The Other Great California Road Trip -WSJ [View all]

For decades, road trippers in search of California postcard views have flocked to Highway 1 for panoramas of craggy coastline and shady redwood forests. But ask a local like me which stretch of blacktop really shows off the Golden State’s frontier spirit and scenic diversity, and you’re liable to hear a different number: 395.

A world apart from the clogged coastline, Highway 395 winds from the lapis water of Lake Tahoe to the sky-high summit of Mount Whitney. This is the road that in-the-know mountain ramblers take to avoid the high-season throngs of Sequoia and Big Sur. A route where ski bums, ranchers and Patagonia-clad vacationers all coexist in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada. “It’s really a journey full of superlatives,” says Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California. “You pass the highest point in the contiguous United States, and a short detour takes you to the oldest trees in the world.”

And this summer, choosing it just makes practical sense. With mudslides and extreme weather events causing frequent closures along Highway 1, Highway 395 offers an uncrowded alternative route—that is, if you’re cool with trading sandy beaches and Pacific surf for alpine lakes and dramatic hikes. Covering roughly 475 miles, this itinerary more than delivers on the California dream.

DAY 1 | Get your bearings (and break out your bikini) in Lake Tahoe.

(snip)

DAY 2 | High-tail it to Bodie State Historic Park.

(snip)

DAY 3 | Sleep in, you’ve earned it.

(snip)

DAY 4 | Chase a mountain high.

(snip)

DAY 5 | Channel your inner cowpoke.

(snip)

DAY 6 | Dive into the ‘Wild West.’

(snip)

DAY 7 | Choose your next adventure.

From Lone Pine, you could make a beeline for the airport and creature comforts of Los Angeles—or take a detour to another land of superlatives: Death Valley, the hottest, driest, lowest place in North America. Spend a day cruising Badwater Road, taking in the jagged salt formations of Devils Golf Course, the multicolored mineral patchwork of Artists Palette and a carpet of hexagonal salt formations at Badwater Basin, which sits 282 feet below sea level. Bed down at the historic Inn at Death Valley, which was once frequented by film stars like Clark Gable and Bette Davis.

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/travel/other-great-california-road-trip-highway-395-6060f461?st=cTf2zr&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

free with beautiful photos