Nat, an aspiring photographer, is heading toward a bright future in art school in Los Angeles and wants to find the real America en route to new beginnings out West; Richard, a lovably unkempt motormouth, is simply looking for a connection while he grapples with indecision, past mistakes and dead ends. As they travel through the American Southwest, crossing paths with an assortment of oddball characters, both passengers come alive through the possibilities of the open road.