It's a bit late to make plans. Roads are going to be massively congested in the hours before and after. The best way to avoid that is to stay somewhere overnight, but those places are all booked now.
Honestly I saw the last one and I don't get the hype. The shadows made cool shapes and then it got dark and then it stopped being dark. It was neat but not like this lose your mind shit.
If you have an opportunity to experience the total eclipse by taking a short trip, do it! I would avoid the tourist traps, though. They will be full beyond capacity.
A small park in a rural town will get the same eclipse as Niagara Falls or other big cities inside the totality area.
Be aware of general traffic, also, though. Plan to make a day of it, get to where you plan to go early and hang out for a while.