Begin with a short driving day and a long stop. The coast works best when the first hours are not spent proving how far you can go, but learning the rhythm of pullouts, trails, and weather.
Build each day around one primary stretch and one optional detour. That makes room for fog, road work, and the kind of small town lunch that becomes the part of the trip you remember most clearly.
End days before sunset when possible. The best light often arrives after the driving is done, and a simple walk from the room to the water can be better than another hour on the road.