Almost a year ago, Jen and I headed south to Bishop, then a run through Death Valley, an obnoxiously windy night in Alabama Hills, and then reset in San Diego before a good run and a few nights in Anza-Borrego desert.

It's remarkable that a place this wild and surprisingly technical for off-roading in spots, is a State Park open to all. There are so many sections of the traverse (we preferred south-to-north) that beg you to stop and take it in, and of course, photograph.