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HEARTLAND HIGHWAYS: IN SEARCH OF AMERICA
A Road Trip Story with Heart, Humor, & Hope! ---- Feels like a conversation with an old friend!
WINNER of the 2025 American Writing Awards for non-fiction, travel story!
Book of the Year 2025 Awards Finalist for the Independent Author's Network in two “ Adventure” and “Travel!”
John W. Butler is an award-winning author and broadcaster—a storytelling road warrior with a country soul and a sharp wit, equal parts Texas radio charm and Maine forest mystery.
"Heartland Highways has all the ingredients of a classic road humor, grit, cultural soul.” - C.S. (Reviewer)
Perfect for readers of Blue Highways, Eat Pray Love, and Travels with Charley—a journey through America’s heart that feels like coming home.The perfect read for America's 250th birthday, because what better way to celebrate than with a genuine, entertaining, soul-searching road trip through the whole dang country?
Tired of the nonstop noise in the country? "Me too," Butler said. "So I did something extreme—I traded 'screens for scenes' and drove 33,321 miles across America. What I real people, authentic stories, and the genuine hope we’re starving for." Take a detour from the chaos. More than a road trip—it’s a journey back to connection, humor, and the humanity we’ve been missing. It will warm your heart and soul.
"Heartland Highways is the ultimate road trip. John Butler has shown how someone can truly discover what our country is all about after 250 Years and the many different people that make the US great." Roger T. (Reader review)
"With a unique blend of humor, insight, and poignant reflection, he allows readers to see America through the eyes of a true 'detourist,' someone who embraces the unexpected and finds beauty in the unplanned." - Canton Herald
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys tales of travel or who simply wants to connect with a man who has worked his way through a life that has delivered significant highs and lows. John, it seems, has dealt with this extremely well. I'm sure I'll reflect on his story for quite some time." - A.S. (London Review)
"I loved this book ... this is just good travel writing that feels like he sat down at the end of the day, wrote what he did that day, and then edited it all when he finally finished travelling." - J.D. NetGalley Reviewer)
"...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.S. (NetGalley Reviewer)
"Heartland Highways has all the ingredients of a classic road humor, grit, cultural soul." - C.S. (Reviewer)
"A road trip for the soul - without leaving your sofa." -B.J. (Reviewer)
A Hopi tribesman he spent time with called him "The Truth Seeker." "Seasoned journalistic writing, keen observation, careful listening, and wisdom acquired by living life’s ups and downs bring the reader into the passenger seat for a trip across America. The journey invites us to take the detours, whether on the road or in our minds, to live fully and to grow our spirits and connections to what really matters." - C.K.
WINNER of the 2025 American Writing Awards for non-fiction, travel story!
Book of the Year 2025 Awards Finalist for the Independent Author's Network in two “ Adventure” and “Travel!”
John W. Butler is an award-winning author and broadcaster—a storytelling road warrior with a country soul and a sharp wit, equal parts Texas radio charm and Maine forest mystery.
"Heartland Highways has all the ingredients of a classic road humor, grit, cultural soul.” - C.S. (Reviewer)
Perfect for readers of Blue Highways, Eat Pray Love, and Travels with Charley—a journey through America’s heart that feels like coming home.The perfect read for America's 250th birthday, because what better way to celebrate than with a genuine, entertaining, soul-searching road trip through the whole dang country?
Tired of the nonstop noise in the country? "Me too," Butler said. "So I did something extreme—I traded 'screens for scenes' and drove 33,321 miles across America. What I real people, authentic stories, and the genuine hope we’re starving for." Take a detour from the chaos. More than a road trip—it’s a journey back to connection, humor, and the humanity we’ve been missing. It will warm your heart and soul.
