Atlanta podcasters share their road trip recommendations

What better way to prepare yourself for days of eating food and debating politics than with the escapist joy of a smart, well-produced podcast?

We asked some of Atlanta's top podcasting talent for their road trip recommendations.

Some answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Lisa Hagen, co-host of NPR's "No Compromise," the Pulitzer-winning look at a group of guns rights activists who have built a social media empire:

• "My favorite is 'Last Podcast on the Left.' It's not very family friendly. It's about serial killers and cults and UFOs — which is exactly what the holidays put me in the mood for."

Rodney Carmichael, co-host of NPR's "Louder Than a Riot," an acclaimed series that explores the "interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration."

• "Resistance. ""Now on Spotify Premium, this is show the most urgent podcast out right now. There's nowhere else in mainstream media where I get to hear people who sound like me telling stories that matter to me. It feels like the real American revolution."

Victoria Lemos, the host of "Archive Atlanta," a series about the city's history and the stories you never knew behind buildings and landmarks:

• "The Food That Binds." "Jennifer Zyman, a food critic, asks guests complex questions about the restaurant industry and how COVID has affected it."
• "Freewheelin with Carden." "I've been working on being more informed and aware of my ableism, and I love the way Carden Wyckoff interviews. Her guests are also extremely diverse, and I learn so much from each episode."

Matthew Shaer, co-founder of Campside Media, the producer of series like "Suspect," "Witnessed: Borderlands" and "Chameleon."

• "Believe Her." "This is the most innovative true-crime show I've heard in a long time. It's poignant and sharp and so deeply reported. A real masterpiece."
• "Of the eight shows Campside released in 2021, "Eclipsed" makes me the proudest. Hosted by Bijan Stephen, the series is about historical events that were overshadowed by other things in the news at the time, to the extent we've now largely forgotten about them."

• "'Hooked' is another great show. It's about addiction, the cost of the opioid crisis, and a very skilled bank robber."

Christina Lee, co-host of "Bottom of the Map" and "Racket: Inside the Gold Club" and a weekly contributor to NPR's "All Songs Considered."

• "For the drive up to Maryland, I'm hoping to revisit the "Bruce Lee Podcast" (yes, that Bruce Lee) co-hosted by his daughter Shannon. I discovered the show around this time last year, when I skipped out on family festivities due to the pandemic. (Some families watch "A Christmas Story;" we watch "Enter the Dragon.") During the first season Bruce Lee became my Brene Brown. The first batch of episodes is especially perfect for end-of-year reflections, as we learn how some of Bruce's most memorable quotes (i.e. this entire scene on "emotional content") were rooted in his personal philosophies about mindfulness, and ways to apply these lessons to everyday life."