Cross Country NY to CA

[LeeAnn]

Hi All,
My friend and I will be driving from NYC to San Fran the first or second week
in August. Neither of us has done this drive before, so we're excited about the adventure. I'm moving to Northern CA, so we'll be driving a cargo van, I believe (or whatever will carry my bed, TV and some boxes). We don't know exactly what we want to visit, other than the Grand Canyon (and possibly Mt. Rushmore). We'd like to keep the trip to about 10 days in length. We're both single women (I'm 40, my friend is 24), open to whatever we can experience, in terms of different people, landscapes, and
attractions.
We'll be eating cheaply for the most part and staying in motels we find along the way. I know a rental van in a parking lot is a bit of a target for theft. But what can we do?
I'd appreciate any advice you can give regarding sights to see, routes to travel, tips, etc. Thanks!
LeeAnn

[Samantha]

Hi,
Me and my friend are planning on doing the same road trip as you from NY to CA, not for any particular reason, just for the experience really, but the problem we're having is the cost of hiring a vehicle. so i was wondering if you would consider making it a joint trip? We arrive in NY on august 1st and plan to start our journey on about aug 7th or so? We're both single females, 21, from somerset in England. Please let me know if you're interseted in joining up?
Sam