"Near San Francisco" coming from Vegas / LA gives you many options. Big Sur is definitely worthwhile, Yosemite is amazing but a bit out of the way.
Big mountains are between Vegas and LA - perhaps go through Mammoth Lakes and Bishop on highway 395, you go skiing at Mammoth and see Mt Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states, while driving through Lone Pine.
Note all the roads crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains are closed south of the Lake Tahoe area after they get enough snow, usually in November.
From LA to San Francisco, take the 101 freeway through Santa Barbara, which has great beaches and hiking (writing this from there). Recommend the courthouse (Spanish Colonial architecture), the botanic garden and Butterfly Beach.
The southern Los Padres National Forest stretches for 40 miles behind there in the hills, with some of the beautiful hiking and camping far off the tourist trail the parent comment refers to: http://santabarbarahikes.com/hikes/sanrafael/
Wine country for the next 200 miles north through Santa Ynez and SLO, then leave the freeway for highway 1 to go through Hearst Castle and Big Sur.
Note vast parts of all the above have recently been or currently are on fire, so consider calling the ranger station to check conditions before you go.
More specific recommendations depend on what you're into, but usually the weather is nice in early December, though getting down near freezing at night away from the immediate coast.
If there's rain in the forecast at the coast spend the week skiing powder at Mammoth.
Big mountains are between Vegas and LA - perhaps go through Mammoth Lakes and Bishop on highway 395, you go skiing at Mammoth and see Mt Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states, while driving through Lone Pine.
Note all the roads crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains are closed south of the Lake Tahoe area after they get enough snow, usually in November.
From LA to San Francisco, take the 101 freeway through Santa Barbara, which has great beaches and hiking (writing this from there). Recommend the courthouse (Spanish Colonial architecture), the botanic garden and Butterfly Beach. The southern Los Padres National Forest stretches for 40 miles behind there in the hills, with some of the beautiful hiking and camping far off the tourist trail the parent comment refers to: http://santabarbarahikes.com/hikes/sanrafael/
Wine country for the next 200 miles north through Santa Ynez and SLO, then leave the freeway for highway 1 to go through Hearst Castle and Big Sur.
Note vast parts of all the above have recently been or currently are on fire, so consider calling the ranger station to check conditions before you go.
More specific recommendations depend on what you're into, but usually the weather is nice in early December, though getting down near freezing at night away from the immediate coast.
If there's rain in the forecast at the coast spend the week skiing powder at Mammoth.