OP here. I just got home last night from this trip. I enjoyed the trip very much and it turned out pretty much as I had hoped. Keep in mind that I'm not a hiker. I will do short, relatively easy hikes of 1 mile or less if inclined. Usually, I limit my hikes to about 1/2 mile round trip from the roadside stops. The weather was perfect. No rain and temperatures in the mid 70s to upper 80s during the days. Lots of sunshine.
I flew first class from Pittsburgh to Dallas to Las Vegas using some frequent flyer miles I had stored up.
I'm not big on the casinos in Las Vegas. And I'm not a gambler. I stayed at a reasonably priced Candlewood Suites hotel for the first 4 nights of the trip. It was a short walk off the Strip, so after arrival I walked over there and had some dinner.
The next day I drove up into Death Valley National Park, entering from the Northeast via Beatty, NV. I explored all the stops along Highway 190 South and then went down to Badwater Basin and back up. Then I started back to Las Vegas with stops at Zabriskie Point and on the side road to Dante's View. I enjoyed this day very much and found the geology of the place fascinating.
The next morning, I drove to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area just to the west of Las Vegas. I really liked the road loop through the park. I love weird rock formations and this one offered them. After this visit, I then drove to the far other side of Las Vegas to spend the afternoon visiting Valley of Fire State Park. This is a real gem of a state park and worth the drive out to it. It offers a very scenic roadway and several short, easy trails to see things.
The next day, I did the long drive out to walk the overhanging walkway at Grand Canyon West. I knew this gets mixed reviews from people. NO, it's not worth the money. I paid about $95 for the entrance fee and walk out on to the overlook. But, for me, it's a bucket list thing. I'm glad I did it. The $95 goes to the local Indian tribe that runs the facility and I'm supportive of that. I chose to not pay them more money to take pictures of me on the overlook. They don't permit you taking your cameras out on the overlook either. So I have no real proof that I did this, but I DID! The area also has some nice places to view the Grand Canyon aside from the overlook. Guano Point is quite interesting and well worth walking out on the viewing peninsula.
The next day I drove down to Southern California and through Joshua Tree National Park. I entered the park at Joshua Tree, CA. I really, really liked this park. The rock formations are quite unique looking and the various cactus types are pretty and interesting to see. I recommend this park for sure. On the way to Joshua Tree, I drove through the Mojave Desert National Preserve area. This is a pretty desolate place. I had my fingers crossed that my car wouldn't break down, but it was all fine. I would see a car every now and then, so it really was not a big deal.
I stayed 2 nights in a Palm Desert Holiday Inn Express.
The next day, I just wanted to drive around the local area some. Palm Desert and Palm Springs are beautiful. I could see myself spending a few more days here at a relaxing resort some time maybe. I also drove up into the San Jacinto Mountains and did a loop from the south up to Banning. I chose to not try and take the cable car up the mountain because it was really hazy and didn't think it was worth it. I also took the drive up to Big Bear Lake. It's a really pretty area where I had a nice lunch at a local cafe.
Unfortunately, as I was trying to get back to my hotel in Palm Desert, the traffic on Twenty Nine Palms Highway came to a standstill. I don't know what happened, but it wasn't moving westward from Joshua Tree (the town). So I decided to backtrack to Twenty Nine Palms and re-enter the National Park via the second entrance there. That allowed me to see a short section of the park roads that I had skipped the previous day, then I joined up to the road I had already been on and cut through the park going south. At it turns out, that additional park road segment isn't worth doing unless it's convenient to your desired route. I eventually made it back to my hotel that evening.
The next day, I needed to drive back to Las Vegas and I decided to follow my GPS and take the shortest route. In hindsight, that was probably not the best choice. That route took me westward toward Los Angeles to connect with Interstate 15. The traffic getting to 15 was thick and not eventful. Instead, I wish I had driven east from Palm Desert on Interstate 10 and maybe drive up through Lake Havasu area. I think it might have been a more interesting drive. Maybe next time.
I spent my last night in Las Vegas (at another Holiday Inn Express just off the strip) and walked around the casinos a little more before flying back home to Pittsburgh the next morning.
All-in-all, no regrets on doing this trip. I had a great time.
Let me know if anyone has any questions. Happy to answer them if I can.
