shop
Travel guides
let’s get off the beaten path
Tired of spending hours of research trying to find the best hikes, unique accommodations and outdoor hidden gems for your upcoming trip? Looking to avoid the typical tourist traps and crowds? Or maybe you don’t even know where to start when it comes to planning a trip?
That’s where I come in! After traveling to over 30 countries and countless states, I consider myself somewhat of a travel planning expert! I spend hours researching each and every one of my trips (often ending up with pages-long Google docs) to find the best hiking trails, natural wonders, and tourist-free attractions. My goal in traveling has always been to do things a little differently and I wanted a way to pass on that knowlegde to you! Thus, my travel shop was born!
I have created a number of guides and itineraries for some of my favorite outdoor adventures. These guides are written by me for people who like to travel similar to how I do – so you won’t find guides to big cities and museums here! These guides are all about self-guided adventure travel. Aka packed with activities like off-the-radar waterfalls, hot springs, hiking trails, swimming holes, and unique accommodations.
In my guides, I share:
- EXACT locations on an interactive in-app map (that links to your phone’s Google or Apple Maps to take you directly there)
- Exclusive photos and videos that I haven’t shared anywhere else
- Hidden gems that I do not share the names of on Social Media and have found through hours and hours of research
- My not-sponsored, honest opinions on places that I have personally been and know well
- Links to every hiking trail’s AllTrails page so you can stay up to date with the latest trail conditions
- Suggested accommodation options with direct links to book straight from the guide including where I personally stayed
- Links and resources to everything you need to plan your trip
- Free mobile photo presets to edit your travel pictures that I do not sell anywhere else! (included in most guides, but not every guide)
Sound like these guides are for you? Check out my available guides to purchase below! You can also find a guide demo, customer testimonials, and an FAQ section (including instructions on how to use the Thatch app) below!
AVAILABLE GUIDES
The American Southwest: The Ultimate Road Trip Itinerary through Utah & Arizona
- A fully planned road trip itinerary to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Lake Powell/Page, Monument Valley, and Sedona
- 25+ outdoor activities (including 19 hikes, the best places to catch sunrise and sunset, slot canyon tours, my favorite kayaking experience I have ever done, secret red rock swimming holes, hidden cave hikes, and more!)
- 50+ accommodation suggestions including glamping experiences, treehouses, off-the-grid cabins, unique AirBnBs, and campgrounds for tent/camper van parking, plus exactly where I stayed during my own trip!
- Information & links on how to apply for permits to some of the most famous hikes in the country
Glacier National Park, Montana: A Hiking Guide & Driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road
Glacier National Park is truly one of the most incredible places I have visited in the US and quickly jumped to the very top of my favorite National Parks list! With 700 miles of trails, 24 different glaciers, incredibly diverse landscapes, and a wide array of wildlife, this is a must-visit destination for outdoor enthusiasts!
This guide lays out instructions to help you plan your perfect trip including:
- Instructions and insider tips on how to get reservations for the famous Going-To-The-Sun Road
- Over a dozen outdoor activities (including 11 hikes, the best stops to make along the Going-To-The-Sun Road, and other park highlights)
- Accommodation suggestions including hotels, glamping experiences, unique AirBnBs, park campgrounds, & backcountry chalets
Costa Rica Travel Guides
Costa Rica has something for everyone – tropical beaches, wild jungles, towering volcanoes, steaming hot springs, waterfalls, & incredible wildlife. I spent 4 weeks exploring the country and created 5 guides to suit your needs:
- Ultimate Costa Rica: 1 full 10-day ultimate adventure itinerary with over 35 accomodation suggestions, 13 waterfall locations, 4 hot springs, 4 hiking destinations, 7 beaches, boat tours, island day trips and more!
- 3 regional guides (La Fortuna, Santa Teresa, & Domincal), each with unique features tailored to that speficic region
- 1 guide on the best waterfalls to visit 13 waterfall locations – if want to know the best place to get a waterfall to yourself!
