Spot on article. I always preferred spending more than couple of days at a place (say, couple of months, if possible), just to see how it really is. Try to be one of them (locals) during the months you are there.
Also, walk. Walk in random directions, without a plan. See what's really going on!
In my opinion, there's no other way of truly experiencing another culture. Taking a picture in tourist-packed place is surely not the way to experience anything.
I realize that's difficult to spend a month in another country due to other obligations (kids, work, etc.) - not sure how are we going to solve that, ever (or even if it needs "solving" at all). That's just how society is structured, for now.
I find 100% vacation leaves me wanting to work after a week or two, and 100% work leaves me wanting travel after a few months.
I think it would be ideal to work a flexible job where it's possible to live and work remotely for several months at a time, while discovering that place slowly. In this way you get more of the day-to-day life experience, and you are able to "absorb" the place/culture at your own pace, getting to know it beyond a superficial level. Basically, you just try to live a "normal" life there, albeit with more frequent evenings out, weekend trips, etc.
This is of course, part of the appeal of digital nomadism, but I consider that to be a much more extreme version of what I mean.
Also, walk. Walk in random directions, without a plan. See what's really going on!
In my opinion, there's no other way of truly experiencing another culture. Taking a picture in tourist-packed place is surely not the way to experience anything.
I realize that's difficult to spend a month in another country due to other obligations (kids, work, etc.) - not sure how are we going to solve that, ever (or even if it needs "solving" at all). That's just how society is structured, for now.