I stopped for gas in Needles, CA and it was so hot (113*), I could hardly breathe. I decided I wasn’t stopping again until the temperature cooled down a bit.
I found a camping spot in Kaibab National Forest along my route on I-40 in Arizona. I didn’t really pay attention to directions when I put it in, so I was quite pleasantly surprised to find you are literally in the forest right at the exit. And thankfully, since it wasn’t yet dark, I was able to drive along slowly to spot a good unoccupied site.