Some sites — such as Montana's secluded Custer National Forest — were free. Others — such as the large, verdant Hok-Si-La park in Lake City, Minn. — cost more than $20 but came with a serene lakeside site and near-total privacy. We ended up spending $220 on two nights in motels, one in Watertown, S.D., where we were attracted by a Holiday Inn's spectacular indoor waterslide; and one in Chicago, where we spent $120 in a downtown Doubletree.

Some campsites these days have free Wi-Fi. But not the ones we stayed at. We were among the last people on the planet to learn Michael Jackson had died.

Food: The plan

In the spirit of experiencing the places we were passing through, we planned to avoid big box stores and large national chains. We hoped to eat well at farm stands and local grocery stores without losing our shirts.

Food: The reality

Turns out you can't avoid big box stores and large national chains. We did fine in the most unpopulated regions — towns like lovely Faith, S.D., where the local grocery store is the only game for miles around. But even in medium-size towns, all roads led to a Wal-Mart, where we could buy pillow-size bags of pre-washed salad mixes (croutons included) and things like ready-to-eat ham steaks that were easily heated to perfection on our metal two-burner gas stove. With French bread, this made for a delicious dinner, and campsite clean-up was a snap.

We always carried a supply of hardy fruit, such as apples and oranges, and peanut butter and jelly. Breakfast was boxed cereal and milk from our cooler. The kids tolerated the Spartan fare on this journey with few complaints.

Attractions: The plan

As a family, we came up with two must-see attractions: The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Attractions: The reality

It turns out all roads — even deserted-looking ones — are paved with tourist destinations. Historic homes and farms, miniature golf courses, specialty food producers, wineries, boat rides, horse rides, zip lines and "museums" of every size and description vie for the attention of families with restless kids. By Day 2 of the trip we had learned to ignore the cries of interest from the backseat and press on.