I do a lot of out of town shoots and it is vital for the client to find a good spot for us to go. I always head to their location a day before to check out areas that are pristine for lighting and good composition.  If you don't know areas, ask around but it is a huge waste to time to wander and wonder where to go. Here in St. Louis I have many favorite places. The park system is great here but one MUST for me is to determine if there is any scheduled events for the park. Once I forgot to check and we were at the park with thousands of others...ugh. It's the old rule, location, location, location!