Today is special for two reasons. One: it’s National Donut Day , so there’s your excuse to break your diet and visit your favorite local shop ( The Donut Man is conveniently located on many return-trips from the Angeles!) And two, it’s Photo Friday!

This week I noticed a lot of great travel photos in the Modern Hiker Flickr Pool , so I figured I’d make it an all-travel edition this week!

Chris’s moody shot of Death Valley’s Salt Creek does a great job of capturing the drama of the desert – even on a popular and often crowded trail.

Longtime reader Raphael Mazor just came back from a trip to Oregon and snagged this epic shot of the Sisters through Smith Rocks.

Flickr user mguzik found something up in King’s Canyon that we could use a little more of down here in SoCal – water!

And Alexander Fitch closes out this week with an unbelievable night sky shot from Joshua Tree National Park, one of the best, nearby places to remind yourself that stars do exist above our SoCal light pollution.

Thanks again for submitting your photos to the Modern Hiker Flickr Pool . Be sure to get some great shots this weekend for next week’s showcase … and hey, why not share your favorite local donut place in the comments while you’re at it!

Modern Hiker heartily recommends:

Donut Friend
SK’s
Fonuts
Bob’s Coffee and Doughnuts
The Donut Man