Need a few more parameters from you
Welcome to the trip planning forum! Living in the Bay Area, you know how desperate that area needs rain and snow in the mountains, (and the El Nino weather pattern is strengthening) so I think there is a very good chance that you will see some snow and rain just about everywhere you are considering going over the Thanksgiving week. That being said, Vancouver would be a long ways to go.
November is often a very nice time to travel along the Big Sur -- Do you have interest in wine tasting? The central valley inland from the coast has seen an incredible jump in wineries and the tasting rooms are still relatively free of the huge crowds found in Sonoma and Napa valleys.
Realistically, with a 7-9 trip, you could look at an arc of 1500 to 2000 miles in any direction from the Bay area. That would bring such places as southern Oregon and Idaho, western Wyoming, Colorado almost to Denver, Albuquerque, Tucson and San Diego.
Have you been to Yosemite National Park or Death Valley NP?
It would be helpful if we knew how many miles you'd prefer to drive in a day, whether or prefer hiking or short walks, if you would prefer to explore cities or rural areas. And what your budget is for this adventure?
I looked at the trip you took in 2011, What sorts of things did you find the most interesting on that trip?
Mark