Please only respond to this if you are familiar with this eclipse I am talking about here, which is occurring on November 8 2025.

I was living in Omaha at the time of the last big one in the US, so it was a leisurely drive to Beatrice Nebraska. I looked closely at some eclipse maps, and the best places to observe this one will be in southern Texas or Mexico. I have never been to either one, though. So, I would appreciate suggestions for motels in cities on the totality line, preferably as far south as possible. Can I book motels this far in advance? Smaller cities might be preferable to avoid crowds, but motels might fill up quicker in such cities.