Hi all!

I'm new to road trip planning as well as roadtripamerica, so I'm looking for any advice I can get! =)

My boyfriend and I are planning a road trip from the Milwaukee area to the Grand Canyon. The trip is meant as a vacation as well as a college graduation gift to ourselves (so it will be happening at the end of May/beginning of June). We are outdoorsy-type people who have explored lots of the natural beauty in Wisconsin but are looking to explore the natural beauty of the West.

We are relatively poor college students, so any tips on traveling cheaply would be useful. We intend to camp a lot of the way and maybe stay at a few motels (however, I'm still trying to figure out looking for cheap/free campgrounds). Also, do we have to be worried about campgrounds filling up if we don't make reservations ahead of time?

I'm also seeking advice for attractions on the way. Basically, all we for sure want to see is the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon. I personally love Colorado, but just driving through the Rockies and staying at a national or state park or two there is all I need. We are contemplating taking a more northern route on the way back, to possibly see the Badlands and such in South Dakota. We're not sure if we should save this for a separate trip though. ALSO, we were contemplating extending our trip all the way to the coast and making a stop somewhere in California (I've never seen the Pacific Ocean!) Do you think either of these is doable?

We're expecting to take only about a week or a week and a half for this trip. Do you think that's enough time?

So if anyone has suggestions for attractions on the way from WI to AZ (through Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah) that would be much appreciated! We love natural wonders, maybe quirky museums or other stops, or anything else - we're just looking for a fun and relaxing trip! (We just don't want to drive straight there and miss out on making lots of cool stops!)