Hello all!

I figure since I've combed through the forums for inspiration and tips, I might as well go ahead and share my upcoming trip. The original plan is spend two weeks to go from Dallas to Seattle to San Diego then back to Dallas. I'll be making this trek alone and it will be my first solo road trip longer than 1,000 miles.

My focus on the trip will be the West Coast as I plan on spending 2-4 days in California, taking my time to enjoy my first visit there. However, I am torn on whether or not to go all the up to Seattle or if I should just go up to Portland then head down to Cali.

I've read that 500 miles or 10 hours on the road should be a good daily limit so I want to make sure I don't overdo it but still be able to see as much of the west before I head back home. Your suggestions and tips are welcome especially in these areas:

- Is including Seattle realistic? If so, where should I stay/visit between Denver and Seattle? If not, where should I stay/visit between Denver and Portland?
- What's a good route to take from San Diego to Dallas? I'll probably split that leg of the trip into 3-4 days.
- I'm really flexible with my route and have never really traveled in most of these states so any points of interests that are "need-to-see"s would be nice to know!

Thanks!