It depends in part on what you want to study. If your areas of interest all have intro classes at the CC level, then you can potentially get a start on a double major. (You could take, say, both physics and anthropology classes that exceed what you need for your GE’s, even though the AA will be in only one of those subjects.) But if you are looking to study subjects where you can’t get a head start through the CC course offerings, then the cc-transfer route could slow you down. What are your interests?
The caveat here is that, while it takes 60 credits to finish the AA in a single major, the maximum number of credits you can transfer is 70. So even if the college offers additional classes that will count toward your desired major, you have to plan carefully to get the maximum bang for your buck out of those 60-70 transfer credits. You can pick your distribution classes to be in your areas of interest, but then you’re only going to be able to add an extra 2-3 electives before you hit the limit.
If UC is your goal, choose a CC with an Honors program if at all possible, as they’ll be more skilled at UC advising. And also make sure the college you choose offers AA-T programs in all of your areas of interest if possible. Use this tool to look at CC-CSU transfer paths: http://adegreewithaguarantee.com/en-us/abouttheprogram/findyourpath.aspx
And here’s the UC TAG program: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/guarantee/index.html