Resources
Hello! Here is a list of various resources I use for travel, photography, blogging, etc.
Disclaimer: Please note that if you click on any links provided, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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Travel Resources:
Booking.com
I have used Booking.com two or three times to book hotels while traveling. I have not ran into any issues thus far and plan to use it more in the future. They have a referral promo where you receive $25 if a friend books & stays, and they also receive $25 towards their hotel stay. Below I have attached my referral link. Please feel free to use it and share it with a friend to claim your $25!
Mobile Apps
- REI National Parks App– This app is a great (map view) tool for giving you information about National Parks! It shows the difficulty, mileage, photos, and a brief description of the hikes listed. It also shows you where scenic views, waterfalls, etc are located in the parks. I use this very frequently when visiting National Parks, not only for hikes but for road travel as well. This app is a work in progress, so not every National Park is listed. Also, not all hikes are listed either, which is why I use AllTrails as well. REI National Parks App
- AllTrails App- I use this app less frequently than my REI National Parks app, but I still use it from time to time. This app is good when you are not in a National Park. It will lists hikes, difficulty, mileage, and ratings from various state parks, etc. Sometimes you can find hikes/trails on here that are not on the REI National Parks App!
- Fitbit App– I wear my Fitbit every day so it makes sense that I would wear it when I hike! I like that it tells me how many minutes I’ve been active, calories burned, distance traveled, and how many flights of stairs I’ve taken for the day.
- Google Maps App– This seems obvious given the fact that I need to figure out how to get somewhere when I’m visiting somewhere new.
Books
- Fodor’s The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West I ALWAYS use this book when preparing for a trip to a National Park. It covers 38 of the National Parks of the West. For each park, this book will tell you when to go, park fees and permits, restaurants, hotels, campsites, scenic drives, historic sites, sports and outdoors (such as fishing, rock climbing, four-wheeling, boating, etc.), hikes, nearby towns and attractions and much more! This is hands down one of the best book purchases I’ve ever made and is my go-to book when planning trips!
Photography Resources:
Books
- Complete Photography by Chris Gatcum This is the perfect book for anyone just starting out in digital photography. It explains the basic functions of a DSLR while providing you with easy to understand instructions and photos to help you learn about photography. This book covers various aspects of digital photography such as exposure, lenses, focus, composition, lighting/flash, photo editing, and much more.
- Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson I had been very confused on what exactly ISO is until I read this book! Bryan Peterson uses very simple analogies to help you understand the basics of exposure. This book is full of advice on exposure and has many beautiful images he has taken (and he gives you the settings he used for each image which I enjoy).