Los Angeles, Ca --> Raleigh, NC (Round Trip with two different routes)

[spilledsugar]

This summer some friends and I are planning on taking a round trip coast to coast roadtrip.

I have already mapped out most of our roadtrip:
- The first cross country trip will take us mostly along the i-10, starting in Los Angeles and going through Palm Springs, Phoenix, Tucson, Roswell, San Antonio, Houston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile, Jacksonville, down to Key West, back up Florida through Orlando, Savannah, Charleston and finally Raleigh. During this trip we are planning on making many stops in national parks, historic towns and beach stops

-Our return trip will take us from Raleigh to Los Angeles passing through Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Santa Fe, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Mojave Desert. During this trip will make few stops the most important one being the Grand Canyon

We are going to be 3-4 girls and don't yet have a budget. Our time constraint is 4 weeks. None of us are campers and I think we will plan on staying in cheap motels, we have some family strewn across the country who we will try to stay with when possible. We are planning on getting most of our food from grocery stores but would like to include some nice local meals in restaurants as well, we would like to visit a lot and aren't very interested in buying souvenirs as we are most likely going to document our trip via photographs and blogs.

According to google maps and including all side trips the total miles round trip would be 8765, so around 9000.

My question is: what should our budget be? Is this safe? Are there any must-see places along the way? Has anyone taken a similar trip?

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated...this is a first roadtrip!!

Thank you so much!