Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

Adam is right in that you COULD drive to all the places you've mentioned, and the drives themselves would be beautiful, and the locations terrific, but... You'd really be doing little more than driving and looking, driving and looking. I think it would be much better if you saw fewer localities, but spent a bit more time at those you do visit. To that end, I'd recommend that you drop Lake Tahoe and instead concentrate on the three great national parks on your agenda, Yosemite, Death Valley and the Grand Canyon. Each of these locations is within a relatively easy day's drive of each other, although the drive back from the Grand Canyon to San Francisco will take longer. Be sure to leave the canyon early in the evening two days before you have to be in San Francisco, get as far as Needles or even Barstow, and then plan on taking the next day to complete the journey. While they don't get the press that the other places on your itinerary do, the Mojave Desert and Central Valley also are worth the drive, so don't just fly over them.

Also, when you pull up to the entrance gate of your first national park, be sure to ask for a National Parks Pass. This costs $50 but will admit you and everyone in your car to all national parks for a year. The individual entrance fees to the three national parks you'll be visiting add up to $65. And be sure to make use of the rangers at the parks. Stop at the visitor centers, get whatever advice might help and check if there are any talks or ranger-led tours being offered. They are absolutely worth the time and will make your visit to the parks much more memorable.

AZBuck