Does an award stay include parking? If not, do you care how much that is?

I'm thinking you might pay more for the parking in Santa Monica than for the whole motel stay in Morro Bay!

Santa Barbara seems a bit short-spaced from Morro Bay, especially if you'll have to do the last day (the drive from one of the above to San Diego) on a weekday in traffic. Down to Santa Monica, the PCH is one thing; after that, it's just a congested endless stream of strip malls for the most part (and not really at the "coast" most of the time). But if you want to use the I-405/5 at that point instead, you have to start out after rush hour ends in L A and make sure you get to San Diego before rush hours starts there.