Nicely done with great ideas

I first saw this magazine in the grocery store a little over a year ago and cringed, "Not another "country" magazine!" I picked it up, flipped through it and bought it.
I am now a subscriber and look forward to each and every issue.
Midwest Living is full of great articles on places around the Midwest. Each issue features different areas and I've been so thrilled to find many of these wonderful little "getaways" to be within driving distance of me! They feature romantic getaways, weekend getaways, places to visit on a day trip, or places to vacation with the whole family.
I'm not originally from the Midwest, but live here now with my family. My idea of a vacation has always been to go visit my family in California. It's been wonderful to find places in our own area of the country to explore and get to know. I also think it's important for my sons to know their area of the country and be proud of it. The Midwest really does have a lot of beauty and history.
Each issue also features recipes. I love the way they do this. One issue featured firefighters and gave the firehouse's favorite recipes from around the Midwest. They usually feature recipes from restaurants or bed and breakfasts they've found along the way. The recipes are always "favorites" and are things people would actually make at home.
February's current recipe feature is on deli's. That didn't sound very appetizing to me, but these aren't fast-food deli's. The recipes included are fantastic soup, stew, and chili recipes (Tomato-Basil bisque, tortellini chowder, mushroom barley soup...to name a few), yummy sounding sandwich recipes made on homemade focaccia or sourdough breads and luscious dessert recipes like lemon bars or Winter Shortcakes (the winter version of strawberry or apple shortcakes). The magazine is loaded with wonderful pictures that will make you drool.
There are also home and garden sections which I find quite helpful. We live in a typical Midwestern style house, and while I love Sunset and Southern Living, their house and garden features just don't apply to me.
I find lots of great ideas from this magazine in using color and fabrics to decorate. I learn what types of plants will grow best in my area and what works well together. There are clothing articles and features on the different universities around the Midwest. I love their university features -- full of gorgeous photos of these old campuses, what there is to offer college students in these towns, what the favorite restaurants of the coaches are, etc... Very interesting!
Each issue offers something different and interesting and I love learning all about my area of the country and all it has to offer.