Cross Contry Ride

Hey everyone I'm new to this forum,
I'm an 18 yearold college freshman at Trinity College in CT and I'm attempting to plan a cross country ride this summer, probably from Massachusetts to Calfornia as a charitable fundraiser. I don't have much road experience; most of my time on a bike has been in the woods. I'm a collegiate rower, and until mid May most of my training for the ride will be on a stationary bike, long runs and rowing 7 days a week.
What I'm looking for is any advice on:
-Where to look for route planning; maps, etc.
-How to get the most out of the single month of road training I will have after school gets out.
And just about anything else that you can think of that might help, from diet to who to look for to sponsor the ride, equiptment, etc. Thanks a lot and good luck to everyone on the road.

 

Also, if anyone can suggest a good touring bike I'd appreciate it