THE CLAMOR OF vendors in an open-air market, waves crashing against rocks, a variety of Irish accents. Karen Gershowitz, 74, a photographer and author of Travel Mania: Stories of Wanderlust, recommends recording the sound of places you visit: “You can’t capture those things in writing or in photos.” She uses her phone’s free recording app and names the tracks for their locations. —Berit Thorkelson

Go to aarp.org/traveltips to read about other creative ways to capture vacation memories.