Best in the US?

Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction. Like the Grand Canyon, only better --- up close and personal.

Also Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Flaming Gorge.

I got a kick out of the Arch in St. Louis.

We took 2 years and did everything. Check out out blog (mostly photos) for ideas.

In the Arizona and New Mexico region I would add Chaco Canyon, Ship Rock, and Monument Valley along with the south rim of the Grand Canyon as these can all be see without a lot of detours.

The southwest portion of Colorado around Durango and the San Juan National Forest. Going from Durango to Telluride is some of the most beautiful country I have seen anywhere in the USA. If given a choice of this area or Utah and Arizona I would opt for this part of Colorado without a second thought.

Santa Fe and Taos are two special places that I would not want to go the western USA and not see.

For California the book on California Camping by Tom Steinstra is a great resource.

When traveling from central California to Arizona and beyond we always avoid the Los Angeles area and go through Tehachapi instead. A fraction of the traffic and none of the smog (except around Bakerfield) and better scenery. Great little RV park with full hookups at the glider airport in Tehachapi.

In terms of wine country I would bypass Napa/Sonoma and instead include Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties and the Paso Robles area.

In Northern CA there is Lassen Volcano NP and McArthur-Burney Falls and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park that are on my must see short list for California.

Thanx for all the wonderful replies. I know it is kind of a loaded question, because we all see things differently! You have given us insight as to how to proceed and add or delete some of our present ideas. It will be our first lengthy trip and we are looking forward to it. There is so much too see in this great land that who knows, we may not make it past the "Mighty Missisip"!

Another way to think about planning the trip: 8 weeks is a lot of time to put together for a trip and not a span of time you will often have - at least not for me, even in retirement - so I would skip locations that are close enough to cover on more normal trips of shorter duration.

For me (also an east-coaster), that generally means driving like blazes for 3-4 days (stopping only when sleep is needed at rest stops, flying J, Walmart, etc.). That way I start sightseeing at places I can't practically reach in a 1 or 2 week trip.

So my initial target (where real camping and sightseeing start) is likely to be Montana (Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier) and then points west from there. With eight weeks you even have a shot at Alaska.

Have a great trip.

OBG, no guilt involved here, just perspective. You are one of the 'heavies' in the RV biz, so no harm/no foul. I love the 'retro' '82 GM, 6.2L diesel in your profile. My '82 anything is a CJ8 rockcrawler.
regards, as always, jefe

OK I plead guilty. I didn't realize the post was in the TC forum -- I get to these via the "Active" feature.

I agree that TC and MH+Dingy trips might have different priorities!

obgraham hangs on the class A forum so I guess that's his perspective. The reason we have a truck camper is NOT have much set up and be able to just stop and camp, wherever that may be: down a muddy track to the lake or down that sandy track at Dead Horse Point overlooking the confluence of the Green and the Colorado.
To the contrary, Jeanie and I like to hit and run with camp sites while traveling. All we need is a place to park. The interest of the general locale dictates the speed of travel through said locale. Sometimes we travel 1000 miles in two days to get to a place where we can spend a couple days loitering. Kind of like playing accordion.
( I remember a bumper sticker: "use an accordion; go to jail".) I thought it was funny.
jefe

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'Best' is obviously in the eye of the beholder. Simplygib has a good list, as does the always reliable DesertHawk, but really there's so much, you have to miss most of it in 8 weeks, not even counting the traveling. I'd say pick just a few, and sample them. My favorite (so far) is shown in my signature picture, in small part, the Grand Canyon north rim. But even that one place would use up your whole trip. I've been 3 times, and not close to covering all of it.

This older post might have something in it to help with your plans: Sights & Sites.

Likewise: SoCal Plus TX, NM & AZ. More on SoCal Clicky. "Hearst Castle", "Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument" is a must see.

Ditto for NorthWest Area Plus CA and More of the Same.

What I have on Idaho.