1. A long cover-a-lot-of-ground trip

Oh, my God, I wish you hadn't asked. OK here it comes, a whole 3 or 4 day itinerary.

A trip you should do once, although we it do it nearly every year.

From Death Valley, make the long round-trip up into the race track area and tea kettle junction (which is up in the Hunter Mountain area) come down into the Eureka Valley, see the Eureka dunes, go over into Saline Valley, camp at the hot springs there overnight, come down by the salt lake shaking your Scout to pieces (let the air out); just before Panamint Springs, take the drive and walk up to Darwin Falls; camp at Ballarat, come back over Goler Wash and Warm Springs Road into Death Valley visiting the Barker ranch of Charlie Manson fame along the way. If you are really interested in wonderful mining ruins, on the way to or coming back from Ballarat, go up Jail Canyon to the very top, walk the extra couple of hundred yards and look at the old mine equipment including a wonderful hot-head diesel. Needless to say, although there are some wonderful artifacts there that would fit in your pocket, the balls from the ball mill for example, no reminders other than rocks should leave the site. By the way, the top of Jail Canyon would make a good alternative camping spot, much more attractive than Ballarat. While at Ballarat, if you have a day to spend, go up Pleasant Canyon to Rogers Pass, look at the world's greatest view, and come down South Park Canyon a real sphincter contractor although not particularly dangerous if you are careful and have your traffic director get you around the rock and then across the bridge. My friend who dropped a tire off the bridge told me,"I know you said left, my thinking brain said left, but my saurian brain made my arm turn the wheel away from the dropoff".

2. Some more conventional trips

All right, if you don't want real adventure, don't care that much about the hot springs,wanta be more like regular tourists, see and do:

Titus Canyon with the top off your Scout (only kidding as I know how hard tops are to get back on) Go early in the day, and stop by Rhyolite near the entrance to the road to the canyon. Plan on coming out of the canyon just at sunset. Spectacular!

Salt Creek where amazing creatures survive under astounding conditions.

If you have kids they'd like Scotty's castle

I'd still go to the racetrack and Ubehebe Crater

Badwater, the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere. Photography at sunrise

Dante's view and a surreptitious look at Ryan, the worlds best preserved ghost town.

Off the west side road, Johnson Canyon up to near Hungry Bill's ranch. Great place for lunch

There are also Devil's Golf Course, Bennett's Well, Shorty's grave, and lots of other things to see on the way to, or after getting on the West Side Road.