To add to that (or give you an alternative), I did my FAA ratings and licences in Wichita, "Air Capital of the World" with Cessna, HawkerBeechcraft, Spirit etc. around. Rates at local FBO's are really competitive, in the 75/ 80 $ (C150, C152 - even had 40 $ dry at Augusta Airfield, but for 79 $ also a P-28 at Augusta) - 100 $ range (latter at Strother with B4 Flying, Garmin 430-equipped C172 with 180 hp, which was really nice over some higher terrain over national parks on the way from Wichita to L.A. and back ;-)).
THE FLEET
One of their 172s has a Garmin 430 as well, 16 a night for accomodation is nice as well but if you wanna travel the country the meaning lessens a bit.
I could only encourage you to bring another pilot or two passengers along for cost-sharing and fun, drilling holes over the Prairie on long trips can be boring as hell. Enjoy it! Plenty of good recommendations on the forum here, boy, good memories coming back thinking of that!