Gowalla revamped its website and mobile apps to feature Social Guides for travelers and to enhance the check-in process with stories.

"We've taken the best of what's local, the places your friends love, and the recommendations from experts, rolled them all up, and have created the foundation for a collection of Social Guides to cities, parks and regions around the world...," Gowalla CEO Josh Williams writes on the company blog.

The Guides are currently available in 60 cities but will eventually launch in other cities. Other updates include the option to follow friends and tag friends in stories.

Austin-based Gowalla was founded in 2009 by Josh and Scott Raymond.

[See screen shots after the jump]

Users can search for guides, spots and lists in the toolbar. Swiping to the left shows nearby guides. Swiping upward lets you see guides from all over the world, including Amsterdam, Bangkok and Dubai.

Each city features a short bio along with spots and lists (trips are now known as lists).

Click "I'm Here" to check-in and start a new story. Users can add a highlight or suggestion in the lower toolbar.

To view Stories, click the icon in the bottom left corner. Click "New" to start a new story.

Users can either select a location from the pre-populated list or search for a place nearby to start their story.

Type in a friend's name to tag them in the story.

The story will appear in your timeline and on your profile page.

Disclosure: LAUNCH founder Jason Calacanis is an investor in Gowalla.

CONTACTS & LINKS

Gowalla
Website: www.gowalla.com
Twitter: @gowalla

Josh Williams, CEO
Twitter: @jw
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshwilliams
Google+: https://plus.google.com/108424801450438618205

Scott Raymond, CTO
Twitter: @sco
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/scoraymond
Google+: https://plus.google.com/108629799648187143945