I believe poster meant "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and NOT ET for Devils Tower ...
One thought/way from Tahoe would be head over to Reno Nv. then take 395W to Susanville ca about 5 miles west of Susanville , take 44W west towards Redding.
The road will T into 44/89 left Redding , right Burney , go right and wind up in Burney they have http://www.yelp.com/biz/mcarthur-burney-falls-state-park-burney
can spend a couple hours to the night there. Then back on 299 to Redding ,in Redding a must see is the Sundial Bridge at night. Then continue on 299 over to the coast.
