Day 1: Fly into LAX & stay overnight
Day 2: Leisurely drive to Santa Barbara
(possible diversions: beaches, outlet malls, orchid farms, and strolling around Santa Barbara itself, which is an eminently lovely downtown to stoll from the pier to the Presideo, even the Mission if particularly ambitious)
Day 3: Explore the Santa Barbara Wine Country & stay somewhere about Pismo Beach
(possible diversions: wine tasting, Solvang Danish colony, Santa Maria BBQ, more beaches)
Day 4: Cambria
(possible diversions: beaches, fun & funky towns San Louis Obisbo & Morro Bay, historic missions)
Day 5: Drive Highway 1 to Monterey
(possible diversions: MUST BOOK TOUR of Hearst Castle!!!, scenic views, Carmel)
Day 6: Drive to SFO
(possible diversions: LOTS OPTIONS depending on route & time! Monterey Aquarium? I'd certainly drive up to the fun & funky town of Santa Cruz for lunch on the boardwalk, do you want to see redwoods? Driving highway 9 to Felton gets you to amazing groves and a steam railway, on the other hand, if you are not burned out on amazing coastal scenery, continuing on Highway 1 and coming in San Francisco from the "back way" through Pacifica is pretty amazing)And come back!
