Recently a friend told me she and her husband were going to Hawaii to celebrate a big anniversary. She continued, “We’re doing something smaller to celebrate before we go. Can you recommend something fun within a four-hour drive of Kansas City?”

Can I ever!

Over the past few years I’ve accumulated some great resources for answering questions like that. Today I want to share a few of my favorite on-line places that celebrate the Midwest.

For Travel:

Midwest Living The beautiful monthly magazine boasts an equally stunning web site where you can find everything from travel information to gardening advice to recipes. Take a walk through the gorgeous photography and dream of your next adventure.

Travel Iowa Every state has an official tourism website. What sets this one apart is its blog, which features contributions from people all over the state. Nobody knows Iowa like the locals know Iowa.

The Bed and Breakfast Association for any state. These websites are colorful, user-friendly, and offer many good alternatives to hotels. Sometimes just browsing the photos is enough to lift your spirits.

For All Things Midwestern:

You can find what you’re looking for on travel web sites. But if you don’t quite know what you’re looking for, you’ll enjoy the following.

The Midwestival Based in the northern states, this quirky online magazine is “a chronicle of the people, places and stories that make the Midwest home.” It’s pure fun.

Midwest Almanac This collaboration between three Midwestern writers tells stories of history, industry and recreation in the region. Recent subjects include The Fighting Sullivans of Iowa, The St. Paul Winter Carnival, and the origin of Dairy Queen.

For the Local Crowd:

The Greater Kansas City This online magazine features beautiful photography and thorough research in its articles promoting Kansas City life. I have learned new things about places I’d never heard of by following The GKC. They also have a local business directory.

On Facebook:

I look for interesting photos and tidbits to share with my readers on Facebook. These are my most consistent resources.

Minnesota State Parks and Trails
Kansas Tourism
Nebraska Life Magazine
Bryan Hansel Photography (Photos of Lake Superior region.)
The Olathe Page (All about historic Olathe, Kansas)