You could drive to Taos in a day from Monument Valley, but if you want to stop you could spent the night in Cortez. Get an early start and visit Mesa Verde National Park before you head to Taos.

Lee Ann

We drove from Taos to Monument Valley in one day - pretty easily - and even stoped at 4 corners for lunch. Hey - even saw a big racked Elk on the way into Chamas.

If you do get tired - as you no doubt recall - Chamas is beautiful (2-3? hours from Taos?) - and I had to good fortune to meet Molly (they sold their primo lamb at the saturday Farmer's Market) - whose family raises sheep in Chamas - and they might be able to recommend some places to stay.

http://www.organiclamb.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=105

As for Cal - while we like Palm Springs - there is much more to do here in San Diego - and both are about two hours from downtown LA. Plenty of posts in here on/about San Diego (check under California) - and our inlaws lived in Palm Desert for years - so what do you want to know?

And here is quick driving time estimate: 5 hours from LV to Grand Canyon - and about two and a half hours to Monument Valley - but you might also stop about 20 miles before Monument Valley - and take the road - 10 miles to the Navajo National Monument - where you can see Cliff Dwellings.

They have a very good visitor's center and a short hike to look across the valley at the Cliff Dwellings. And here is quick driving time estimate: 5 hours from LV to Grand Canyon - and about two and a half to Monument Valley - but you might also stop about 20 miles before Monument Valley - and take the road - 10 miles to the Navajo National Monument - where you can see Cliff Dwellings. They have a very good visitor's center and it's an easy/short hike to look across the valley at the Cliff Dwellings.

http://tinyurl.com/b4ahcnw

Taos to Sante Fe - couple hours and recommend you take the more scenic road - High Road is it?, and visit Chayamo - (and maybe pick up some of their "Sacred dirt" - http://chimayo.us/ and from Sante Fe to Albeq - not very far either - hour plus or so?

I don't understand the flight from ABQ to LAX if you have a rental car from Las Vegas. Are you planning on having a one way rental or 2 one way rentals?
The one tidbit I can tell you is that there is a train from Albuquerque to Los Angeles (Southwest Chief).
Las Vegas is only served by a couple Amtrak buses one to Bakersfield and another to Los Angeles.
With a Las Vegas rental car I would say to drive to Los Angeles first then drive back through Kingman (I-40) to Williams and then to the south rim GC and then Monument Valley then to New Mexico and make a stop in Sedona on the way back to Las Vegas. Rental cars are cheap in Las Vegas but they want their cars brought back instead of one way rentals.

For a lovely B&B in Durango, try:

http://www.appleorchardinn.com/

or just outside Durango [between Mesa Verde and Durango]
http://www.bluelakeranch.com/

This may not be 100% up to date, but most of what's here is still valid:

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/durango-restaurant-picks-by-debitnm.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/cortez-dolores-mancos-co-restaurant-picks-by-debitnm.cfm

In ABQ, if you don't want a chain hotel:

http://www.lospoblanos.com/

Tomfuller: yes we had planned on 2 one way rentals: LV to ABQ and then LA to LV. Will look I to the train but our time is short!

Tomsd: thanks for the info. San Diego is lovely but we need to drive back from LA to LV to get our flight, I think San Diego would be too far in wrong direction. My thinking was that Palm Springs would be vaguely on the way back(ish)! Do you recommend drive through Mojave NP to get to LV?

DebitNM: thanks for the links will check them out!

Would anyone have a recommendation for our 'beach, stay ( on way from LA to Palm Springs) - other half never been to states before so would be good to show him a typical Calif beach hangout!

DebitNM: those 2 b&bs are lovely! Big shame that the blue lake ranch seems to have a large party booking when we would want to stay there!

The Amtrak Southwest Chief leaves The Albuquerque station at 4:45PM every day. It arrives in Los Angeles about 8:15AM.
When you consider the cost of a flight plus a hotel room, I consider it a good option. Sleeping on the train is not as comfortable as in a hotel room but you should try it at least once.
My style of travel often includes taking a train to a city and renting a car for a loop trip and then continuing onward by train.

I spent a *really* long night on the Southwest Chief a few years back; my daughter and I were still wide awake by the time we hit Flagstaff around 1-2 in the morning. She eventually got some sleep, but I was awake most of the night. I think your plan to drop your car in Albuquerque is fine.

Lee Ann

I'd suggest 2 nights in Santa Fe and 3 nights in Albuquerque. They're not that far apart.

Seconding DebitNMs suggestion of Los Poblanos - really neat spot.