Good travel writing conveys a sense of place, the qualities of a unique destination told through otherwise mundane experiences.
These fundamentals bounced through my head as my laptop and I sat on the lanai of my beachfront condo on O’ahu’s North Shore, attempting to craft a story. The palm trees swayed in the warm breeze under perfect blue skies, the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, blah, blah, blah. I was in paradise.
Another rule of good travel writing – avoid clichés.
Fortunately, at least on this particular occasion, not all of the stories I generate during my travels are for travel specific publications. There’s a small publication group right here in Parkville that does a number of specialized trade publications, including one for restaurant owners and managers. The name is simply Restaurant Start-Up & Growth, and the magazine is often found under the business heading at the magazine section of many bookstores.
It’s for them I have the opportunity to visit some unusual restaurants during my travels, but instead of highlighting the restaurant as a great stop for travelers, I write about unique construction, management practices and the like.
Which is why, when I was in Hawaii at the Turtle Bay Resort, I visited with Chef Fred d’Angelo at Ola. Lots of things made the restaurant a good story, but that production was underway for the movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and a big scene had just been shot at Ola, made the story even more interesting.
Turtle Bay Resort and Ola are used to such celebrity. The grounds here are also used as a backdrop for the ABC show “Lost” and Ola hosted the second season DVD release party.
So go see “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” but pay particular attention to the restaurant scenes and know that it was the subject of my writing. But also pay attention to all of the movie shot at Turtle Bay Resort. It’s a fabulous destination, one that you may want to visit on your own. Check it out at www.turtlebayresort.com.
But when you send postcards home, try to avoid the clichés. It’s the sign of a good travel writer.
