Hey Rando, Hey Rando.
You don't go through Death Valley, necesssarily on your way to LA from Vegas, only if you want to take the scenic tour. (And then you get to visit with Art Bell and his radio tower for as long as the iced tea lasts.) But, you do go through the Mojave desert, replete with abondoned squatters shacks and Ghost Towns.
And then you still have the option of taking the roller coaster road short cut from Victorville to Palmdale. Hey, New York, New York, Stratosphere, or Sahara can't match that thrill and excitement AND sense of adventure.
Either way, justy make sure you've filled two coolers of ice in Barstow, the town Vegas kept alive.