Digital Influentials: The "Traveling" Riverside Blues Edition - Cory Treffiletti

Welcome to the Travel-related, Led Zeppelin-dedicated edition of the Digital Influentials!

As I sit here typing feverishly and listening to the banshee scream of Robert Plant and impractical virtuosity of Jimmy Page, I'm reminded of the impact they had on the musical landscape. While their songs take me to a faraway place and I soar beyond the hills of Mordor I'm reminded that Led Zeppelin was one of the most influential bands of the last 40 years, practically forcing many young men to grow out their hair, don leather pants and scream at the top of their lungs alongside the powerful crunch of an electric guitar. If it weren't for Zeppelin we'd never have experienced Guns N Roses (the good version), The Black Crowes, The White Stripes or Soundgarden.

It almost reminds me that without EXPEDIA (http://www.expedia.com/) we may never have seen the explosion of travel-related services online! Expedia is the godfather of travel sites, making it easier to catch that "Night Flight" "Over The Hills And Far Away", or head down to a "South Bound Suarez". I still use my Expedia account, and I know you do too!

That being said, the travel space has exploded with must-have tools and services, like new entrant HIPMUNK (http://www.hipmunk.com/). HipMunk provides a simple and easy to use interface that will show you the best way for "Going To California" or anywhere else you're itching to be.

If you know where you're going, but you don't know what to do when you get there, then check out TRIPBOD (http://www.tripbod.com/). It's personalized trip planning! They can show you where to go on a wonderful "Misty Mountain Hop", as well as what to do "In The Evening". Maybe you want to go for a walk "Down By The Seaside"? Then TripBod can tell you the best place to go.

If you're up for a hike, and want to get a sneak peek, don't forget that GOOGLE MAPS just announced TRAIL VIEW on their platform, allowing you to see hiking and biking trails alongside driving directions. Their product has always been great, and maybe you can even get them to show you the "Four Sticks" trail where I ate my "Custard Pie"? Probably not, since I made that up.

If that last made-up story has you all "Dazed And Confused", then why not go back to something you already know like TRIP ADVISOR and their new iPhone App? It's an easy way to gain access to their wonderful wealth of content from anywhere, even while gallivanting around the back-roads of "Kashmir".

Sometimes you just want to get away from it all. You want a break from the everyday world that forces you into your own personal "Communication Breakdown" – then check out BED AND BREAKFAST WORLD (http://www.bedandbreakfastworld.com/). This site gives you access to the smaller, lesser-known places to stay. Bring your "Black Dog" and act like a "Fool In The Rain" with "Friends". It can provide a break from the daily grind, and one you probably need just as much as I do right now!

And if you know when to go, but not where to go, then check out JOOBILI (http://joobili.com/). Joobili provides a timeline for the best things to do anywhere in the world! Everyday is a "Celebration Day" somewhere in the world, so just enter in your dates and they'll tell you where to go!

Well – that's it for this edition. I hope you enjoyed it! Please enjoy it, with "All My Love". I am off for now… "I'm Gonna Crawl" and eat a "Hot Dog". See ya!!

Cory Treffiletti is President and Managing Partner for Catalyst SF. Cory has been a thought leader in interactive marketing and advertising since 1995. Cory can be contacted at cory@catalystsf.com.

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