One suggestion I am able to offer is, if indeed west coast is the route, to consider north to south. There are a number of reasons for this suggestion, with one being the pacific coast route tends to have much better shoulders when travelling north to south.
Also the winds are generally more favorable on the coast going N-S, and the winds can really kick up on the coast. I would strongly suggest getting to the northern end of the coast via an inland route and then riding South on the PCH.
jmsbrlw, you really don't give us enough info to estimate your time needed. The length of the route you mention could vary pretty widely and we know nothing about your personal pace. A lot of folks fall into the 50-60 miles per day range, but 20 miles per day above or below that isn't that unusual.
Costs can vary widely depending on your choices. I find that camping most of the way I manage on $15-20 per day depending where I am and how frugal I am. I know of folks who get by on half that and others who spend 4-5 times as much.
On much of the inland portion of the route, I'd camp for free in plain sight most of the time and on the coast there are cheap hiker biker sites in Oregon and California. So the actual camping part can be pretty cheap. Camping in small town parks or picnic areas and other impromptu sites when possible and using hiker bikers sites when I can, I have averaged less than $5 per day for camping on longish tours in the West or across the US. On the other hand campgrounds can cost $20-30 in some places if you use them.
Food and drink is tough to call because it will depend on your choices. Both sport drinks and alcoholic beverages can raise costs a lot. Food will vary widely depending on whether you are eating ramen noodles and oatmeal or steaks in restaurants. I find that I can eat and drink on $15 pretty easily while eating some diner meals, cooking at least one meal a day, and getting stuff like $5 footlongs at Subway when available.
