Having a place to keep track of the things that inspire us to travel is nothing new. Remember the days when an image from a magazine would compel you to tear it out and hang it on a bulletin board in your hallway, reminding you to get out there and see the world? Or when, as you were researching your next adventure, you’d jot down recommendations you heard about from friends or on TV in the margins of your guidebook? My friend Melanie keeps 3-ring binders organized by country with articles and photos from magazines and newspapers, which she then refers to when she’s planning a trip. (It’s the most organized analog travel inspiration system I’ve ever seen.)

Today, of course, many of our travel dreaming tools have gone digital. Personally, I keep my TripDoc iPhone app open whenever I’m watching a travel TV show so I can put that restaurant Tony Bourdain is fawning over on a map for when I (eventually, I hope) visit that city. After gathering tips for recent trips to Paris and New York, my maps were overflowing – there was no way I’d be able to hit all those recommended spots during short visits, but the fact that I had all those options made me really happy. And, of course, I’ve got a head-start on trip planning the next time I go to either of those cities – not to mention a bunch of reasons to return.

>> Articles you’ll read this week on BootsnAll include: a round-the-world trip itinerary focused on some of the best hikes on earth, a few things you think you might know about South Africa (but about which you’re probably wrong), and a treatise on why your retirement should be spent taking a long-term trip.

Week 21 of the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 is travel inspriation tools.

Travel dreaming and inspiration are both so often visual, it’s no surprise that Pinterest has become such a huge hit with travelers and wannabe travelers. BootsnAll’s Pinterest boards are full of places we’d like to go, travel gear we love, travel quotes that make us think, and all kinds of other travel-related goodies. (Speaking of, are you on Pinterest? You should come check out what we’re pinning, and join us!)

For week 21 of the Indie Travel Challenge, we’d like you to tell us what your travel dreaming tools of choice are. Do you still pull pages from magazines? Do you keep a spreadsheet on your computer, organized by country? Do you have a smartphone app or a website you love? Tell us about your favorite travel inspiration tools, both places where you find inspiration to travel and places where you can store those travel dreams for when you’re actually planning a trip, and whether those tools have changed the way you travel.

Don’t forget to add your blog posts to the main Indie Travel Challenge page – and be sure to include a picture when you do (we love pictures!).

The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions. 

Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.

Get more travel inspiration from these articles:

• 11 Reasons to Stop Dreaming and Start Planning Your Round the World Trip
• 6 Countries on the US State Dept. Alert and Warning Lists That You Should Visit Anyway
• 9 of the Most Scenic Drives in Europe
• The Top 10 Destinations for Indie Travelers in 2012
• Around the World in 7 Lesser-Known Islands

photo by UvaFragola