Well let me tell you about this day ride I did last May.
I-10 to Lordsburg, NM, then up to Silver City, over 152(which is why I did the ride, to ride 152) to I-25, then down to Hatch(mmmm...green chiles!). Took a shortcut on 26 to Deming, then blasted down I-10 to home. I think it was about 530 miles total, and a 13 hour day with lots of stops, pic taking, and 2 meals.
2 up I've done 400+ miles in a day, but my wife doesn't like more than 250 miles in a day, and I can't blame her riding on that skinny pillion pad.
Going up to Phoenix, I keep up with traffic and then some, usually doing about 80 mph or more. IME it's better to get away from those 18 wheelers and slowpokes than to loaf along and allow them to congregate around you. I usually stop in Eloy for gas at the Chevron station with the McDonalds and Carls Jr next door. Then my next stop sometimes is the rest area about 30 miles up the road, or lately I've been stopping at the Love's truck stop across from Firebird. But on the whole, I hate the interstate and would rather take an alternate route, too bad there isn't a good one. The Oro Valley/Catalina back way used to be okay a few years ago, but now there's just too much growth in that area to take Oracle and then 79.
Last time I went to Dwight's in Prescott, I went interstate all the way up 17. This time I am going to try a different route. Maybe go out I-8, and then up 85 from Gila Bend which comes out in Buckeye. From there take I-10 back into Phoenix a bit, before taking the 303 up to 60 and out to Wickenburg. To me I-17 is the nightmare heading out of Phoenix, so that's what I'm trying to avoid. From Wickenburg it's up 89 into Prescott. I've taken the 303 before, coming back from Laughlin. For me I-10 isn't nearly as bad as I-17 or that 101 loop.
It's about 240 miles going that back way to Prescott. But we have all day to do it, and 89 is a nice ride out of Wickenburg and into Prescott. The rest of it sucks though.
