One of my favorite parts of Colorado is the San Juan Mountains in the southwest. My suggestion would be as follows -
After Breckenridge and Vail, take 24 south through Leadville and 82 west to Aspen, Instead of backtracking to Colorado Springs, go west to Carbondale, then south to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, then south from Montrose to Durango through the San Juan Mts. Once you get to Durango, you can head west through Mesa Verde and then to Monument Valley.
If you do decide to include Colorado Springs, I think it makes more sense to go there first out of Denver, and then head west to Breckenridge and Vail. One thing you will see for sure is the devastation of the recent fire just west of Colorado Springs.