When you arrive at a Beyond the Path property, you might notice the little things first.

The comfortable spaces made for gathering. The thoughtful touches that make a house feel welcoming. The outdoor areas that invite you to slow down and stay awhile. The details that turn a weekend away into a place where families reconnect, friends laugh late into the evening, and memories are made.

What you may not see is the story behind it all.

Behind Beyond the Path Rental Properties are Kimberly and Travis Nave, a husband-and-wife team who have poured countless hours of hard work, and a whole lot of heart into creating places where people can get away, reconnect, and enjoy time together.

And for Kim and Travis, building Beyond the Path has always been about much more than simply owning vacation rentals.

In many ways, Beyond the Path brings together the worlds Kim and Travis already knew well.

Kim has spent much of her career working in and around real estate, developing an eye for the potential hidden within a property—not simply what a home is today, but what it could be.

Travis comes from the hands-on side of creating that potential. Owning a company that provides painting, drywall, remodeling, and home-maintenance services, he understands just how much work goes into transforming a house from an idea into a finished space.

The two got married in 2020, and together, their skills became a natural combination.

Kim could envision what a property might become, and develop a plan for how to achieve the desired outcome. Travis brought the muscle power to bring that vision to life. And somewhere along the way, the two began building something of their own: Beyond the Path Rental Properties.

There is something special about staying somewhere created by real people who genuinely care about the place.

Living and raising their families in Central, IL, Kim and Travis wanted to create spaces loved ones could enjoy. That is what drew them to the quiet beauty of Hidden Grove, and peaceful waterfront views of The Ridge and Lakeshore Cottage. When Kim's oldest son moved to Phoenix, AZ, the couple knew they needed to expand outside the midwest and continue providing cozy spaces for their families to enjoy together.

But, this was no easy feat. Behind the photos on the website are projects that took longer than expected, decisions debated around the dinner table, renovations that required patience, problems that had to be solved, ideas that evolved along the way, and plenty of hands-on work.

Many of Kim and Travis's properties have required significant work, creativity, patience, and a willingness to see beyond what was already there.

Few examples demonstrate that better than Sunset Trails in New River, Arizona.

Creating the property guests experience today was a massive undertaking. It wasn't simply a matter of decorating rooms and hanging a rental sign. It was a project shaped through endless hours of sweat equity out in the Arizona desert to curate landscaping and build the outdoor oasis guests experience today. 

The same care has gone into each of their central Illinois properties, where the goal has been to create something that feels less like temporary lodging, and more like the setting for a great memory.

When Kim and Travis look at a property, they aren't only thinking about bedrooms, bathrooms, or amenities.

They're imagining their family enjoying the space together, and all the people who will eventually walk through the door.

That's where the heart of Beyond the Path really begins to show.

A vacation home becomes part of people's stories in ways its owners may never fully see.

It's where someone drinks coffee overlooking the water before the rest of the family wakes up. It's where kids spend an afternoon swimming and don't want to come inside. It's where old friends gather around a table and pick up as though no time has passed. It's where couples celebrate anniversaries, families take their first vacation together, and someone inevitably says, "We should do this every year."

Those are the moments Kim and Travis are creating space for ... moments that take you beyond the path, away from everyday life, so that you can exhale and experience life as it should be. 

That's why the details matter.

When you care for a property personally, you see it differently. You don't just ask whether something is functional—you ask whether it makes the stay better. You think about where people will gather. Whether a room feels inviting. What guests will see when they step outside in the morning. What will make them comfortable enough to settle in and feel, even briefly, at home.

If you've stayed with Beyond the Path before, there's a good chance you have already experienced a little piece of Kim and Travis's story without realizing it.

Maybe it was at Sunset Trails, enjoying the Arizona landscape after a long day of exploring. Maybe it was beside the water in Decatur, watching the lake and enjoying the rare luxury of having nowhere else you needed to be. Maybe it was another Beyond the Path property where, for a few days, life simply felt a little slower.

That's ultimately what Kim and Travis have worked so hard to create.

Not just houses.

Not just rentals.

Beyond the Path may have started with two people who understood homes, construction, and real estate. But it has grown into something so much more personal—a collection of special places shaped by their partnership, their talents, their hard work, and their belief that the right setting can bring loved ones together.

So the next time you walk through the door of a Beyond the Path property, take another look around.

Behind that door is a story.

And Kim and Travis helped build it.

Whether you're ready to return to a favorite property or discover somewhere new, we'd love to welcome you back.

Explore the Beyond the Path properties, choose the place that speaks to you, and start planning your next path.