ME to Cali & back in 1 month

Open to suggetions on the best route my friend and I should take for our summer road trip. We plan on leaving Portland, Me the 1 of June to head out to California. We plan to live mostly out of our car by packing a cooler and sleeping either in the car or at camp grounds, and at least once a week at a motel(showers are a good thing every once in a while) We were thinking of taking a northern route first to check out Niagra Falls and then down through NY to Chicago, etc. and then a southern route on our way home. Places of interest include Grand Canyon, Yellow Stone, Oregon Caves, Pacific Highway, Redwoods, Yosemite, and Zion National Park. We were thinking roughly a grand each should get us out there and back comfortably, is this logical? If you have any suggestions on routes, things to see, or tips please feel free. We would like to avoid major highways and are in this for the scenic aspesct.

I drove across southern Ontario between Buffalo and Detroit summer before last -- and found that to be a very pretty drive. The road along the north shore of Lake Erie is especially nice -- but slow going (I finally had to cut north to the main highway to make up some time as I was on a schedule).

Once out west, when you get to Zion, don't stop there -- see it, then take in Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands. And OTHERS if you have time. You will be in awe. Altogether -- there's more spectacular scenery in these southern Utah parks than there is at the Grand Canyon -- and I don't say that lightly as I believe Grand Canyon is one of the most awesome places on earth. But southern Utah is no poor 2nd cousin!