13 THE BOW TIMES VOL 27, NO. 1 JANUARY 2020 www.thebowtimes.com FREE

TRAVEL TALK: WHAT TO DO ON THE ROAD by Chase Binder

I’ve said it often—Bud and I two main audiobook platforms, NH, for our November trip to love a road trip. This is a good Hoopla and Libby (Overdrive) Florida and the app worked thing, since our retirement life onto your smartphone. I pulled perfectly. It kept exact track now includes traveling from out my Samsung Galaxy S9, of where we left off, no mat- Bow to/from our little winter and the librarian took over with ter if we stopped for a puppy home in Florida at least once a smile. She helped download pee break or an overnight. The each year. Of course, we could the two apps and set up my ac- sound was clear. We are con- fly (Allegiant from Pease, multi- counts once I had my library verted! ple carriers from or card--right then and there! She Pending any technology Boston) but our two Standard explained the differences—due apocalypse, we’ve made our last transition. Others are get- Poodles, Maggie and Millie, are dates vary and Libby concen- normally with us. So, drive it is! ting the message too. Bow As- trates on digital books, audio On some trips we stop at fa- sistant Librarian Amy Bain tells books and magazines while vorite haunts like Savannah or me that Libby/Overdrive had Hoopla offers e-books, audio- Charleston. We’ve also taken di- 9,634 downloads in 2019—an books and movies, music and versions through Pennsylvania 18% increase over 2018. Hoop- more. She showed me how to and Georgia. But most years we la had a 23% increase to reach like to “shotgun” straight down book… what do you do with it? search and borrow and I se- 3,124 downloads. There isn’t I 95—1500 miles, door to door, Time for another transi- lected a couple of books—easy! room to detail all the available which we divide into three 500- tion! On one trip we discov- She finished with an explana- offerings and information (such mile days. With stops for food, ered a kiosk of audiobooks at tion of Bluetooth and USB con- as sources of free e-books on dog-walking and the occasional the ubiquitous Cracker Barrel nections in most cars. the Internet as well as an ex- traffic snafu, we spend 9-10 restaurants. Rent an audio- After my visit, I ran home and tensive in-library audiobook CD hours/day in the car. book at any Cracker Barrel in told Bud about my find. We went collection), but visit www.bow- So, what do you do for 30 the country—and return at any right out to the SUV, connected bakerfreelibrary.org to start ex- hours cooped up in a car with Cracker Barrel in the country. the app via my phone and Blue- ploring your options. Then, stop your spouse? We know lots of Prices vary depending upon the tooth and… it worked!! We bor- by for a visit. Trust me, whether folks who make the same trip. number of CD’s, and rentals re- rowed Lee Child’s “Past Tense,” you’re traveling across town or Some chat, some listen to mu- quire a hefty deposit ($30-50), a thriller set in across the country it’s worth it! sic, some follow public radio. but the deposit is immediately Some subscribe to Sirius and returned when you return the listen to sports, news, or com- book—minus a small rental fee edy shows. of $3.50-5.00. We would pick Bud and I listen to audio- up a book in NH, listen along books. We started on our first our route, then find a Cracker NH-FL road trip in 2010. We Barrel to switch out for an- were renting in Key Largo and other book until we made it to tried an audiobook by Stephen Florida—and do the reverse on King set in the Florida Keys, the way home. Last year Dan “Duma Key.” It was scary, long, Brown’s “Origin” got us all the and totally mesmerizing. We way from the Cracker Barrel in loved it! But this was before Londonderry to the one in Fort smart phone technology blos- Myers, Florida. somed. We had loaded the book But the Cracker Barrel’s se- onto an iPod and, though we lection is limited. We like to enjoyed listening, the iPod was plan ahead, and a friend had frustrating and inconsistent. been touting the free audio- We transitioned to audio- books available on web plat- books on CD – feeding them forms via public libraries and into our SUV’s CD player. accessed on smart phones, tab- We soon learned to read the lets and other devices. In Oc- labels, detailing who actu- tober I popped into Bow’s own ally reads the book (some are Baker Free Library to explore better than others – so listen to the possibility. a clip before you buy) as well It was one of those decisions as the number of CD’s and the that changed everything! The hours of listening required. We librarian explained the process. got into Lee Child’s Jack Reach- First, get a library card (free er series as well as Carl Hias- to Bow residents, employees of son’s hilarious Florida-based Bow businesses, and Dunbar- mysteries. But our library of ton children who attend Bow CD’s grew, and prices started schools, available to others for edging from $10 to $15-17 a fee—but all must apply in per book. Once you listen to a person). Then, download the