3 months, $10K, 15K miles...doable?

I am just wondering if this is a realistic goal. There will just be two of us, and we'll pretty much be following the coasts and borders through most of the trip. We're taking an SUV so gas will be a bit more costly. We're planning on staying in hostels, camp sites, and cheep hotels on the way.

I'm also looking for advise on mountain and desert driving. I am a somewhat inexperienced driver and live in the midwest so I've only experienced driving in the flatlands.

Another major concern of mine is staying in some of the big cities like Detroit, LA, New Orleans, etc., and am looking for resources on what areas to stay out of when traveling to these cities.

Also looking for general advise on traveleling through Death Valley, and any roadtripamerica recomendations on what to do and see in the Navajo Nation.

Should I put some of these other issues into different forums?

Welcome to the RTA forum!

First off, your budget for both time and money is very reasonable. You should have no difficultly making this trip a reality with the base that you are starting with.

As far as safety, both in cities and driving in unfamiliar areas, common sense reigns supreme. If you use the same precausions you use at home, you really shouldn't have any problems. Follow the 6 tips for safe travel and try to avoid looking and acting like a "naive tourist" or doing other things that will make you look like a target. When behind the wheel, the rules for safe driving are basically the same no matter what part of the country you are in. Read Up on Staying Safe Behind the Wheel and that shouldn't be a problem for you either.