The comments and links that I've gotten here and on other forums has made up my mind. We're going to go east through Oregon, down through Idaho and Utah, to our ultimate destination in Las Vegas.
Our daughter is getting married in Las Vegas in mid September, so we have to be there, but there is no hurry. Our trip into California was really just sight seeing and killing time.
So, we're playing it safe and staying away from fires!
Thanks!