I'm going to assume that by SF you will have already see some of the California coast line and a few beaches. Why not head due east out of SF over to the I-5 south along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, east to Fresno and continuing east, up to the Yosemite Valley. It is one of the natural wonders of the world, not to be missed. Plenty of big trees there also; the giant sequoias.

Continue up over Tioga Pass and down Hwy 395. This is the corridor down the east side of of the High Sierras. You will see a magnificent wall of jagged granite peaks, many over 10,000 feet high that stretch for about 400 miles (north-south) and on the other side (east)are the White Mountains, a much shorter range but also with peaks in excess of 10,000 feet elevation. Below Lone Pine you head east again out across the Mojave Desert. You will see sand dunes and very interesting geology. Cross the Panamint range and northern stretch of the Panamint Desert to Death Valley to Stove Pipe Wells. There is an excellent resturante there but you need to check ahead for times. 4:30 PM would be perfect for an early meal. From there you can either go across the norhtern part of the valley to Beatty NV and south to Las Vegas on Hwy 95.

If you have time you can, of course, go south from Stove Pipe Wells and see the best part of the Death Valley. If you have any interest in geology this is also a must see natural wonder. The desolation is truly awesome and if you keep in mind the pioneers who came this route to California and the gold fields you will get a feeling for what the were up against with mule and wagon.

I sugeested just one of many trips. I have lived in and traveled this state my entire life and have not see it all. California itself is like no other place on Earth. If you fly in from the east you will cross hundreds of miles of more or less monochromatic landscape dotted here and there with cities but once you see the Sierra Nevada cordillera everything changes, visibly from the air.

Regardless of what route you take I'm sure you will have a good time, see and do many things. Joe O can undoubtedly hook you up to the folk scene as well as other 'catters. Bon Voyage!

PS, If you do travel the deserts, then you might want to think about having a little water along just in case but as for the rest, it's a very populous state with emergency road service and call phones everywhere. PM me for more info