Then going through Death Valley is a nice scenic drive for you. I was just concerned that with the wording of your post you thought you were going directly to Sequoia from that angle.
If you really want a scenic route to get into Sequoia then when you hit 395 go north up to 120 and then cross the Sierras through Yosemite. You can then go south down to Sequoia from there.
Lone Pine is a great place to explore too. The Alabama Hills are right outside of Lone Pine and you'll recognize them as soon as you see them because you've seen them in hundreds of movies as well as TV commercials.