This is the iron butt Las Vegas to Death Valley route that loops north around Westgard Pass. Ride has a variety of scenery & climates. Gas gas along the way is scarce so plan accordingly.

Exit Vegas west on Charleston blvd through the Red Rock Valley to Blue Diamond (mapped) or from any connector to Blue Diamond Rd depending on your point of origin. Continue west to Pahrump then take the 372 to 178 west to Shoshone where I recommend stopping for gas (about 90 miles in). Continue on the 178 / Jubilee Pass Rd which will drop you down into Death Valley at Ashford Junction.

Continue north to Badwater than Indian Village where there is a Chevron gas station (75 mi from Shoshone) or continue another 25 miles (100 from Shoshone) to Stovepipe Wells where there is another gas station as well as a restaurant at a local Inn. The food here as of 07 was surprisingly good despite its desolate location. Continue west up out of the valley (now the 190) where there is another place to eat at in Panamint Springs another 30 miles up the road. Continuing west stay on the 136 around the north side of Owens Lake which will connect you to the 395 in Lone Pine, another recommended gas point about 80 miles from Furnace Creek.

The 395 north while relatively straight is lightly traveled and has great scenery as it goes along the base of the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, which include some of the highest mountains in the Sierra Nevada Range. You continue on the 395 for 44 miles to Big Pine. Bishop which is another 15 miles up the highway would be a good stopping point for those looking to breaking this up into a 2 day trip. You will need gas up in Big Pine as there are no services for a minimum of 97 miles (after turning left / north on the 95 and heading 15 miles to Goldfield ... mapped for those who didn't read this) or 134 miles if you just head south to Beatty. Westgard Pass connecting the 395 to the 95 is a windy mountain pass that goes up to 7300'. Lots of great turns on this portion of the route but the altitude change and road characteristics will eat up extra gas so take that into consideration when deciding if the 30 mile diversion to Goldfield is necessary.

The 95 south back to Las Vegas is mostly open desert with some canyon scenery around Beatty. Those with a sweet tooth should check out the homemade candy store in the Chevron just past the Casino coming into town. The remainder of the ride is more open desert and the least interesting part of the trip but the roads are open so it goes quickly. Indian Springs is a final stopping point before getting back to Las Vegas.

Due to extreme weather conditions in both Death Valley and Westgard Pass I would avoid this run in the summer or Winter.

Places of interest in death Valley:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Places_of_interest_in_the_Death_Valley_area
Info on Westgard Pass: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westgard_Pass