Planning USA trip in September

[mackie1]

We will be flying into and out of Las Vegas with 2 weeks to fill either side. We will have a few days in Vegas at the end when we meet up with some friends. In the middle we plan to drive to LA, then up the PCH to San Francisco and then on to Yosemite and back to Vegas via Death Valley. The route is flexible and what we do and where we stay is up in the air.

I'm after some suggestions for must sees and tips about what to do and where to stay. We will of course need to hire a car. Last time I hired a Corvette from hertz but I'd like to keep the budget a bit more sensible this time but still want something with a V8, suggestions welcome!

Also thinking of staying at the Aria in Vegas but our friends fancy something more tacky and fun but still of a good standard. We've stayed at the MGM before but wouldn't rate it.

Any help welcome!