This image shows the typical desert areas of Southeastern California, known generally as the Mohave desert.

The description on the back of the card states:
DESERT LANDSCAPE
Colorful jagged mountains, arid wastelands, and the grotesque desert Joshua tree form a typical scene on the desert, now crossed in comfort on smooth, paved highways which connect one cool green oasis to another.
–The description refers to the US Highways, and later Interstate Highways, which facilitated safe travel across these otherwise uninhabited and inhospitable areas. Even today there are large uninhabited desert regions, many of which are state and national parks.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows the rare and beautiful blossom of the desert finger cactus, apparently more commonly known today as the Lady Finger Cactus, common in the desert areas northeastern Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley.

There is no description on the back of the card. The colors of the flower can vary somewhat but the shape and pattern of flower and colors is consistent.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows the large memorial erected to the Donner Party, a group of emigrants from Illinois who were trapped by snow and forced into cannibalism to survive.

The description states:
C875 – DONNER MONUMENT
DONNER LAKE, CALIFORNIA
Near the eastern end of Donner Lake, this monument marks the location where the Donner Party was snowbound during the winter of 1846-47. Of the 81 persons in the party, few survived that terrible winter.
–More recent research has determined that there were 87 people in the party, and 48 survived.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows Donner Lake from high above the lake level. The picture is likely taken from the popular photo spot known as McGlashan Point.

The description states:
DONNER LAKE
Located in California near the Nevada line, the serene beauty of Donner Lake makes it hard to realize that men once suffered here. The Donner party left Springfield, Illinois, in April, 1846, and were hemmed in at the lake by early snows. The sculptured figures of a man, woman, and child memorialize the Donner tragedy.
–The lake is not far from the much larger Lake Tahoe, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada.
This postcard likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows an elevated view of the north end of Lake Tahoe, and in the lower left corner the Cal-Neva Resort and Casino is just visible.

The description states simply:
LAKE TAHOE
and Cal-Neva, lower left, on the Nevada side of the Lake.
–The Cal-Neva has closed for renovation, as it was losing business due to competition from newly opened Indian Casinos.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows the protected anchorage on Lake Tahoe called Emerald Bay. It is a popular stop for tour boats.

The description states:
EMERALD BAY – LAKE TAHOE
“Breathtakingly Blue” well describes this jewel of Lake Tahoe. In its pine-fringed setting. Emerald Bay on the southern shores of Lake Tahoe is a popular vacationland. The Nevada shores and mountains rise in the distance.
–Lake Tahoe lies at the bottom of a mountain-ringed basin, and the mountains behind the photographer in this view are the much taller Sierra Nevada range.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.

This image shows the route of the original two-lane highway through the Sierras, U.S. Highway 40, and its location along the Yuba River. There are three watercourses carrying the name, and this one appears to be the South Fork.

The description states:
HIGHWAY 40 runs through the canyon of the south Fork of the Yuba River, past a string of vacation caps, inns, and public camp grounds. The stream cascades down broken granite slopes; deep among the bording conifers are piles of grey-white granite, ground from the mountain flanks by ancient glaciers. Here and there are mountain meadows where deer are often seen.
–The word bording above is probably bordering. This highway was expanded and improved to a four-lane and renamed Interstate 80, following along almost the identical course. The Yuba River was a prime source of placer gold during the California Gold Rush.
This card likely dates to the 1950s.