A Playlist for the Drive Out

The holiday doesn't start when you unlock the door — it starts somewhere on the drive, usually right about when the city falls away and the Joshua trees start showing up along the highway. Give that moment a soundtrack.

Set it up before you lose signal

Cell service gets patchy as you climb, and drops to nothing on the backcountry roads, so download your music and directions before you go. Queue up something with room in it — desert country, dusty Americana, warm old soul, spacious electronic, whatever makes a wide landscape feel wider. Save the loud stuff for the freeway and let it open out as the road does.

The last stretch

Coming up Highway 62 out of the pass, the view cracks open and the desert spreads out ahead. That's the moment. Roll the windows down if the heat allows, turn it up, and let the drive become the on-ramp to desert time. Our Highway 62 guide maps the route.

For the podcast people

If you'd rather listen than sing, a long desert drive is perfect for the episode you've been saving — something meaty enough to carry a couple of hours. Just switch it off for the final climb. Some views deserve your full attention.

And on the way home

Save something quiet for the drive back down. You'll want it.