A Midwest FarmThere's a Beauty around Every Corner I hear it from people all the time. What's there? There's nothing, why there? It's just a drive through land ... When do these come up? Every time I mention a road trip through the Midwest that includes stops along the way to turn the whole driving part into an integral part of the trip, a part of the experience.

I wholeheartedly disagree. I actually like Midwest. Beautiful places, whether rolling hills, prairies, farm land, or places full of history like Route 66 or the Lincoln Highway.

It hurts even more then to see some of the places we've visited on our travels destroyed by tornadoes. Having been there makes the news reports so much more personal. I had that experience during and after our 2013 road trip and now again just as we wrapped fhe 2014 one. We passed through Hot Springs and Little Rock, Arkansas just two days before the tornado hit nearby. We also stopped at Galena, Kansas this and past year, and drove Route 66 via Baxter Springs last year. Another place a tornado found its way to in the past weekend's violent outbreak.

When news channels interview residents of these areas, they all say they love their homes and get used to living with the constant tornado threat. I understand the love part, I can't comprehend the getting used to part. It's tough for me to watch the news only having visited the places. Living there? How can it not be nerve wrecking?

Anyway, if there's a connection you have with the Midwest, whatever the reason for it, or even if you don't, please, be generous and find some charities that you are comfortable with and make someone's day during difficult times.

Some charities involved in relief work:

• American Red Cross
• The Salvation Army
• Convoy of Hope

References:

• What is Midwest?: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, ... Midwestern United States on Wikipedia
• Tornado Alley on Wikipedia
• April 27–29, 2014 Tornado Outbreak on Wikipedia