More specifically, would a trip between Sedona, AZ and Albequeque, NM, including side trips, give me a thorough view of the Southwest? I do not want to miss anything spectacular!
Sounds to me like you need to get a good size paper map of the US, or the South West, to get a good perspective of where one place is, in relation to another. Good ones are the National Parks map, National Geographics wall map, or the AAA 'Indian Country' map.