Valley of Fire??? It is a much more realistic day trip than Death Valley. I remember it taking about an hour to get into the park from the strip. Might be a better option than heading to DV for a day - much less time in the car. I just didn't want to discourage anybody from seeing DV-one of my favorite places. Either option will leave you impressed. Not sure if you know this but your Death Valley plan is a leave before sunrise and get back after dark type trip.