“A MUST-READ BEFORE AMERICA TURNS 250!"
"Heartland Highways an entertaining and enlightening journey filled with humor, adventure, and meaningful encounters."
THIS STORY IS A TRAIL of moments, of small-town diner stops, of strangers who spoke truth in passing, of silence in a snowy forest, of trading screens for scenes, of nights where the stars felt closer than the ground beneath me. It's about getting lost on purpose, chasing questions, finding pieces of yourself in places you've never been.
"A MUST-READ
AS AMERICA TURNS 250"
"Read this book: It’ll make you laugh, think, and maybe stop yelling at the news for a minute."
Release Date October 1, 2025
“It does no harm just once in a while to acknowledge that the whole country isn't in flames, that there are people in the country besides politicians, entertainers, and criminals.” —Charles Kuralt
Just in time for America’s 250th birthday—because what better way to celebrate than with a genuine, entertaining, soul-searching road trip through the actual country?
John W. Butler, an award-winning broadcaster, is an authentic voice with stories from the roads less traveled, the diners more deliciously greasy, and the people more real than anything you’ll see on cable news. It’s John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley meets William Least Heat-Moon’s Blue Highways, with fewer dogs and more coffee stops.
His 33,321-mile road trip redefines the "Heartland," embracing the places and stories from sea to shining sea. “I go in search of the real America beyond the scare-you-to-death news headlines. Embracing the pace of a wanderer -- not a tourist. I was a "detourist." I didn't follow itineraries. Followed hunches and locals saying, "It's just 15 minutes that way-you can't miss it." Spoiler: I missed it. But what I found instead was better.”
John Butler intended to make a quick sweep across America to check its pulse, but his trip turned into an unexpectedly inspiring loop-de-loop of 33,321 miles. Awaken your inner wanderlust as you embark with the author, a disillusioned Texas radio personality, who swaps his broadcast desk for a rambling journey through small towns, vibrant cities, and sprawling countryside in search of our country’s heart and maybe even its soul.
Ditching the convenience of his Dallas home and ease of air travel, this curious writer outfits an Airstream Sprinter van he named ARGO after the first steamship to intentionally circumnavigate the earth. If he’s to find the essence of America, he’ll do so not through staged, grab-and-go interviews or sound bites but via deep dives into normal lives—at the pace they’re lived and where our neighbors eat, shop, bowl, worship, watch their home high school team, and enjoy first light or the setting sun.
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Amidst his immersive trip, this inquisitive road warrior encounters everyday Americans crafting solutions, fostering community, and living engaged lives that challenge the stereotypes often portrayed in the media. Along the way, Butler wrestles with his own mortality and past, encounters unexpected potholes and detours, spends a good bit of time in repair shops and down-on-your-luck motels, shares close encounters with a menagerie of wildlife and a host of colorful people living disparately but sharing a few commonalities—the least of which is the dirt beneath their feet, the home they yet call the good ol’ U.S. of A.
From the birch forests of Maine to the palmed Hollywood Hills, from the challenging Mexican border to the gilded Canadian Rockies, ride along on this singular adventure and--perhaps for the first time--allow yourself to fall in love with the real America--the folks with big hearts and warm souls who open their doors and arms to a total stranger for one reason: to learn through his discoveries that which yet unites us. He follows his itchy feet to discover America one story at a time—and learn a fair bit about himself along the way.
Spending time with the Hopi in Arizona
About the Author
John W. Butler began working in a TV newsroom at age fifteen. Throughout high school, he tested his creative flair by producing two prime-time documentaries, spinning tracks as a radio DJ, and hosting a weekly radio interview show.
John worked his way through college on-air as a television news reporter and even doing the weather, graduating with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and earning a Master’s degree from SMU in Dallas. He's deeply embedded in the Texas media scene, serving on the Texas Association of Broadcasters board and past President of the Golden Mic Club. As President of Butler7media, his Texas-based radio stations have garnered awards for broadcast excellence from the TAB and Texas Broadcast News Association. He is nominated for the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
John is a tireless advocate for community service. He has lent his voice to recording books for the sight-impaired and disabled and has dedicated over 2,000 hours to supporting cancer patients in memory of his late wife. As a devoted single dad to his son and daughter, he is now affectionately known as “Papa John” to his five grandchildren. Based in Dallas, John thrives on travel, exploring by foot, car, train, bike, and boat. He is still working on his golf skills in the never-ending quest for a hole-in-one, but he spends more time in the rough than on the green.
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