I have a 1985 Carrera, that I have owned and sorted for 27 years. I have driven it to 41 states, and Canada. My goal is to visit the lower 48 states in my 911. I have done a few solo trips, but my starting point is Oklahoma City. I have been to Key West, and Acadia National Park in northern Maine. Not the same trip! I will be in California for my fourth trip next summer.
I really prefer to have my wife along with me even though she slows things down by requiring better places to stop for bladder relief, and much slower meals. We have hit a lot of national parks. More than I can name. Get a national park pass, good for admission to all the national parks.
A "lap of America" is a great goal, but you can spend a month just visiting the amazing sights and national parks in Colorado, and Utah much less Arizona and New Mexico.
My wife's friends are all incredulous that she travels with me in a mid 1980s car with 186,000 miles on it. We spent an entire day in Gettysburg, PA this summer, then on to Valley Forge, PA.
Little Round Top in the background.
As you might have guessed, we like national parks, and history. On one journey, we planned out visiting historical sites and we would stop at a really cool place and chat with the docents working there. We would tell them we just visited a museum 50 miles away, and they would say I have heard it is great, but I have never been there.
Find some places the interest you. Make an planned trip of destinations, even if the schedule is totally up to you as you go. We ended up at one bed and breakfast that was a German themed pub, and our room was great. See the photo below.
At one point we our trip was interrupted with a ferry ride across a river to the Gilette Museum.
Just do a bit of pre-planning on the route, and have fun!