I did it from
Tahiti about 35 years ago. Pretty straighforward (not short), you go to Hawaii, then decide how far north you want to go to get east (typically to California).
I went to
Alaska and would highly recommend it, if you like that kind of scenery and sailing, but it is A LOT farther and you usually find yourself powering through the channels in
Alaska and BC to get to
Vancouver or
Seattle. Then, it can be a tough, though usually downhill, slide
offshore to the Bay area or south.