6 week trip itinerary - but I have some specific questions

I think you've got the picture already by listening to the others, I understand the part that you want to do/see as much as possible, in the time that you have, but in reading your post, I see a lot more driving than enjoying.
It seems, as someone else said, that you are just "visiting" many of these, just to say "I've been there", but in fact, you wont really be seeing (& enjoying) them.