Mojave Desert Christmas Trip Questions and Advice

OK, so I don't want to get too crazy. This is my first adventure/attempt to get a feel for my truck. 17 hour drive to Vegas split up over a couple of days. Then, I want to head to Mojave Desert with stock Tacoma to test the waters. I have the trip all lined out, but now I'm doing preliminary planning on where to drive in Mojave, which I've never been to. Can anyone here shorten the learning curve on where to drive and what to see that would be safe but also a good test of the truck and my driving? No deep water crossings or uber difficult stuff. After this trip is when I'm going to start planning my upgrades and mods.

Thanks!

 

My profile picture was taken in Mojave a few days after Christmas. It was an awesome trip, but I will warn you that it was freezing. We have a 12v electric "blanket" that goes under the bottom sheet and provides decent heat without killing the battery.

As for places to go, my truck was stock when we went and there were no problems. People underestimate the capability of these trucks for some reason, perhaps it is just good marketing by the after market companies.

We stayed in two places, the first (34°47'22.8"N 115°35'28.9"W) was more flat and the only issue we had was some pinstripping when we headed east.
The second place was somewhere in the northwest and much more scenic. I can't remember the exact spot but there are so many trails zigzagging across the area you can't lose.

This post is absolutely of no help but I only realized that when I got to the end. The key take away is how cold it gets and how easy it is to traverse with your vehicle.

Enjoy