Well, I might not necessarily drive to LV. Rental car drop off fees can be high. You are can often get a flight (for 2) from LA to Vegas for less than the drop off.

If so - rent a car for 3 or 4 days in the LA area. Then fly to LV and collect a rental car and drive to the Grand Canyon and stay the night. Possible big problem though - you have left thing quite late to find accommodations there.

Then drive back to Las Vegas for a couple of nights and fly home.

If you can't get a cheap flight at this late date then drive from LA to the South Rim, stay 1 or 2 nights drive to Vegas, fly home.

I'd say that you're trying to cover too much in a week's time. You could spend a week in LA alone. So, as your planning progresses, the first thing I would suggest cutting out is Death Valley.

Depending on where you're traveling from, what time you arrive and what time you depart, you may actually have only 6 days. Try and split them evenly between LA and LV areas.

For the LA portion, consider carefully where you want to go and when you want to travel, as LA freeway traffic can get horrendous.

Definitely bag Death Valley on this trip. If the drop off fees are not that bad - I say drive over to LV. By the time you get to the airport and check in - and then fly to Vegas - and wait for a rental car there - you could have just about driven there - in 4 hrs time.

In LA - if you like art and history and a beautifully designed building - check out the Getty Center. It's free but you may have to check on reserving a parking space. http://www.getty.edu/

And there are tons of things to do in Vegas - and the beautiful Red Rock Canyon is only 20 minutes away. They also have a nice visitor's center.

For a fun view of greater Las Vegas - get to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris - or even higher in the Stratosphere tower. And definitely go to Bellagio to see the incredible fountains and the arboretum inside - next to a huge triple-chocolate fountain at the desert shop/patisserie.

And if you have time - get downtown to see the evening laser show along Fremont Street.

1) I'd drive, the 7 day rental rate with drop will be far less than 4 days+ flights
2) D Valley in Nov? Better to spend that time at Grand Canyon & H Dam
3) Getty Museum, Long Beach Aquarium, Warner Bros Studios and Disneyland are possible additions to your LA area time

The Grand Canyon is the possible snag - you can't just drive up and find a room, and you want to visit over a very busy time of the year. Get on that today. If you can't find accommodations . . . then, and ONLY then, would I consider Death Valley instead.

Oh - and the reason I even mentioned flying is over the holiday there are sometimes even higher surcharges/drop fees.

But it is also probably too late to get cheap airfares so driving is likely your best option. I have flown that route several times for very low fares - but not booking this close to my travel dates.