Using Pinterest to Plan Trips

Let's face it, Pinterest is just plain addictive!  Everyone warns you before you get on it, but really they can never properly prepare you for how much it'll suck you in.  I think what makes it so appealing is that it can be used in so many different ways.  There are those who pin every silly DIY and/or crazy shortcut post that ever existed.  Then there are those who create endless fashion and outfit boards (my cousin).  Then there are those like me, who love to find new recipes or pin old favorites.  Besides for recipes and crochet patterns, I love to use Pinterest as my own personal trip planner.

When it comes to planning travel there are generally two types of people, those that leave it to the experts (aka travel agents) and those that enjoy the planning almost as much as the trip itself.  I, of course, fall into the latter category.  I contribute 50% of this to my love of making lists and 50% to my sister, who is a phenomenal travel agent.  My sis took me on several trips in my teens, most notably a stellar 10 day trip to the UK.  It was so beautifully planned and organized.  We flew into Edinburgh, rented a car and drove down to the mid-lands where we visited friends, went to Liverpool and Stratford-Upon-Avon, and then we took a train to London where we spent the last couple nights.  It was an outstanding trip, and it showed me what good travel is all about.  To this day, I almost always run my trip ideas past my sister, you know, since she does it for a living and she's been almost everywhere.  But once I get the thumbs-up from my sis, then I begin researching.

My research is generally just Google-based.  Usually I'll check tripadvisor to see if there's anything I've missed, but generally the top "things to do" on their list aren't usually activities or sights that interest me.  Plus, the ratings and reviews are so subjective.  Though, sometimes tripadvisor will surprise me!  I constantly turn to Google maps to map out and route the trip, especially near the end of planning when I'm deciding on a specific day-by-day agenda.  For our last couple trips and our next one coming up (Vancouver, Montreal, and Seattle, respectively) I used Pinterest to compile ideas, from places to stay, things to see, restaurants to check out and little helpful tidbits that I've discovered and don't want to risk losing.   

This is my board for our next trip Olympic National Park and Seattle, which is coming up in May. [Click to see the full board]

I'll make notes in the pin description, mainly how much it costs, what it is close to and when it might fit best into the trip.  Then I can constantly share the board with Antoine (and my sister) to get feedback and bounce around ideas.  Plus, just looking at the board makes excited for the trip, which can be kind of torturous...especially if it's months and months away, like Seattle!  Another advantage to using Pinterest inn this way is since I have it on my phone, if I need an address, directions or hours while we're on our trip I can just go to my board instead of spending time searching for it online. It's all-around awesome and now I can't imagine planning a trip without it.  I encourage you to try using Pinterest the next time you plan a trip!

Now if Pinterest could only make it so that you could rearrange your pins within a board I would be in seventh heaven!