Heartland Highways: In Search of America

Sometimes the most important journey begins after the life you planned has disappeared in the rearview mirror.My wife died too young, leaving me to raise two small children. Years passed. The kids grew up. The dog died. New loves were found and lost. Somewhere along the way, I lost touch with the world. With America. Maybe with myself, too.So I hit the road.For 33,321 miles, I wandered through big cities and small towns, down forgotten back roads, wrong turns, and the occasional bad idea.I met dreamers and drifters, rascals and remarkable Americans. There was laughter. Trouble. A dark and stormy night. Even Canada and Cuba.Along the way, I became a Detourist, someone willing to leave the familiar road and follow my curiosity wherever it might lead.I went searching for America.What I found was something else entirely.WINNER of the American Writing Awards for non-fiction, travel story! *** IAN BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST - Non-Fiction Adventure & TravelNetGalley Reviews: "Heartland Highways has all the ingredients of a classic road narrative: humor, grit, cultural soul." "...hugely touching and insightful. I really enjoyed my time with him, genuinely feeling that I was sharing this extended trip ... I'll reflect on his story for quite some time." "A road trip for the soul - without leaving your sofa."I went searching for America. What I found was something else entirely."It's John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley and Jack Kerouac's On the Road, meets William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways, with fewer dogs and more coffee stops. John W. Butler's 33,321-mile road trip redefines the 'Heartland,' embracing the places and stories from sea to shining sea."NOT LOST. JUST A DETOURISTTo me, the answer wasn't in the news cycle. It wasn't in politics. It was in the accidental encounters: the cowboy in Texas who told me, "This land teaches patience." The waitress in Maine who reminded me, "People are kinder than the internet says." The forest in Montana that answered with silence so heavy it felt holy. What you'll find is a story about trading screens for scenes, and about discovering pieces of yourself in places you've never been.It's about America, the messy, sprawling, contradictory, beautiful idea that's somehow held together for two and a half centuries. And how you don't really see it on the main road. You see it in the detours. If you're looking for perfect pictures and travel tips, this book isn't for you. But if you've ever wondered what happens when you leave the map behind, if you're ready for a long, strange, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking ride, then buckle up. We're taking the scenic route on purpose.NOT LOST. JUST A DETOURIST! More at