Need help in planning 8 day California trip?

Not trying to be mean, but your itinerary makes no sense. You need to pick a direction, either south to Southern California and LA or east to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. Either way you can only make San Francisco your start and end points.....you can't come back on the middle and go again. If heading south do much of it on the PCH and see Montery, Carmel, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara etc. It is truely spectacular and a must see. If you go to Yosemite they have some great overnight accomodations there where you can rent a tent and stay right in the park. Tahoe is very beautiful as well.