The Mojave is a big desert and a frightening one. It's as though nature tested a man for endurance and constancy to prove whether he was good enough to get to California. Travels With Charley: in Search of America, pt. 3 (1962).

More from Travels With Charley

• Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word. And there's an opening convey of generalities. A Texan outside of Texas is a foreigner. Travels With Charley: In Search of America, pt. 4 (1962)