For travelers who value spontaneity but want to avoid the mishaps inherent to unplanned trips, I can’t recommend visitor centers or tourism offices enough.
Several years ago, a friendly visitor center associate rescued me from a dodgy room in a dodgier neighborhood by booking a suite for the same price in an elegant condo building that had not entered my radar screen when I was researching hotels.
Since then, when traveling on the road, I always make a stop at the state Visitor Center for maps, brochures, hotel recommendations and clean restrooms (I can’t stress that last one enough).
Therefore, please let me say it again: clean restrooms.