Download and hit the road with this free U.S. travel e-book from Moon guides

To me, there’s nothing better than to open a travel guide and start dreaming. Clearly the folks at Moon Travel Guides read my mind. The Berkeley-based publisher has released a new e-book titled “Moon USA Travel Planner” that is a condensed version of its longer guides -- and free to download on an e-reader.

The deal: “Moon USA Travel Planner” can be downloaded from iTunes, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Kobobooks.com. It’s a nice beginner’s guide to Moon books for those who don’t know this label and an equally nice freebie for those who do.

The California section includes itineraries and information on Northern and Southern California, Napa and Sonoma, Tahoe, Monterey and Carmel, Yosemite National Park and Santa Barbara and the Central Coast. It mentions a hike to Knapp’s Castle (Santa Barbara County) and encourages a tough slog up Mt. Tallac (Lake Tahoe area).

When: The download is free but only until Sept. 30.

Tested: I went to Amazon.com and downloaded the free guide, with maps and color photos, on my iPad, which took less than a minute. There are no click-ins to external websites, but the itineraries and information presented are more than ample to plan a cool trip. Of course, the folks at Moon are hoping you like this sampler well enough to buy one of their 110 guides in e-book format.

Contact: Moon Travel Guides