"Heartland Highways is the ultimate road trip. John Butler has shown how someone can truly discover what our country is all about after 250 Years and the many different people that make the US great." Roger T. (Reader review)
"With a unique blend of humor, insight, and poignant reflection, he allows readers to see America through the eyes of a true 'detourist,' someone who embraces the unexpected and finds beauty in the unplanned." - Canton Herald
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys tales of travel or who simply wants to connect with a man who has worked his way through a life that has delivered significant highs and lows. John, it seems, has dealt with this extremely well. I'm sure I'll reflect on his story for quite some time." - A.S. (London Review)
"I loved this book ... this is just good travel writing that feels like he sat down at the end of the day, wrote what he did that day, and then edited it all when he finally finished travelling." - J.D. NetGalley Reviewer)
"...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.S. (NetGalley Reviewer)
"Heartland Highways has all the ingredients of a classic road humor, grit, cultural soul." - C.S. (Reviewer)
"A road trip for the soul - without leaving your sofa." -B.J. (Reviewer)
A Hopi tribesman he spent time with called him "The Truth Seeker." "Seasoned journalistic writing, keen observation, careful listening, and wisdom acquired by living life’s ups and downs bring the reader into the passenger seat for a trip across America. The journey invites us to take the detours, whether on the road or in our minds, to live fully and to grow our spirits and connections to what really matters." - C.K.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2025
4 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
John W. Butler
2 booksJohn W. Butler is an award-winning radio and TV broadcaster, a storytelling road warrior with a country soul and a sharp wit, equal parts Texas radio charm and Maine forest mystery.
He graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and earned a master's degree from SMU. He's deeply embedded in the Texas media scene, serving on the board of the Texas Association of Broadcasters and as the former president of the Golden Mic Club. His Texas-based broadcast stations have garnered awards for broadcast excellence from the TAB and Texas Broadcast News Association. A Hopi tribesman he spent time with called him “The Truth Seeker. "
John is dedicated to community service through his broadcast work and has personally contributed over 2,000 hours to assist cancer patients in honor of his late wife. He has recorded books for the visually impaired and those with disabilities. He serves on the Dallas County Emergency Response Team. He has been involved in international projects to aid developing countries, coordinating with world financial leaders, including the late Baron Rothschild in Paris.
John raised his two elementary-aged children after his wife died. They are now grown with families. He has five grandchildren.
In his youth, he worked in a TV newsroom starting at age 15. Later, he was also a Top 40 DJ and was one of three bicyclists in a historic bicycle race across Texas, billed at the time as the "largest radio promotion ever in radio.” They started at the Alamo, raced to downtown Dallas, then on to Herman Park in Houston. (That’s when he learned Texas is not flat.)
John loves sailing. He was a member of the Sea Scouts and the UT Sailing Club and has
sailed along most of the coasts of America. He has sailed to Cuba in a 27-foot sailboat and
throughout the Bahamas.
He graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and earned a master's degree from SMU. He's deeply embedded in the Texas media scene, serving on the board of the Texas Association of Broadcasters and as the former president of the Golden Mic Club. His Texas-based broadcast stations have garnered awards for broadcast excellence from the TAB and Texas Broadcast News Association. A Hopi tribesman he spent time with called him “The Truth Seeker. "
John is dedicated to community service through his broadcast work and has personally contributed over 2,000 hours to assist cancer patients in honor of his late wife. He has recorded books for the visually impaired and those with disabilities. He serves on the Dallas County Emergency Response Team. He has been involved in international projects to aid developing countries, coordinating with world financial leaders, including the late Baron Rothschild in Paris.
John raised his two elementary-aged children after his wife died. They are now grown with families. He has five grandchildren.
In his youth, he worked in a TV newsroom starting at age 15. Later, he was also a Top 40 DJ and was one of three bicyclists in a historic bicycle race across Texas, billed at the time as the "largest radio promotion ever in radio.” They started at the Alamo, raced to downtown Dallas, then on to Herman Park in Houston. (That’s when he learned Texas is not flat.)
John loves sailing. He was a member of the Sea Scouts and the UT Sailing Club and has
sailed along most of the coasts of America. He has sailed to Cuba in a 27-foot sailboat and
throughout the Bahamas.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 10, 2025
I’ve always enjoyed accounts of peoples travel experiences, for some reason, this particularly applies to road trips. I’m a big fan of Paul Theroux’s many adventures, and though this author was new to me, his adventure pricked my interest. John W. Butler's is perhaps better known to those who live stateside. He owns and runs a radio station in Texas, and as well as interviewing people for his show he’s travelled widely around the world. This trip was inspired by Steinbeck’s book Travels with Charley, written in 1961. The famous scribbler had set out with his French poodle to ‘discover’ the country he’d lived in and written about for many years. John decided he wanted some discovery of his own and set out on a long (over 30,000 miles) journey around America.
