William Least Heat Moon's excursion reflects his appreciation for tradition and the purity of the past. His odyssey reflects his Indian heritage and the corrupting influence of modern technology. Heat Moon takes a circular journey around the country. By traveling this circular path and subconsciously following his Indian heritage routes, William Least Heat Moon symbolically returns to his childhood, to his soul, to his origin, to his self, and to his people. He travels the Blue Highway towns, the "don't blink or you'll miss it towns," where people live the old-fashioned way of life. Completely frustrated with trying to cope with recent personal and emotional loss in his life, Heat Moon takes a quest to take control of his destiny. He realizes that the precious fragility of nature has been camouflaged and destroyed by modern day chaos and "advances."

Getting in touch with his childhood enabled him to experience his Native American heritage. Evidently, Heat Moon is proud of this heritage; a culture that respected the earth and appreciated all that nature has to offer. He decided to begin his jou

The Native American culture, so aware and grateful of the natural environment, would consider modern culture to be full of chaos and destruction. Everywhere that Heat Moon went, he observed and treasured the existence of nature all around him. He took time along the way to observe birds and small animals. Heat Moon suffered the tyranny of highway traffic and the chaos every time he approached a city, but felt joy when going to the remote blue highway towns. For example, in Gainsburrow, he made the following notes of relief: "No interstate refugees with full bladders and empty tanks; no wild eyed children just released from the glassy cell of a station wagon back seat; no long hall truckers talking in CB language." On his way to Darlington, after traveling on a highway for a while, Heat Moon sighs with relief after getting back to quiet, remote country roads. "I escaped the damn nation-passing station wagons full of beach balls and babies." He appreciated smelling cattle instead of carbon monoxide, now driving instead of being driven.

In faith and tradition of the Navajo's, Heat Moon baths in pure icy water. He was so cold, but was comforted with the thought that this is how the Navajos must have felt after a traditional sweet bath and role in the snow. Here at the creek, he meets and old man by the name of Watkins, who shares Heat Moon's philosophy of life. Hindered by his family, he cannot live as he wants to, free from the corruption of society. Watkins views his grandchildren, the new generation, as already being corrupted by the technological advances of the world. "Great grandkids won't have anything unless wires come out of it. If I ran an extension cord down my pant leg and let them plug me in then they'd believe that they had a real great-g

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Approximate Word count = 1197
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)