Packing for a trip around the US is not to be something taken lightly. Or rather, it totally can, but you'll find that you leave late, as you discover that one thing you need.. several times.
I'll avoid listing absolutely everything I packed, as it really isn't very interesting, and instead I'll talk about what is: painting & camping!
Travelling while painting is something that many artists delight in, but not something that is easily accomplished on a long road trip for a couple reasons: paintings are messy, and release not-so-incredibly-good-for-you fumes as they dry (terpenoid off gasses decently quickly but it still should be left to dry for a while before occupying the same enclosed space, or you should purchase natural terpenoids which are non-toxic, if still a little smelly).
What does this mean? A few things - for one, I need to make sure to give my paintings a little while before getting in the car, and two, I need to hope for good weather, or at least keep the air going and open the back windows for air flow while it's raining.
My solution: PVC, neoprene, and duck tape!
Since I'm going some late spring - early summer camping, I bought a light sleeping bag, a twin thermal blanket, and a "cot tent", a tent on a cot. The advantages of the cot tent is that it allows you to just set it up, and go to sleep, without worrying about sleeping on uneven ground or putting down a tarp for the rain, and then ending up with a soggy tent bottom anyways. Another bonus is that it weighs about 30 pounds, so you can steak it if you think it's necessary, but it likely won't blow away.
Last but not least is the first day of my trip in earnest: I travelled from Massachusetts to Washington D.C. in Virginia. I met up with my cousin, who graciously let me stay over. We had a very nice breakfast the following morning, and I left for Raleigh, but not before stopping at Ben's Chili Bowl (amazing btw), and going down to Raleigh, stopping in Richmond, on the way.
I had been to Washington D.C. before, and wanted to make a lot of progress on the east coast portion of this trip, but on recommendation from my cousin, I went to see Tudor Place, which while it happened to be closed, was in a very pretty neighbor hood, and the surroundings proved to be similarly interesting. I plan on going back and spending a more significant amount of time there, as it was more interesting than I thought it would be even given what I've already seen. For note, the first picture is from the parking lot at Ben's Chili Bowl, and there's an amazing mural that I didn't feel I could do justice, and likewise did not want to do it ill by taking a panorama of it.
Richmond is a fascinating town, with a real outward appreciation for street art. I drove around and took some pictures.
From there, I continued on to Raleigh, got in a little after midnight, had a few beers, got a room at the Hilton (A+ in my book), and had a pleasant sleep.