Michigan to LA: What to do along the way?

One of my friends and I are planning a road trip from Michigan to LA in a few weeks. We just graduated from high school and we're visiting our friend in LA. The farthest road trip we took previous to this was just a small 2800 mile trip so this is kind of a big step. We were curious if anyone had any logistical information about going, like where to stay and how much money to bring or anything. We plan on sleeping in the car in parking lots wherever we find. We wanted to know what are some of the most awesome things to see in America on the way. Just what is really worth seeing on the trip? any suggestions or ideas for the trip would be great. thanks everyone.

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

Between Michigan and LA is basically the entire American West, so the problem isn't finding things to do and see, its narrowing down things to what you will have time for and what you are interested in.

So lets start there. How long do you plan on being on the road for this trip, and have you already decided on a basic framework for your route?

Otherewise, I think you'll find plenty of information both on the forum and elsewhere on the RTA website for your logistical and budgeting issues.

Are you going to LA as in Los Angeles, CA or LA as in Louisiana??

We are going to Los Angeles, California on the trip. We plan on spending a week on the road taking our time. Then we plan to spend a week and a half at our friends house in LA. We looked at possibly just taking the mapquested route through Denver and Las Vegas, but I don't know if going through Arizona would be more interesting or going straight west, then heading down the coast. Any suggestions?

Thanks for the ideas and help so far!