Started making reservations part II

I wanted to add that we didn't make reservations last time (driving from Florida to Alaska) and it worked out fine-- but we did waste some time every evening driving around looking for a place, checking prices, etc. With a toddler in tow this time, we're just going to want to get out of the car asap. Now, although having reservations forces us to drive a certain set distance every day, when we arrive at our day's destination we can get settled in right away. Plus, planning ahead allows us to find some cute local off-the-beaten-path places, rather than going with motel or hotel chains every time.