I’m off to California for a wedding, so there won’t be much going on around here through next Wednesday. Thanks to everybody who made suggestions for the drive. I printed out the comments, and am taking them along.
I’ll have my cell phone with me, should anybody need to get in touch with me.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Have a nice trip.
I haven’t really been paying attention, but if you are slow-driving both ways, you could consider the coast hiway on the way down and then a more inland route coming back up to SF. I once drove from about Paso Robles to Morgan Creek on little hiways (not 101 or 5) and I thought it was great, although this was 24 years ago when CA had half the population. I remember farms and live-oak and very little traffic, but who knows, maybe now it is all subdivision and golf courses. So if you loved the coast hiway, take it back also. But there are alternatives.