If you drive far enough south on U.S. 395, you'll be paying a pretty penny for gas.
Despite a population of about 12,500 people, bottom five in California, Mono County's average gas price of $7.044 is the highest in the country, according to AAA.
Tom Strazdins lives in Lee Vining in the central part of the county, and his friend Daniel Acosta is visiting him from Hawaii.
The two agree gas prices in town are out of control, but they feel different politicians are at fault.
"It's because of our governor, good ol' Newsom," Strazdins said. "And they got capped everything off because here in California, they want to get these electric cars. They want to get these battery-operated cars. It's not going to happen."
"[Gas prices] were fine before all this happened, before the president decided that he wanted to wage war on innocent people and then make an issue out of it and say there's a reason for it," Acosta said.
Strazdins says to circumvent the high prices, he's driving his diesel truck less and changing his shopping habits.
"My biggest deal, I go to Hawthorne, 70 miles away. There's a store there, and I may drive to Bishop 70 miles away," he said, "and drive less for groceries and stuff, and spend a little more money here at the local grocery store, which is a small store. Can't get everything."
Acosta is also driving a diesel around the western states. He's avoided paying Mono County's high prices by staying prepared.
"I carry fuel containers, five-gallon containers, several of them," he said. "I fill them up where it's the cheapest. The cheapest I found was in Winnemucca at a little hold down place for $5.50 a gallon. So, I fuel the truck, fuel everything."
With the war in Iran continuing on, Mono County neighbors may have to grapple with seven-dollar gas for a while longer.
Mono County's average gas price has reached over seven dollars a gallon.
