Here is a really cool site too.
http://www.couchsurfing.com/
You can find people to crash with. If you are just going somewhere for a couple days, you can "crash on their couch". When I was going cross country I found that site and met up with this REALLY COOL chick. I ended up just passing through, didnt need the couch but was pretty cool anyhow
She showed me around St. Louis.