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Hi i am doing another USA trip in July and would like some help with places to stay.I am hiring from Chicago traveling to Niagara falls would like a safe place to stay half way between them.From Niagara falls i am heading to new Orleans looking at a map maybe though Pigeon forge then on to ride the dragons tail will need maybe two stop overs between them.From there on too Birmingham and visit Barber motorsport park then on to new Orleans.From there back up to Chicago as i have never been to any of these places your input would be greatly appreciated. My time frame is 4 weeks trying to stay away from the big city's.Thanks Graham.

Hi Graham.
Being an ex- Kiwi I might be able to add something .

Last year my brother visited me here in Canada from Napier. He rented a Harley and I rode my MV. We did the west coast run from BC Canada down 101 to Laguna Seca for WSBK. As you can appreciate , accommodation is the biggest single coast ( not including the bike rental ). We planned the trip in early in the year , like now if you are coming this summer. Tourist spots book out very quickly- and expect to pay a premium at those places.
We used Booking.com or Expedia to get a range of places/ choices at the expected stopping places. But booking accommodation well in advance insures a bed, but then you are somewhat locked in to how much you ride each day. And if you haven't been to these places before , its a bit of a gamble. And expect the humidity to be high- as in hot and sweaty.

If you don't get any volunteer hosts on your route, I would suggest AirBnB.com

You can rent anything from a room in a house to an mini-mansion. I use it on most of my non-work travels and find it much more of an experience than a generic hotel (in a good way).

My kids (in their 20s) use it as well. They are usually looking for something very budget friendly so most often get a room in someone's house. They've never had a negative experience and have really enjoyed some of the hosts.

If you decide to get over to Dallas area, I'd welcome you to stay with us.

Good Travels!

Frank

Thanks very much i am slowly trying to put a route to follow and booking as i go but you are right accommodation is expensive. Has anyone got a good safe town or city they can suggest between Chicago and Niagara falls they can recommend please.

Hey man, can't offer a place to stay unfortunately with a toddler in the house, but I'm in Franklin, NC, not far from Deals Gap/The Dragon.

We've got some phenomenal riding out this way. The Gap has gotten incredibly crowded the past few years. Something to check off a list for sure, but I've got some other backroads that'll blow your mind.

If you wind up with some time to kill in Western NC/East TN, let me know. I'd be happy to show you around.

Halfway between Chicago and Niagara falls is Detroit. You might think about some of the todo things in Detroit. I've personally done some of the museums and toured the Ford plant there. You could think about stopping in Ann Arbor, MI overnight and then spending the day in Detroit before heading on to Niagara Falls. A decent hotel in Ann Arbor is going to run $120/night. On AirBnB a room in someone's house is going to run you $50. Much cheaper than those prices and it's likely not the best neighborhood or the place is a real dump.

It's been years since I've crossed into Canada at Detroit, but it used to be easy and fast. To the point I would go across to eat at a pub in Canada. Someone else should chime in on what crossing at that point is like now.

If you are looking to stay in the US (going around the South side of Lake Erie), then Detroit is a good bit out of your way. At that point, I personally would stop in a small town, probably between Toledo and Cleveland. Or on the residential out-skirts of Cleveland.