Out of curiosity, what time of year are you planning your trip?
I'd agree with Chiomaca that your first three legs will involve a lot of driving and is a sharp departure from what otherwise would be a natural progression down the California coast. It's 3 ½ hours from San Francisco to Yosemite, and another 3 ½ hours from Yosemite to Santa Cruz. Most of that driving will be through the Central Valley, which is not very scenic. That said, Yosemite is breathtaking in a different way from the coast and you should definitely make the trip if you have your heart set on it. Two nights would be a good amount of time to take in the sights and hike a few trails. When staying in Yosemite, you have a number of lodging options, and you should ask yourself if you want to camp, at one of the tents in Curry Village or on your own; stay at one of the park's hotels, which are nice; or stay in the inns/motels just outside of the park, in El Portal (the Yosemite View Lodge is just 5 minutes from the park gates and is right on the Merced River), Mariposa or Groveland (about 30 minutes out and in old gold rush towns). Plan ahead of time because lodging in and around Yosemite fills up fast for dates in the late spring into the fall.
I'd also cut Santa Cruz down to one night and add that night to your trip between Monterey and Santa Maria. Santa Cruz is a cool little town, but I never really found enough to do there to justify two nights. But while you're in Santa Cruz, you might want to check out the Santa Cruz Boardwalk (or you could check out Santa Monica's boardwalk later in your trip) and maybe the Roaring Camp Railroads that run from the Boardwalk up to a small redwood forest in the Santa Cruz mountains.
In Monterey, there are a number of things to do to fill up a day or two, including visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row; and just south of Monterey are the Monarch butterfly Grove in Pacific Grove (seasonal); the 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach; the cute town of Carmel-By-The-Sea and Carmel Beach; the wineries in Carmel Valley. There are a number of hotels, inns, and B&Bs in Monterey and Carmel at a variety of price points.
Driving through Big Sur and stopping at a number of vista points and sights -- don't miss Point Lobos, Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls, and Pfeiffer Beach -- will take at least half a day. Highway 1 though Big Sur is a two lane highway mostly over steep, windy cliffs, so your speed will slow and driving times will lengthen. If you take Chiomaca's suggestion and stay overnight here, you could fit in more time at the state parks like Garrapata, Andrew Molera, and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Parks. There are a few lodging options right in the heart of Big Sur, which are usually on the pricier side (everything, e.g., food, gas, lodging, in Big Sur tends to be expensive due to its remoteness so pump up and stock up before leaving Monterey or Carmel). Alternatively, you could spend the day in Big Sur, then drive further south and overnight outside of Big Sur, such as in Ragged Point, San Simeon, or Cambria. This stretch of the Central Coast also has a number of attractions, including the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, the Piedras Blancas Rookery that is home to hundreds of elephant seals, Moonstone Beach in Cambria and the cute town of Cambria.
Since you mentioned Santa Maria, you might want to make a detour to check out Pismo Beach, the Danish town of Solvang, or the wineries in the Santa Maria Valley/Santa Barbara Wine Country.
Further south, I'll leave it to other people with more familiarity. Good luck!
