I am flying in to Vegas just for the Death Valley drive. Not sure where I will be flying out from. Depends on what and where I end up after the climb.
If you are that flexible, could you rent a car in Vegas and drop it in Reno, NV, and fly home from there?
The Hwy 395 north of Lone Pine is one of the prettiest drives to do. It is parallel with the Sierra, and you could do side trips: Devils Postpile would take half a day. You could make it in/out of Yosemite for a one-day visit. Yosemite Valley is a 2-hour (one-way) drive from the 395. Bodie ghost town would take part of a day or more. Farther north, see Lake Tahoe if you have time -- ask Bob Pickering for the best place to see it, he's in Reno.
