A desert road trip through California’s Imperial Sand Dunes near Yuma, Arizona featuring desolate highways, waves of sand, roadside stops, and the stillness of the Southwest borderlands.

Most travelers pass Desert Center without a second thought. I keep coming back. Somewhere between the abandoned buildings, rusted relics, and endless desert silence, this desolate town made me wonder what was, what could have been, and what might still become of it.

Exploring the Blythe Intaglios: Massive geoglyphs etched into the desert near Blythe, California.

Growing up, I was fascinated by a road sign pointing to Barstow, California. Years later, I set out on a road trip to discover whether a matching sign existed 2,554 miles away at the western end of Interstate 40.

A back-road-trip led me to Salvation Mountain, a vibrant desert folk-art landmark built by Leonard Knight near Slab City, California.