... But we are not going to Vegas!
Stick to your guns. The last thing you want after traveling for 8-10 hours & 3,000 miles is a 4-5 hour drive thru a desert, where if you miss getting something to eat/drink shortly after leaving Vegas it's unlikely you'll find anything until Lone Pine, and by the time you get to Lone Pine little will be open. If you have time after your hike, then see DV - it's a fascinating place for sure.
Wait, seriously, from Ontario, you don't drive through desert to Lone Pine? Oh, right: you get to drive through Cucamonga, Fontana, THEN desert.
3,000 miles? 8-10 hours? I fly out of Boston all the time, and its never been more than 6 hrs to Vegas. More like 5 Air miles = 2375 to Vegas, 2566 to Ontario, knocking that 40 minute/23 mile/ drive difference down to less than nothing, considering traffic
