Considering the art of traveling

Today the drive from Boulder, Colorado, to Wichita, Kansas, was uneventful. Toward the end of the drive, a full moon graced the sky as the setting sun colored the skyline. In January, snow normally covers the western Kansas terrain, but during the drive today, the only highway related highlights involved the passage of tumbleweeds. Traveling throughout the United States highway system provides an opportunity to experience different landscapes at different times of year. Kansas experiences a wide range of weather including tornados, hundred-degree summer heat, and occasionally large snowdrifts. Anyone driving across Kansas has to be careful to avoid the potential risk of tornados and snowstorms.
Speaking of tornados, several years ago, a tornado touched down within a block of the old apartment in Lawrence, Kansas, just past Clinton Parkway near Clinton Lake. For some reason that is still unexplainable, at the time, it seemed like a good idea to stand in the parking lot and on the balcony of the apartment and take photographs of the tornado. Naturally, news organizations were happy to get digital copies of the tornado photographs without sending reporters into hazardous conditions. After several years of reflective thought devoted to the experience of taking tornado photographs the fact remains that the apartment complex still does not have a basement or tornado shelter, running from the tornado was impossible, and driving away from the tornado would have only been possible with advanced warning.
Additionally, on the subject of tornados, during the drive from Bolder, Colorado, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last year a tornado formed and touched down several miles from the highway. Oddly enough, in this case, inclement weather developed during the long drive and the local radio stations did not provide a warning until after the first tornado touched down. At this time, it should be noted that tornados do not actually occur very often making them manageable risk. After previously having the experience of seeing the devastating potential of a tornado, the idea of getting close to a tornado again from inside a car hiding under a highway overpass was terrifying.
Throughout the day different radio reports talked about the rare occurrence of tornados in the month of January like the ones reported on the eastern coast. However, during this time of year wildfires can devastate the Midwest if high winds and drought conditions develop.