I'm taking a solo cross country trip and have most of it figured out. It's going to take around 3 weeks and I plan on starting in Charleston, SC, stopping in Asheville for a night, then Nashville, but from there I'm a bit lost. End destination is Seattle and must sees include Asheville, Nashville, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore. I also want to do some riding in Wyoming and Montana. Main part I'm having trouble with is Nashville to Rapid City. That's ~1250 miles and I plan to avoid interstates as much as possible, but also would like to speed things along if all I'm seeing is the similar and boring.

I assume I'll need to split this up into 4 x 300-400 mile days, which means I need to figure out 3 places in between to spend the night, preferably somewhat evenly spaces along. I'll be bringing along a tent so can camp just about anywhere, but also may "splurge" on a family run motel here and there along with a bit of couchsurfing.

Can yall help me with the routing? I don't care to see the "Nations largest pumpkin statue" or anything stupid like that, but do help me if I'm missing something big.

 

If you want to stay off the interstates after Yellowstone, consider going north on US191 until you get to US287. Stay on US287 till Ennis, and then take MT287. This will take you through Virginia City MT (cool "ghost" town) and then up to Twin Bridges. MT41 and MT55 will take you to I95 or you could jog over MT2 which will take you to Butte. From Butte, you really have to take I-95.

If you are considering going more north from Missoula, consider going on MT200 and MT209 which will take you up Whitefish/Kalispell without having to do the Flathead Valley. This is an incredibly scenic route north. From Kalispell, going on US 2 is great ride west. Stay on US 2 until Sandpoint and then get on WA 20 that will go all the way across Washington state. The eastside of Wash is not all that scenic but WA20 is north and in the mountains and trees. WA 20 goes all the way across the Cascades, known as the North Cascades Highway. This is a great ride.

If your in a rush, get to Missoula and drop south and take US12 across Lolo Pass. This is another "must ride" route. It will drop you off in Lewiston and getting up to Seattle is not the most scenic. You can stay on US 12 all the way to I-5 below Centrailia and then take I-5 up to Seattle.

 

Regarding Nashville to Rapid City, here's a suggested route. With the exception of the Nebraska and South Dakota legs of the route, I've ridden the rest of it many times from KC to Maggie Valley NC. Do not...I repeat...do not ride downtown through Kansas City or St. Louis. Go around the cities. I've adjusted the route to show the way I'd go around them. (I'm from Kansas City, and I have friends in St. Louis, so I'm familiar with both metro areas.) DO NOT stop in East St. Louis, IL. Period. If you find yourself looking to stay the night in the KC area, I'd suggest finding a motel in an outlying suburb on the south end of town...either side of the state line, but the Kansas side would be my first choice. Lenexa and Overland Park in Kansas are generally safe places to stay. (I'm a retired police dispatcher from that area, and I'm intimately aware of the crime rates.)

You're kinda on your own once you get out in western Kansas. I haven't ridden 'em all, but the roads are typically in good shape with plenty of small towns and places for fuel. Not a lot of cops patrolling the state and county highways, either, so you can make some good time if you have the inclination.
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The routes out of Nashville is numerous, but they make for good riding. Stop by Paris, Tn and see their Eiffel Tower. Go north to Cairo,Il to cross the river, then to Farmington,Mo. Make your way to Columbia and go by Boonville to the Warm Springs Ranch www.warmspringsranch.com to see the Clydesdale breeding farm. There is an admission but it is a nice place. Do not let the online resv. "sold out" worry you, just email and ask nicely for the date you will be coming by and they will usually let you in. There is no drive by and the guard at the gate must have your name on the guest list. From there go north to Mexico and Hwy 36. Follow hwy 36 to St. Joseph Mo and see the Pony Express statue and other frontier history stuff. Follow hwy 36 west into KS until you feel like making a turn north,then make your way to NE hwy 2. Follow this until you get to Alliance, NE -turn more north toward Hot Springs, Custer or Rapid City. There are many different routes to get there but this is one of my favorites. I like to stay in Custer, SD at the Chief Hotel. There is a very nice drop off laundry nearby. They wash and fold while you are out riding. This route can avoid as much large towns as possible. I usually start somewhere other than Nashville, so my overnight would be different from yours. The roads you choose would depend on how much time you have allowed. I enjoy looking at maps to plan the trip so my GPS won't be able to throw me in the briar patch.Don't forget the Harley Assembly plant in KC,and it is not hard to get to. Can't help with camping. Watch your fuel on Hwy 2 in NE but it is really not critical. Hope this helps.