Lurker on this site usually....but driving around California seems to be one of my accidental specialties. I (like Slag before me) recommend that if you drive from Bakersfield to Las Vegas, to drive through Death Valley. This can be done in a day, and although it's less direct than going across the Mojave on CA-58 and I-15, for the most part, it's more scenic and interesting. I live in SF and have been doing field work in Death Valley for the last two years so I've had to do this drive so many times it pains me, but the worst part is driving the aforementioned highways, which go through the least interesting parts of the desert, and the straight stretch of CA-58 is a nightmare to drive due to narrowness, heavy truck traffic, high speeds and often times, high winds. I would not recommend it for tourists. Death Valley (though I am biased) has fantastic geology and interesting history, especially if you drive through on highway 178/Furnace Creek road.

I would only do that if you have a day to spare, though, and are prepared for a long day of driving, because it is about 100 miles extra. Message me if you want recommendations of where to stay in the Death Valley area.