Skip SLC, there's pretty hiking, but you can hike elsewhere and it's not that special. Skip Dallas. Go to Austin. Maybe Marfa if you think it would be cool to get off the beaten path and if that's feasible. Skip Dallas, I'm telling you. San Antonio can can be cool, Houston can be great if you like museums, but you gotta be staying in just the right place cause they are very car-centric cities, so ask and plan accordingly if you want to tackle that. I'm from Houston, so I can tell ya what's what for a two day stay. Spend more time in New Orleans, it's every good American's favorite American City. Skip Orlando, it's crazy expensive to do anything, and not that much fun at all. Go to Atlanta or Nashville, take a bus to DC if there's a good route, the Carolina's and Virginia are (mostly) socially shit, but it's some of the prettiest country in the US. From there you can Amtrak back to NY. Hit me up when you're in SF, I have a couch in Oakland to crash on if ya want it. It's also a pretty Couchsurfing friendly city. I'll take a day off and go to the MoMa with you, I've been putting that off. Riding a bus around America is a very unique journey. You'll definitely meet some characters.
Thanks a lot for your reply. I'm currently reajusting my plan (dropping SLC and Orlando gives me extra time to do Yosemite & one more day in New Orleans, I might add another Natural Park in there somewhere). My brother lives in Dallas and I will see if we can do something else together. I would love to surf your couch in Oakland and will keep you updated on my journey, will you be there between 6-11 August ? I'm not sure yet which day I might arrive but it should be between those dates. The MoMa seems a great idea!
Hey buddy, I wanted to follow up on your trip stuff. A couple of my friends are going to be in town the exact dates you are (they were coming later before, but had to move their dates up), so I sort of will have a packed house. I definitely can find space to offer if you need it, can't find a couch to surf or whatnot, you def won't get left out in the cold, I just have an extra layer to manage now, unexpectedly and wanted to keep you up to date on that.