Rode Rt. 66 from Needles to Santa Fe in 2013. It's well worth it before it rusts away. The old highway is pretty much a frontage road for I-40. But if you take every exit through the towns, they all hook back up on the I and allow you to slow down and actually see the once well used shops and attractions, many boarded up and closed, frozen in time. There is plenty of local flavor to enjoy. These have already been mentioned.