments about an episode you’ve listened to, they may be answered when submitted to the podcast email during a break from driving.
Interested in brightening up your green thumb? The Midwest Radio Gardening Show offers tips for your home-time gardening projects. January is the perfect time to start dreaming about weather warm enough for digging in the dirt. You might even be convinced to grow a new variety of tomato in 2021.
Audiobooks
If you want to get into a good book, but don’t have the energy to read when you’ve reached your driving destination, listening to an audiobook during your drive is a good substitute for a paperback. We looked into a few Midwest authors you may not have heard of for these suggestions.
Robert Traver’s Anatomy of a Murder is the true crime story of a 1958 murder in Big Bay, Michigan. The story was made into a movie starring James Stewart as the attorney looking for answers at the beautiful courthouse in Marquette, Michigan. If you find yourself in Big Bay, you’ll want to visit the Lumberjack Tavern to see the spot where the murder took place and the local outfitters shop in town, which is the location of a preserved jail cell. Traver, who was from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, also wrote Laughing Whitefish, a historic novel based on three Michigan Supreme Court cases in the 1880s. Robert Traver is the pen name for John D. Voelker.
While everyone is familiar with Wisconsin author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, other writers have also come out of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Aldo Leopold’s 1949 work A Sand County Almanac is highly rated with reviewers stating they’ve found a new favorite book. It’s a book of nature writing to rival Henry David Thoreau.
A Few Videos for Non-Driving Hours
While you're not driving, how about checking out a little Charlie Berens' Midwest Nice. Charlie Berens’ strong Midwest accent—yes, Midwesterners do have an accent—and his comedic view of the Midwest life just might make you smile at the end of your drive.
Discover Wisconsin has a series of beautifully videographed scenery in Wisconsin. You just might find your next vacation destination while watching.
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