I think there is a happy medium here. I used to work and live in the heart of the Navajo Indian Reservation. We lived two hours from Flagstaff, Arizona, 2 hours from Parker, Arizona, and 2 hours from Monument Valley. The old Route 66 was parallel to Interstate 40 in this area, but the real beauty lay north of that road. I think that taking the road for the sake of taking it, is a romantic, and realistic thing to do. However, when one starts getting near worthwhile sights, then one should see them by taking detours, such as going from Gallup, New Mexico, through the Navajo Nation, to Monument Valley, into Utah, and back down to Flagstaff, Arizona.
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