Death Valley is a great stop if you are traveling between California to Las Vegas, but not during Summer time as it is one of the hottest places in the world reaching 130F! It has the lowest elevation in North America, and also grand peaks with fantastic views. It has numerous interesting stops along the way, but be prepared to drive quite a bit if you wish to see them all.
You will see Dante's View, Golden Canyon, Artist's Pallete, Badwater Basin, Devil's Golf Course, and Panamint Dunes.