MattD, seriously, consider Las Vegas! It is not the foul place people might make it to be. Just stay away from "The Strip" at night, unless you walk it, since it is a zoo.
The fun of flying into Vegas is that you can then drive through Death Valley on your way to Lone Pine. It is definitely a unique experience -- you get to see that environment, along with hiking Mt Whitney. Drive it during daylight at least one direction, and mornings are best to avoid the high temps. But rental cars should be able to handle even the worst temps.
You could even alter the route to see more of Death Valley if you had time.
Google maps shows a 4 hour drive from Las Vegas:
(link) It's only 45 minutes longer drive than Ontario, and you avoid all city driving (except escaping Vegas
).
