View of Mono Lake Basin, Highway 120 and 395 Junction, and Lee Vining from the Vista above the Tioga Gas Mart and Whoa Nellie Deli by Joel Baldwin

The eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range is quite different from the western. The western side is a gradual slope rising to the Sierra Nevada crest. The eastern side is a steep escarpment dropping down into the Great Basin. The western side is at a lower elevation with significant population and rainfall. The eastern side is a high arid desert with few people and towns.

U.S. Route 395 follows the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. For most of this run the highway is also routed through the Owens Valley. It is the life's blood of this region. There are few roads, but those that exist in the area are most likely going to or from 395.

Along the way are many of California's most scenic and beautiful spots.

This view of 395 is no exception. Where ever you're coming from, north or south on 395, or down from Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows on Highway 120, I would suggest you stop off at the Whoa Nellie Deli ( just west of the junction at the Mobil station ) and drive on up to the vista point. From left to right you have, The 120/395 junction, the town of Lee Vining, the Inyo Visiter Center in the distance above the rock quarry, the left side of Mono Lake, Black Point across the Lake, in the center of the view you have Negit and Paoha islands in the middle of the lake with the Lee Vining airport buildings in the foreground, the right side of Mono Lake and the Tufa State Natural Reserve, Panum Crater, and the Mono-Inyo Craters as they progress to the right and south down the valley along with the 395 highway.

The following links may be of interest to you:
http://www.monolake.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_Lake
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=514
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paoha_Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negit_Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono-Inyo_Craters
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Mono-Inyo_Craters_satellite_image-annotated.jpeg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panum_Crater
http://www.whoanelliedeli.com/
http://www.leevining.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Vining,_California
http://www.monocounty.org/lee-vining/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_395
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owens_Valley