Ben,
Lots of issues here. First is cost. Back in 2004 I spent 3 months and travelled to all of the 48 lower states and it cost me about $15,000. I did this while visiting all 30 major league baseball parks. You can see a summary on costs and timetable on a couple of blogs I kept wrote back then: www.ballparks2004.blogspot.com and www.ballparks2004sidelights.blogspot.com. The blogs will also give you some ideas about seeing baseball games. I drove my own car 27,000 miles during the 3 months.
Before getting into costs, my experience with this trip and a previous 2-month round-the-world trip is that TIME, not money, is your most precious asset. Don't waste any precious time with Greyhound busses or Amtrak trains -- their schedules are lousy and their service is slow. Britain and Europe are well-suited for train travel; America simply is not. Hire a car at a weekly or monthly rate. Figure gasoline at $2.75 per gallon (4 liters) and assume 25-30 miles per gallon on your rental car. Car travel has a lot of advantages: it allows you to travel on your own schedule; it serves as storage for all your stuff (including food), and the back seat can be sleeping quarters in an emergency. You'll get used to driving in major cities -- it's not that bad. Avoid big city freeways at the morning and evening rush hours and you'll get around just fine. That goes for all but the largest US cities (New York, Chicago, Washington) where you'd be well advised to use public transport to get around town. IMO the traffic was worse around London and in Belgium (when I lived there) than it is in the US. Besides, driving the country is fun in my opinion. Take the back roads when you have the time because the Interstates are fast but boring.
It may suit you to take a one-way plane flight from a city in the NorthEast to one in the South or West, etc. These flights can be had for as little as $49 per person on Southwest Airlines if you book at least 2 weeks in advance. There are other budget airlines available as well.
Back in 2004 lodging cost me more than half my $15,000 budget so lodging will be your major cost challenge -- not gas. I stayed generally in Super 8 and Motel 6 motels that summer. If you do the same you'll average closer to $70 per night rather than $40 per night you are budgeting. Staying in cheaper motels is a dodgy proposition in my opinion. Sorry about that, but there are only a few alternatives: One is to rent an RV or minivan or SUV in which you can sleep (budget for only 10-15 miles per gallon mileage); another option is to bring or buy a small tent and sleeping bags and stay at campgrounds. State Parks with campgrounds are plentiful and cheap at perhaps 5 bucks per night. Reservations won't be needed except at the most popular Parks. However you might have to deal with rainy nights and mornings and sometimes mosquitos. KOA Kampgrounds is a national chain of campgrounds that you can look into. I didn't like them because they are better suited for RV parking than for tent camping. However, your mileage may vary as we say here. Good luck.
As for sports, July will provide plentiful baseball and car racing venues. Major League Baseball games are played every single day and tickets should easily be available except for those crazy fans in Boston and Chicago (where you'll have to buy them on the street outside the stadium at an inflated price). Check my blog and www.mlb.com for details. Minor League baseball is all around as well but in smaller cities and towns. NASCAR races are all over the country in July and they draw HUGE crowds, so don't expect to get a cheap hotel room nearby when a race is on.
July is the off-season for basketball and ice hockey so no dice there. There is something called the NBA summer league -- perhaps you can see one of these games. I think they are pretty informal contests (like soccer friendlies). American Football season doesn't start until September. Teams hold training camps starting in the first week of August. Practices are open to the public for free (I think) but I doubt you'd find tackling drills an event to write home about.
Bring a laptop with you if you have one. Even the cheapest hotels have free high-speed wireless internet access in the rooms. Having internet access to check hotel availability ahead of time is simply invaluable. Starbucks coffee shops and some public places have the same access for a few bucks.
Remember to tip waiters and bartenders. 15% is standard.
America is a huge country. You'll have to decide what to see and what to forego and that's just a matter of taste. Good luck.
Reply to this 
