A Postcard from the 395

Mino, a fluffy black and white Sheepadoodle, standing on the edge of a long, straight desert highway stretching into distant mountains toward the sun in Death Valley.

The 395 is the quiet, rugged rival to the 1, a highway that hugs the granite spine of the Eastern Sierra and earns its place as one of California's great drives.  We make it a point to make the trip at least once a year for the stillness it affords - it's a completely different cadence than the rest of the state, a slice of interior Americana and vast solitude found just a few hours outside of LA. 

Branching off the main artery, the roads leading to Death Valley offer a rare sense of space -- stretches where you might not see another car for 10 minutes at a time. Here, the landscape opens up into a silent expanse that feels worlds away from the coast. 

Long, straight paved road descending into the vast, arid desert landscape of Death Valley National Park, with white salt flats stretching across the valley floor beneath rugged mountain ranges and a wispy blue sky.
Close-up view of rocky desert terrain dotted with small yellow wildflowers and desert shrubs, looking out toward layered blue mountain ranges in Death Valley under a clear sky.

Catching the tail end of the superbloom - desert gold still scattered across the valley floor. 

Undulating two-lane desert highway dipping and weaving across a vast desert basin toward towering, hazy blue mountain ranges in Death Valley National Park under a clear sky.

Lower gears and the long, rolling descent into the basin. 

A classic red vintage Chevrolet pickup truck driving down a paved road through Death Valley, backed by sprawling desert shrubland and massive, arid mountain ridges under a clear sky.
Single vehicle driving down a dirt road through the jagged, salt-crusted terrain of Devil's Golf Course in Death Valley, with salt flats stretching toward massive blue mountains in the background.

The Devil's Golf Course - a jagged field of salt crystals that have baked in the sun for millennia. 

Rolling golden sand dunes of Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes bordered by green desert scrubland in the foreground, with jagged purple mountain ranges rising under a vast, bright blue sky in Death Valley National Park.

A soft, wind swept relief from the desert's sharper edges at the Mesquite Flat Dunes. 

Mino, a black and white Sheepadoodle, lying down on dark volcanic gravel along the rim of Ubehebe Crater with purple wildflowers in Death Valley National Park.

Mino taking in the scale of the Ubehebe Crater. Those tiny flecks at the bottom of the photo below are hikers.  

Wide view looking down into the massive, steep basin of Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley National Park, displaying exposed layers of orange, yellow, and grey volcanic rock walls beneath a clear blue sky. Hikers can be seen walking up the base of the crater.
Small herd of wild brown burros crossing a two-lane paved highway in Death Valley, standing near a yellow 40 MPH left-turn sign against a desert mountain backdrop.

A roadside encounter with the burros - descendants of 19th century pack animals abandoned by miners but perfectly at home in the desert.

Side mirror reflection of a photographer taking a picture with a DSLR camera during a scenic drive through Death Valley National Park, with rolling desert hills and distant blue mountain ranges stretching into the background.

Fluffy black and white Sheepadoodle dog standing on a rocky overlook, gazing out into the steep, layered volcanic cliffs of Rainbow Canyon in Death Valley National Park under a clear blue sky.

Mino looking out over Rainbow Canyon - a legendary low-altitude training ground where fighter jets bank through the gorge at eye-level to the rim. 

Fluffy black and white Sheepadoodle, Mino, standing happily on dark volcanic rocks at Father Crowley Vista Point, looking out over Rainbow Canyon in Death Valley National Park.
A classic jeep driving down the main street of historic downtown Lone Pine, California, framed by vintage storefront signs, sporting goods stores, and traffic lights under a clear blue sky.

Back on the 395 through Lone Pine, the town that built the cinematic West. A Hollywood staple since the 1920's, Lone Pine and the nearby Alabama Hills have hosted icons like John Wayne and Gene Autry across hundreds of classic productions. 

Vintage wooden sign reading "Jake's Saloon" mounted on a rustic shingled rooftop against a clear blue sky in historic Lone Pine, California.

A very important coordinate on the map is Jake's Saloon, a local run tavern that serves as the definitive watering hole of the Owens Valley. It's dog-friendly too, so you can settle in with a cold one while your pup works the room for pets from the regulars. A winding paved road leading through the rounded rock formations of the Alabama Hills toward the snow-capped, jagged peaks of Mount Whitney and the Sierra Nevada mountain range under a crisp blue sky near Lone Pine, California.

Distant view of a military jet performing an in-flight refueling maneuver with a KC-135 Stratotanker against a clear blue sky, captured above Lone Pine, California.

Only on the 395 can you be on cruise-control and watch a pair of fighter jets buzz you from only a few hundred feet overhead, or catch them dog fighting in the distance.  Here we spotted a jet topping off from a Statotanker high above the valley.  That's the other allure of this road - where a meditative drive can suddenly erupt into an unscripted air show. 

Outdoor smoker pit with a massive pile of firewood stacked outside Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine, California, with snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains towering in the background under a clear sky.

Further north in Big Pine, Copper Top is the final essential check-point before you hit Mammoth territory. 

Snow-dusted, rugged granite face of Carson Peak rising dramatically above pine trees near June Lake, California, set against a deep blue sky.
A happy owner running down an empty mountain road behind Mino, a black and white Sheepadoodle dog, with snow-covered Sierra peaks in the background near June Lake, California.

Mino's personality changes at 7,000 ft 

Close-up of a person holding Mino, a black and white Sheepadoodle, who wraps his paws over her shoulder against snow-capped peaks in June Lake, California.
High-energy black and white Sheepadoodle dog bounding through deep snow near a grove of aspen trees along the June Lake Loop.

Clearly in his element

Close-up of Mino, a fluffy black and white Sheepadoodle, resting peacefully with eyes closed and a wet black nose during a road trip drive home.

The best naps happen in the carMino.la co-founder Catalina standing beside her black and white Sheepadoodle, Mino, as he looks up happily while walking down straight railroad tracks cutting through a desert landscape.

Vibrant yellow California goldfields blanketing the roadside along Highway 14 South as the open desert road stretches toward Los Angeles under a clear blue sky.

Heading southbound, the highway gives us a parting gift. California goldfields blanket the roadside like a yellow brick road back to LA.