The idea of "smooth space" being gone is kinda haunting. Everything's mapped, monetized, reviewed on TripAdvisor. There's very little true unknown left to stumble into
Another thing I do, is avoid online menues at least ahead of visiting a spot and make my selections once I arrive. I can't say it's better, but it definitely keeps the serendipitous and suspense that I remember from my younger years before everything was online and had a million reviews.