Distances, schmistances... we recently returned from a 2-week little jaunt that came to 3500 miles: LA to Berkeley to Seattle to eastern Idaho (via northern Idaho & Montana), then thru Utah to southern Arizona. If you stick to California, Nevada, and Arizona, you'll be fine. ;-)

[Rapaire -- we waved as we drove around Pocatello briefly; it might have looked a little strange to some folks...]

Actually, I'd echo that thought about the distances involved -- it's a day's drive (6 hours) between LA and San Francisco, and that's driving fast on Interstate 5 (not the scenic route). Get a map and wrap your head around what it will really take, and how much time you want to spend where.

~ Becky in Tucson (where it's hotter than the Grand Canyon in August; assuming that you're not hiking down to the bottom, the canyon rim is at a pretty high elevation, and not too bad... relatively speaking!)