Richmond VA - California - Richmond VA

Ok so I'm finally having the time and the funds (well more the funds then time) and I'm planning a round trip across the country.
I have done plenty of road trips and Im up for just about anything and this time Im making a dream of mien come true.
Ok now this is where you guys come in, i need help.
I don't want to take major highways I want to take the back roads, and I have a month to do this entire trip.
I want to see the major spots, Grand Canyon (i want to see the sunrise and sunset), Hoover Damn, Mount Rushmore, yellowstone national park, Las vegas (ooh yes) I want to take Route 66 and well whatever else you guys recommend. I want to take about 2 weeks going and 2 weeks returning. what can you gusy help me with?
I'm taking a tent to camp out (please help me out with cool places), a cooler/refrigerator to put in the car)
what are some cities i should hit, (im young and single so i want to have some fun also) what should I take that you gusy recommend? should I invest in a CB radio??? I'm going in the end of July and driving during august.
would greatly appreciate for some routes.
My budget is around 3-4k but I want to spend the LEAST possible (gas will be close to nothing since i have a small civic how i love little cars)
i have a place to stay in caliefornia which is san francisco and LA, maybe hit san diego if possible, I want drive on teh way through Texas and return through the northern part (if it's a bit confusing sorry, i'm really excited)
any help is appreciated

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

There are two main ways to make the most of your trip, to make the most of your money and to make the most of your time. I'll leave the money aspects to you and those who are better at it than I am, but as for making the most of your time, you can see all of the things you've listed by making a fairly round loop of the U.S. Given that it will already be getting pretty warm at the time you leave, I'd suggest doing the southern leg first. This would entail driving roads like the Blue Ridge Parkway, US-70 and US-60 westward with stops perhaps in Nashville, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Santa Fe, the Petrified Forest, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas on the way to Los Angeles. You'd then drive up the coast on the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, before turning east on roads such as US-50 to Salt Lake, US-89 north to Yellowstone, US-14 to Devils Tower and the Badlands and finally US-30, the old Lincoln Highway, and US-40, the old National Road back to the east coast.

For my money, state parks and national forests offer the most variety and cheapest camping, but if your planning to camp near a major national park in July or August, you'd better start trying to make reservations now. They tend to book up early.

AZBuck

You are really going to have to move to get this trip done. It generally takes 5 days to cross the continent, and 2 days to travel the coastlines. So I think the best advice I can give you is to be flexible. You might find that you need a break from driving for a day and, thus, might have to forego a destination or two. That's OK. The point is to enjoy the trip, not cross places off a checklist.

For campgrounds, check out ReserveAmerica.

Keep asking questions!