Browse each of the guides at the link below to choose which is best for you!
PS – the Ultimate Costa Rica Guide is a combination of all 3 regional guides plus the waterfall guide, so if you purchase the Ultimate Guide, you DO NOT need to pruchase the others.
Adventure Guide to Willamette National Forest, Oregon
Willamette National Forest is truly an outdoor lover’s dream with tons of waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, hiking trails, & hidden swimming holes (like the famous bright blue one!).
This guide lays out instructions to help you plan your perfect trip including over a dozen outdoor activities (9 waterfall hikes, 1 swimming hole, an underground lava tunnel & even a riverside hot spring!), accomodation suggestions in the towns of Bend and Sisters, and other important information on public lands, trail conditions, camping, and more!
A Guide to California's Eastern Sierras & Hot Springs
With multiple hot springs, mountain trails, alpine lakes, desert landscapes, and incredible dispersed camping opportunities, you don’t want to miss California’s Eastern Sierras region!
This guide will have you basing yourself in the Alabama Hills and Mammoth Lakes areas and provides tons of information to help you plan your itinerary including 8 wild hot spings, several hiking trails, everything you need to know about dispersed camping and public lands, camper van rentals, and other accomodation choices (if camping or vanlife isnt your thing!).
Guide Demo
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to download the Thatch App to use the guides?
While it is not required to download the Thatch app, it is highly recommended! Not only is the Thatch app free to download, but it also makes the guides mobile friendly meaning you can take your guide with you on the go! Downloading the mobile app allows you to use the interactive map feature, save the guides to your library and easily access all of the links I include! You can download the Thatch app here. It works on both iOS and Android systems. You can view the guides via your web browser if you would like to explore the guides first before downloading the app 🙂
What kind of travel budget do the guides cater to?
While my guides are built to be flexible in order to cater to a variety of budgets, I focus on the lower to mid-range budget category since that is how I travel! The guides allow you to choose your accomodations and activities so that you can control where and what you want to put your budget towards. The location of the guide iteself also contributes to total travel budget.
The majority of activities I include have a low entrance fee or are free, but I also include a few more expensive activities options as well if that is your style. For accomodations, I typically include a variety of Airbnb options, boutique hotels, hostels, and glamping experinces ranging from $50 a night to $250 a night (with the majority falling in the middle).
However, I do think if you are looking for high-end vacations with luxury resorts, yatch trips, and private jet transportation – these are probably not for you!
Is it a strict itinerary I have to follow?
No! While I do suggest the number of days to spend at each location to get a good experince, these are flexbile, self-guided trips and are in no-way a strict itinerary. They are designed for you to pick and choose what you want to do each day and for how long you go for. I provide TONS of activities at each location so that you can pick ones that align best with you/fit your timing!
Do you update the guides?
Yes! These are living guides – which means you will receive all updates to the guides thatt I provide after you purchase them. I plan on updating the guides whenever I acquire new information or experinces related to the location 🙂
Do I only have access to the guides for a specific amount of time?
You will have lifetime access to the guides aka for as long as the app and I are around (hopefully a very long time!)
Are any of your guides sponsored?
Nope! All of these guides are straight from me – meaning they are all my unfilitered opinion and experinces! If I include any kind of affliate link or a company I have worked with, I will make sure to call that out so that you know!
Have you been to all of these places?
Yes! I only create guides on places I have personally been and know well. Within the guides, I include both activities that I have done myself as well as those that are on my bucketlist for next time I visit (since I don’t always have time to do everything on my list)! I will always call out the ones I have not done yet and provide you the exact resources you need to experience them yourself!
Can I get a refund?
Unfortunatley, becuase this is a digital product, I do not offer refunds. However, I do include a feedback link in each guide and would love to know what I can improve on in the guides to make them better for you!
Let’s Work together
All images © 2020 Kathryn Bennett. All rights reserved.