He purchased a large Airstream motor coach and set off from Chesapeake Bay, in the north east, with a plan that seemed to embrace a trip around the perimeter states. Because of some issues with his wagon, this turned out to be a roughly clockwise route, interrupted in the high north west of the country by weather, and completed with a run up through the central states, from his Texas home, and a then quick dive east to complete his quest. It was a journey that took him around two years to complete, with a forced break at one point due to a medical emergency!
What’s Here:
- Some history relating to the places he visits or simply passes through, and reflections on the differences and similarities he notices as he travels
- A good deal of positivity about America: what it is, how it got there
- Lots of reflections on the people he met along the way – some very briefly and others more formally or for longer
- Much on the joy of travel, of moving place to place, on seeing things for the first time or re-visiting places much loved, and on the pleasures and challenges of being on the road alone
- An insight into his life – one replete with a mixture of tragedy and success
What’s not here:
- Details of long, insightful conversations – most are short and carry no real weight, though there are a couple of exceptions
- Political comment or views expressed by people he met – which I felt a somewhat strange omission, given the journey had begun literally as Trump was elected to his first term as president
- Any real observations on America’s darker underbelly, other than brief reflections on homelessness and drug use
- Any assessment of his country’s strengths and weaknesses
John is a man of faith, and it’s clearly helped him deal with the real challenges he‘s faced in his life. He’s open and honest about some dark and difficult moments in his life. I found this to be hugely touching and insightful. I really enjoyed my time with him, genuinely feeling that I was sharing this extended trip. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys tales of travel or who simply wants to connect with a man who has worked his way through a life that has delivered significant highs and lows. John, it seems, has dealt with this extremely well. I’m sure I’ll reflect on his story for quite some time.
My thanks to Story Road Press for supplying a pre-publication copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
He purchased a large Airstream motor coach and set off from Chesapeake Bay, in the north east, with a plan that seemed to embrace a trip around the perimeter states. Because of some issues with his wagon, this turned out to be a roughly clockwise route, interrupted in the high north west of the country by weather, and completed with a run up through the central states, from his Texas home, and a then quick dive east to complete his quest. It was a journey that took him around two years to complete, with a forced break at one point due to a medical emergency!
What’s Here:
- Some history relating to the places he visits or simply passes through, and reflections on the differences and similarities he notices as he travels
- A good deal of positivity about America: what it is, how it got there
- Lots of reflections on the people he met along the way – some very briefly and others more formally or for longer
- Much on the joy of travel, of moving place to place, on seeing things for the first time or re-visiting places much loved, and on the pleasures and challenges of being on the road alone
- An insight into his life – one replete with a mixture of tragedy and success
What’s not here:
- Details of long, insightful conversations – most are short and carry no real weight, though there are a couple of exceptions
- Political comment or views expressed by people he met – which I felt a somewhat strange omission, given the journey had begun literally as Trump was elected to his first term as president
- Any real observations on America’s darker underbelly, other than brief reflections on homelessness and drug use
- Any assessment of his country’s strengths and weaknesses
John is a man of faith, and it’s clearly helped him deal with the real challenges he‘s faced in his life. He’s open and honest about some dark and difficult moments in his life. I found this to be hugely touching and insightful. I really enjoyed my time with him, genuinely feeling that I was sharing this extended trip. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys tales of travel or who simply wants to connect with a man who has worked his way through a life that has delivered significant highs and lows. John, it seems, has dealt with this extremely well. I’m sure I’ll reflect on his story for quite some time.
My thanks to Story Road Press for supplying a pre-publication copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2025
Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. MARK TWAIN
Author John W. Butler buys a BEAUTIFUL Airstream class B motorhome. (Would love to see the inside!) The couch turns into a bed, bathroom/shower, small kitchen and you can stand up straight; small enough to maneuver in cities. (I don't think the author mentions the cost.)
About 5 years ago I retired, we bought an RV. We decided that we needed to put it on the road at least once a month (April-Oct) ... and we have; with about 10,000 miles on the used RV (to see if we would enjoy it) and now 50,000 miles on the current RV.
I had requested from NetGalley and publisher Story Road Press 1 the opportunity to read the advance read copy of Heartland Highways in exchange from an honest review. I'm always looking for new sights to see and glean ideas from other travelers.
I started Heartland Highways shortly after returning from a 1 month, 5,000 mile RV trip. (Our RV paths crossed early in the book ... around 15% where the author mentions New London, CT. We stayed there at a very cool Harvest Host location in New London, CT ... Crocker's Boatyard in Shaw's Cove ... earlier this year.)
