Big Sur and Stanford Univ.

You can drive from LA to Santa Barbara (2 hours+2 hours stay), and then go to Hearst Castle (1.5hours).visit the castle (3 hours). Stay there a night. Then drive HWY 1 to Big Sur (90 miles but need 3 hours), then to Monterey. If you have time, stay another night in Monterey. After Monterey, drive HWY 101 toward San Francisco, stop at Stanford Univ. worth to visit there.

There is 35 miles from Stanford Univ. to San Francisco.