RE: CA Car trip advice - OC to SF
It'll all depend on what day you travel (weekday versus weekend) and what time. I would do the 55 to the 5 and take 5 all the way up north, but it's not a very exciting drive. If you have more time, you can take the 101 all the way up, and have some nice coastal scenery, but if you are driving north in the late afternoon/evening then you'll hit rush hour.
We just did a 6 hour drive up to Fremont 3 weeks ago with our 2 1/2 yr old and our then 8 month old. We stopped every 2 hours so DS could stretch, and check diapers, feed DD, etc. It made it much easier for everyone. There are several places to stop along the way, and there are fast food restaurants, etc. We stopped at McDonalds for lunch and got DS a Happy Meal so the toy kept him entertained for a while too.
Mom to:
DS 10/03
DD 11/05