Mojave National Preserve

The first stop on my trip is Las Vegas. But before heading into the glitz and glamor of Sin City, I decided to take a detour into the polar opposite. The Mojave National Preserve is en route and offers some breathtaking views of mountains and desert. It's a road not well-traveled, as I managed to drive through miles of road without seeing a single other car.

In the center of the reserve is the abandoned town of Kelso. I met a lovely guide there who told me about a hike I should do. So I took her advice, and drove out into the desert. I climbed up a steep hill and got a spectacular view of the desert. Unfortunately, I had trouble finding the path back to the car--the desert can look all the same after a while. Maybe I should've packed some bread crumbs...

Mojave National Preserve - http://www.nps.gov/moja/index.htm

Road to nowhere

Not a single soul in sight

Abandoned post office in Kelso

Leaving my name on the ledger

I'm probably going to Instagram this

Getting lost in the desert

View from the top

Uh, how do I get back?

Seriously, where's my car?