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You'll get a ton of people on here saying go to the Southeast because this board is mostly populated by Southeasterners. I'm here to say that the southeast has some classics, but it is not the end all and be all of American whitewater, whether you are talking quality, consistency, or concentration.
You're better off sticking to the (north)western US and British Columbia. Using my earlier post as an example, if you base out of Hood River, Oregon for part of your trip you'll be within 30 minutes of two of the best runs in the country (Little White and Green Truss) and they will be running. No guess work, easy access, tons of hiking, skiing, or even kite boarding to check out on your days off. Plus, you're close to a major city (Portland) if you want to get cultural. Personally, I could run those two rivers for a month straight and not get bored. Compare that to running around North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee hunting for water and dam releases on generally less quality runs. You'll obviously spend more money on travel if you base out of areas that rely on rain for flows (eastern US) and you may get skunked in the process (the southeast is in the midst of a major drought). I'm not saying that the boating isn't good when it's in, it's just that there is no way to plan for it and you may have to drive a lot to get the goods. In the west, the snow melts on approximately the same schedule every year, so you can plan you're trip without a crystal ball. Just move around as the flows come in.
Places to consider as base camps during your trip: Hood River, OR; Chico, CA; Coloma, CA; Reno, NV; Bellingham, WA; Banks, ID; Yellow Pine, ID; Missoula, MT; Durango, CO; Salida/Buena Vista, CO; Squamish, British Columbia. All of these towns have lots of boating options close at hand. They also have lots of other things to do on down days (okay the two Idaho spots are pretty isolated, but you can always go down to Boise to chill for a few days). See my earlier post for the best way to time these areas.
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West = Less Travel for More Quality with Less Uncertainty New 
BoaterTalk 
