I just drove through Death Valley the week before last. Make sure you check road conditions because this time of year they can get some of those desert monsoons. Two days before I drove through the park the roads had been closed for a day because of washouts. I'd also recommend checking the temps. If it's going to be a really hot day I don't think I'd want to go through Death Valley during the heat of the day. I'd get a real early start and try and drive through in the morning. If it's 110 plus degrees it isn't a lot of fun to stop and look around anyway.