After we left LA we went to Palm Springs, and then north through Joshua Tree
Stayed at a little Airbnb outside the park, and decided it was too much driving to go through death valley, so we went to Las Vegas and hiked Red Rock Park instead.
We've spent most of the last two days driving pretty much straight north, through some of the most desolate places I've ever been. Especially driving through the Mojave national preserve where we saw no one, not a single car going in either direction, for a looong time. It's empty, at least of people.