Definitely two bucket list items were added to my list as a result of reading Heartland Highways. 1) Luna's Farm to Table in Fargo, ND and 2) traveling without a predetermined destination ... maybe for at least 3 nights. (I love that the author included this from a friend's mother, "Mother Mary, ful of grace, help me find a parking space."). There are some other hidden gems that are also on my list.
I enjoy memoirs and some non-fiction. Heartland Highways was particularly enjoyable to me as an RV'er. Many pictures; well written. Approximately 400 pages. Released Sept 2025.
Author John W. Butler buys a BEAUTIFUL Airstream class B motorhome. (Would love to see the inside!) The couch turns into a bed, bathroom/shower, small kitchen and you can stand up straight; small enough to maneuver in cities. (I don't think the author mentions the cost.)
About 5 years ago I retired, we bought an RV. We decided that we needed to put it on the road at least once a month (April-Oct) ... and we have; with about 10,000 miles on the used RV (to see if we would enjoy it) and now 50,000 miles on the current RV.
I had requested from NetGalley and publisher Story Road Press 1 the opportunity to read the advance read copy of Heartland Highways in exchange from an honest review. I'm always looking for new sights to see and glean ideas from other travelers.
I started Heartland Highways shortly after returning from a 1 month, 5,000 mile RV trip. (Our RV paths crossed early in the book ... around 15% where the author mentions New London, CT. We stayed there at a very cool Harvest Host location in New London, CT ... Crocker's Boatyard in Shaw's Cove ... earlier this year.)
Definitely two bucket list items were added to my list as a result of reading Heartland Highways. 1) Luna's Farm to Table in Fargo, ND and 2) traveling without a predetermined destination ... maybe for at least 3 nights. (I love that the author included this from a friend's mother, "Mother Mary, ful of grace, help me find a parking space."). There are some other hidden gems that are also on my list.
I enjoy memoirs and some non-fiction. Heartland Highways was particularly enjoyable to me as an RV'er. Many pictures; well written. Approximately 400 pages. Released Sept 2025.
November 21, 2025
IAN BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST - Non-Fiction Adventure & Travel
"Heartland Highways has all the ingredients of a classic road narrative: humor, grit, cultural soul."
"With a unique blend of humor, insight, and poignant reflection, he allows readers to see America through the eyes of a true "detourist," someone who embraces the unexpected and finds beauty in the unplanned." - Canton Herald
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys tales of travel or who simply wants to connect with a man who has worked his way through a life that has delivered significant highs and lows. John, it seems, has dealt with this extremely well. I'm sure I'll reflect on his story for quite some time." - A.S. (London Review)
"I loved this book ... this is just good travel writing that feels like he sat down at the end of the day, wrote what he did that day, and then edited it all when he finally finished travelling." - J.D. NetGalley Reviewer)
"...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.S. (NetGalley Reviewer) "Heartland Highways has all the ingredients of a classic road narrative: humor, grit, cultural soul." - C.S. (Reviewer)
"A road trip for the soul - without leaving your sofa." -B.J. (Reviewer) A Hopi tribesman he spent time with called him "The Truth Seeker."
"Heartland Highways has all the ingredients of a classic road narrative: humor, grit, cultural soul."
"With a unique blend of humor, insight, and poignant reflection, he allows readers to see America through the eyes of a true "detourist," someone who embraces the unexpected and finds beauty in the unplanned." - Canton Herald
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys tales of travel or who simply wants to connect with a man who has worked his way through a life that has delivered significant highs and lows. John, it seems, has dealt with this extremely well. I'm sure I'll reflect on his story for quite some time." - A.S. (London Review)
"I loved this book ... this is just good travel writing that feels like he sat down at the end of the day, wrote what he did that day, and then edited it all when he finally finished travelling." - J.D. NetGalley Reviewer)
"...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.S. (NetGalley Reviewer) "Heartland Highways has all the ingredients of a classic road narrative: humor, grit, cultural soul." - C.S. (Reviewer)
"A road trip for the soul - without leaving your sofa." -B.J. (Reviewer) A Hopi tribesman he spent time with called him "The Truth Seeker."
October 29, 2025
Great book, it was a heart felt and very inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews