What time of year? If the summer you probably want to stick to the mountains or the coast. Maybe a trip to the Grand Canyon, up though Utah and into Wyoming to visit Yellowstone. Loop back though South Dakaota (Badlands, Devils Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Black Hills, etc.) and back to Alabama. If you definitely want to do Big Sur you probably want to head due west and work your way up California. Stay on the coast. It gets awful hot in the summer in the inner valley. Maybe hit Yellowstone and the Black Hills on the way home. Boy, thats' a lot of miles!