Solo Trip - Northern AZ to Central OK

Asking for advice about an upcoming trip.

I will be traveling from Flagstaff AZ to Stillwater OK (Just north of Oklahoma City) in two weekends for work.

Instead of just pushing through the 13 hours in one go, I want to break the drive up over two or three days, camping during the evenings and hiking/exploring in the mornings.

The suggested route is either the I-40 all the way to Oklahoma City, which cuts through Albuquerque and Amarillo at the northern portion of TX.

Another route, slightly longer, is to take the I-40 to Albuquerque and then the I-25 from Santa Fe to the 412 and across the panhandle to central Oklahoma.

Is anyone familiar with picturesque spots to stop for the evening and explore along, or near, this route?

I will be traveling solo, and prefer to avoid gnarly trails for times sake. I have a stock 2016 TRD OR and I'll have all of my camping supplies and rtt to use.

I am hoping to receive input from people familiar with the area and then build a trip from that information. Thanks for your input.

 

I live in Flagstaff and am familiar with some points of interest along the way. Gallup and ABQ NM have some great camping options. Near Gallup is the Cibola National Forest and the McGaffey Campground. High elevation with aspen trees and small lakes. Great trails for hiking and MTB rides. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cibola/recarea/?recid=64070
Outside of ABQ there is all kinds of Lava tubes and caves. I'm not familiar with the details but there is actually some pretty cool stuff around/land around ABQ.

Amarillo TX is home to Palo Duro Canyon. This place is on an awesome level with the Grand Canyon. Check it out... https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/palo-duro-canyon

Beyond there I've got nothing. Have a great trip!

 

Thank you very much!