Lots of great ideas and feedback...
I should have indicated that I have 8 days for the trip which I think will be busy but will provide enough time to squeeze in some sights. I feel like a kid in a candy shop wanting to see it all! I will be travelling solo this time...which among other things will allow me to be somewhat spontaneous and not have all the details totally planned.
For starters, I wanted to stop just outside of Portland at a small vineyard I know about but I am now considering skipping this stop because it is far out of the way. I'll sleep on it. If I skip it, I am still planning to take I-90 out of Seattle with stops planned for Yellowstone and Grand Teton (Beartooth Pass sounds Great).
After that I expect to head to Denver to visit my birthplace and perhaps meet some Pelicans if it works out. From Denver I think it sounds neat to head back north to catch I-90 again for a more scenic drive heading east with a stop in the Badlands. Continuing on 90 into Chicago and then pick up 80 east to Youngstown, OH. From Youngstown, probably take the PA Tpk home.
I plan to nail down more details this weekend so that I have some mileage benchmarks to cover each day but otherwise I think that hits the high points.
As suggested by Angela, Jim, Ed and others, I definitely plan on having fun. I think that 8 days should give me the time to hit the spots mentioned above.
Any Pelicans available along that route?