Yeah, I-40 is scenic compared to I-10. I-10 in AZ is where a long time friend of mine fell asleep at the wheel one night and rolled his car 6 times.
This left him a paraplegic and he was lucky to even have survived it. A few weeks in the Yuma hospital before stable enough to move back to OK where he spent many months under care and in rehab. Give him credit; he adapted to it all very well which is something I probably could not have done.
In addition to the previous replies of good advice, based on my experience of several summers driving 15,000 miles each touring western states and several other long road trips, I recommend taking along some additional items:
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Written/printed hard copy of your itinerary in addition to having it on whatever electronic device such as cell phone, laptop, ipad, etc.
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Written hard copy of all important contact names, phone numbers, and addresses in case of cell phone mishap and/or emergency.
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Written information about any needed prescription medications by exact drug name and dose, the phone numbers of the at home pharmacy and prescribing physician/s, and your medical insurance card so you can more easily obtain an emergency refill if needed. (Yes, it can happen. Been there, done that.)
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Warm jacket and gloves. Even in summer it is startling how cold it gets when the sun goes down in the desert. Also, your trip will take you through high elevation country where it can be chilly to cold even in daytime, even in summer.
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Plenty of drinking water. The suggestion of a gallon of water is not an exaggeration. If you decide to do any hiking in desert country, carry water with you. Between the very dry air and heat it is easy to get dangerously dehydrated.
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Food. Energy bars, cheese crackers with peanut butter, etc. that you can snack on and even make do with as your only food until the next day if you can’t find an open and safe place to get a meal if traveling late.
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Note: You cannot bring any fresh fruit or produce into California. There are checkpoints on the highways where any such items such as fresh apples, oranges, etc. must be surrendered. It is to protect the agricultural fields from imported pests that can infest the fruit and vegetable fields.
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Comfortable, sturdy shoes with good socks in case you decide or have to do some hiking. (If you happen to do the fun and interesting tourist hike of the Sunset Crater lava fields a bit east of Flagstaff, AZ, use those sturdy shoes. Do not hike a lava field in sandals. Just saying…)
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Good shade hat for desert country.
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Long-handled windshield scrubber/squeegee, bottle of window cleaner, and a roll of paper towels.
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Gallon of windshield washer fluid to keep the wiper fluid refilled.
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Good tire pressure gauge.
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Blanket for emergency use.
If you visit any of the national parks and monuments (many of the monuments are real gems of the national park system without the big crowds) be sure to pay attention to the safety advice from park rangers. You can have a safely wonderful time exploring that way.
Have a safe and fun trip!
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