Tourists Are Getting Stuck at 'The End Of The World'

The world may not be ending off Amboy Road, but plenty of road trips are. SFGate reports that a giant desert art installation in California's Mojave Desert has become both a surreal roadside attraction and a costly trap for drivers who wander too far off pavement. About 20 miles from Joshua Tree National Park, the massive wooden sculpture spelling out "The End of the World" sits on soft sand north of Twentynine Palms and has drawn curious visitors since artist Jack Pierson installed it in 2022.

Online reviews, however, are filled with cautionary tales from tourists who tried driving directly up to the installation. As one Google Maps reviewer warned: "The sand looks innocent until it grabs your wheels and laughs while you sink like a sad desert submarine." One traveler on the Roadside America forum wrote that after reaching the sign, they "had to be towed out, as did two others while we were there." Alexis Kimball, who works with towing company Wind 'N Sea, told SFGate that drivers regularly underestimate the terrain, especially after rain or when vehicles are too heavy or lack the right tires. Read the full story.