death valley to los angeles trip question
 

Hi,.. I am planning a 4 day road trip from Vegas to the LA area and back to Vegas.. The trip is planned for the end of March. I plan to leave Vegas and head into Death Valley, explore Death Valley and then head towards Simi Valley California.. Then take old rt 66 across Californis to Needles before heading back up to Vegas..

I plan on staying the first night at the Amargosa Hotel... and the last night in Needles... other than that I am open to any suggestions

Can anyone suggest any 'must see' places in the death valley area, or along the way to simi valley (wher i plan to see the ronald reagan library).. or along old 66?.. Any old motel ideas are appreciated also...

also.. is a Joshua Tree Forest worth a visit?

btw.. no kids, just two adults... prefer nature and out of the way places on secondary roads.

Thanks for any tips!
John

Leaving LV I'm guessing you will be going through Pahrump, NV.
Make the first stop at the visitor center in DV. Make sure you pick up at least a gallon of water there. You will not have any cellphone service anywhere in the Park. Drive the 1 way Artist's Drive and then head south to Badwater Basin to see the lowest point in the US. Coming out south on 127 you will go through Baker which has the world's tallest thermometer.
I suggest the Mojave National Preserve and Mitchell Caverns rather than Joshua Tree. You can actually get from I-15 to I-40 going through the Preserve.
Try to see the Route 66 museum in Victorville across from the Amtrak station. Leaving the museum, stay on the National Trails Highway all the way to Barstow. Turn right on Barstow Road to get back up to I-15. turn off 15 onto the start of I-40. Exit at Ludlow (Exit 50) to make the drive east on the Old US 66. You will cover 74 miles of the old 66 and come back to I-40 at Exit 115 about 30 miles from Needles.
You might see a car or 2 making stops along the old highway since there is a new geocaching power trail there.
There are some of the old motels in Barstow. I tend to stay at the more modern hotels with interior corridors.
On the way back to Vegas, continue on I-40 to Kingman then US 93 to go across the new bridge above Hoover Dam. If you have never seen it, head down to the dam for a tour.

One of my favorite drives in Death Valley is Twenty Mule Team Canyon. (It's pretty short and won't take much time). If you have time, drive up to Dante's View as well. Zabriskie Point is very famous and worth a stop. We prefer to hike from that lookout down through the wash toward the other highway (you can see the trails as you look below from the overlook). Another way to access this trail is to start in Golden Canyon and then head over to the trail that goes under Zabriskie Point and then down the wash. The wash trail will then lead back to the parking lot at Golden Canyon. Badwater, the lowest point, is also interesting.

A definite must-see is Salt Creek where you can walk out on a boardwalk to see the pupfish.
And, of course, the sand dunes. There is so much to see and do in Death Valley!

Thank you for the replies!.. I am finalizing my itinerary and erally appreciate the tips!

John

Reading with much interest as will be in LV early June and would like to do a little trip after our business ends. Would this be a good itinerary to do in mid-June?

Ooh, not me! Mid-June would be too hot to even get out of the car.

When we visit Death Valley, we like to stay at Furnace Creek Ranch.

HTTY