I talked to one of my friends today and she and her family are road-tripping it to the Black Hills this summer with the kids and dogs - in tow! Of course there were rumblings about the loooong car drive! Eight hours in a car. Two adults, four kids and two dogs!

Not to fear - help is on the way. Yes, they do have portable devices for navigation and videos to keep the kids entertained. But what else?

Well, what about books? How about books on tape for the entire family!

Actress Sissy Spacek is the voice on one of my favorite books: To Kill A Mockingbird. Great for the entire family and think about the conversations you could have with your kids!

Most books now come on CDs and I can't think of better way to kill a few hours on the road!

If it's just an adult road trip, there are plenty of books available to you too. Alternative medicine guru Andrew Weil may be a good choice. His book Spontaneous Happiness is a good choice, in my opinion. He focuses on the simple things in life: good and real food, good friends and good exercise. It's a pretty uplifting book that I think is great for any road trip.

I'm sure there are plenty of other audio books that will fit your family.

Any more suggestions? Please share!