They always say that if you want to become a travel writer, simply find something to write about when you go on vacation. Seems easier said than done though, no? What exactly can you cover that hasn't been written about already? The hills in San Francisco? The French cuisine in Quebec City? The lakefront in Chicago? Argh--that's been so done! Now you hate writing, travel writing, travel and maybe just life in general.

Don't worry. Seasoned travel writer Ethan Gilsdorf is here to give you some tips on how to mine your trip for travel writing fodder. His travel stories have appeared in National Geographic Traveler, The Washington Post, and in various in-flight magazines and guidebooks. He lived in Paris for five years, working as food critic for Time Out and hotel expert for Fodor's Paris. He also appears as a regular travel video host for boston.com's explorenewengland.com. If you like his advice, Ethan offers his "Breaking Into Travel Writing" seminar on Tuesday, September 5, 7-10 pm, in Cambridge, MA. There is still time to register so if you live in the area or know somebody who does who might be interested, drop them a line and tell them to sign up.

As a travel writer, whenever I'm on the road, I try to cultivate my eye, ear, tongue, nose and feel for a place. And this means venturing off the well-beaten path --- even the newly-discovered (or machete-hacked) trails--- to ensure as unique experience of a place as I can.

For me, instead of taking an air-conditioned tourist bus, or staying in the most exclusive luxury hotels, I'm all for turning travel into an adventure, a mission, a quest. Skipping the train and hiking 95 miles across Scotland. Ignoring the guidebook and dipping into that mystery stew in Guinea. Daring a ferry boat from Hong Kong to Lantau Island in the South China Sea.
These leaps need not be death-defying or extreme. In travel, taking any chance ---- however minor ---often leads away from the predictable, pre-packaged, and often disappointing tourist-centered experience, and more toward real connections with people and culture -- if your mind is prepared.

My strategies for encouraging good travel experiences worthy of reporting back home break down into three categories: planning, tactics, and attitude.

Travel planning

*Enjoy the planning stage. Explore ideas by talking to other travelers who have been where you are going and by reading novels and watching movies set in your dream destination. Read up on history and culture. Develop a quest: "In search of the best french fries in Belgium."

*Buy the right guidebook. Fodor's isn't appropriate for the backpacker set; nor is "Let's Go" going to make any sense if your idea of a holiday is cruising the Riviera shopping for jewelry. Bring more than one guidebook and compare notes.

*Develop a flexible itinerary. Have some set plans and bookings, but leave some days and nights free. Don't get bent out of shape after a missed train or bungled hotel reservation. Be open to change and opportunity will be open to you.

*Think like a local. At home, you'd avoid downtown on Saturday afternoons and the auto route during rush hour. Expect the same population patterns on your vacation. Research public holidays. Hit the beach mid-week.

Travel tactics

*Discover hidden gems. Cities are clever at directing you to monuments, museums, and shopping zones. Ignore tourist office advice, take those narrow streets that lead to unknown places. Be wary of package tours, canned culture, anything put on just for tourists.

*Be smart. Be cautious and find out about unsafe neighborhoods. But be confident, too. Don't let fear of trying something new (or a "bad experience") paralyze your vacation.

*Be willing to walk. Feeling trapped by mobs of other Americans? It's guaranteed: Within a 10 minute stroll, you can find yourself a silent leafy square or pristine patch of beach.

*Pace yourself. Mix cities with crumbling, out-of-the-way villages. Stay put for a few days and engage yourself with the sense of place. Those two-week whirlwinds of Europe leave you needing a vacation from your vacation.
Travel attitude

*Ask questions. Interact with the locals, but don't make fun of them, and don't expect them to speak English. Cultural differences, and misunderstandings, are great ice-breakers. Be open to embarrassing yourself.

*Reserve judgment. Don't expect your vacation experience to duplicate your gas, food, and lodging back home. In France, forget pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Cafés are full of smoke, so deal with it.

*Fit in. Leave that beer-slogan T-shirt behind and keep your shouting to emergency use only. Even in the countries where everyone seems to speak English, it is polite to learn and use a few local words like hello and thank you.

*Enrich your experience. Interacting with a destination doesn't have to be about purchasing souvenirs. Be curious. Enhance your travel through knowledge, reflection, and honoring history, rather than consumerism. Avoid American fast food.

*Participate in your trip. Engage in your temporary nation. Don't send back the sea cucumber stir-fry at Shanghai restaurant: eat it. If that Icelandic couple you meet proposes a night of drinking tequila shots and nightclubbing, go for it. You'll be rewarded in countless ways.

To continue to find "authentic" experiences abroad, I advise both travelers and travel writers to keep their ears to the ground. I remind myself of this all the time: get off the pool-side chaise, and into the crooked streets of that mysterious city. You could be the discoverer of the next new thing, before everyone else (including travel writers like me) knows about it.

Happy trails. And take good notes.