Everyone's jumping on the Pinterest bandwagon, and no wonder. The social media site, where you "pin" inspiring photos of luscious baked goods, bucket-list world landmarks and HDR-enhanced sunsets, provides perfect travel porn. Once you start browsing other peoples' boards, it's almost impossible to stop.

But does Pinterest have any practical uses for travelers? Although it seems mostly geared toward of the armchair set, there are a few ways that people planning vacations can get something substantial out of scrapbooking:

Get ideas. The most obvious way to use Pinterest is still the most practical. Already you can find thousands of gorgeous travel photos on Pinterest, not only from regular users, but from noted brands such as The Travel Channel (and yes, Gadling). As more travel companies and destinations flock to the site, the visual resources that are available to people planning vacations will become richer.

Just look at the Visit Savannah boards. Run by the city's destination marketing organization, some of Savannah's pins carry practical information, such as the best things to order at local restaurants and specialty shopping. And the I Do board makes you want to redo your nuptials in front of the city's Spanish oaks. It's a perfect fit for Pinterest's wedding-crazed members.

Crowdsource. Most people use Pinterest to put forth their own vision of what a vacation could be. But let's say you're taking your first trip to Paris. You could create a Paris board and invite your most Francophile friends to pin their recommendations too. It's a much more visual way than asking for tips on Facebook.

Filed under: Internet Tools