Traveling without traveling

Photo by Bohbeh/Shutterstock.com

For those of us who have decided to “shelter in place” for the foreseeable future, here are a few tips to keep you entertained, maybe even educate a little, and all-around help fight off boredom.

Museums

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, opened in October 1959. Photo by Tinnaporn Sathapornnanont/Shutterstock.com

Google Arts & Culture(https://artsandculture.google.com/) offers a seemingly endless list of museums from around the world that you can click, drag and virtually wander through. From New York’s Guggenheim Museum (https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/solomon-r-guggenheim-museum?hl=en) to Florence’s Uffizi (https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en) to Paris’ Musée d’Orsay (https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/musee-dorsay-paris?hl=en). Note that the home page loads more options as you scroll, so you might want to use the site search (icon located in the top-right corner) and check-out all the options in the menu (three-bar icon in the top-left corner).

Virtual Tours

If you are more the walk-about type, have a look at the 157 virtual tours of European cities (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_h8TPChQYqbcQ5uwHstEBuOo6CUpCd9R). The collection of cities is impressive and, even though all the videos are just transitioning photographs, you definitely see the beauty present in these wondrous locations.

Photo by Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

Or, if you are more the artistic type, you might enjoy this collection of avant-garde travel videos (https://www.bucketlistly.blog/posts/10-most-creative-inspiring-travel-videos). Faster transitions, mystic narration, and evoking more of the spirit of these far-off locales.

Or maybe you are looking for more of the traditional “guided tour” videos (https://expertvagabond.com/youtube-travel-videos/)?

You can also virtually roam these 33 National Parks (https://totallythebomb.com/heres-33-national-park-tours-you-can-take-virtually-from-the-comfort-of-your-home).

VR Travel apps

Or maybe you are a next-generation traveler. In that case, strap on your VR goggles and start traveling with these Virtual Reality Travel Apps (https://www.wheretraveler.com/shop/coming-your-phone-virtual-reality-travel-apps)!

Podcasts

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If you prefer to travel while listening, Intrepid Travel (https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/best-travel-podcasts/) and Wanderlust (https://www.wanderlust.co.uk/content/top-travel-podcasts-you-need-to-listen-to/) both offer their lists of the top travel podcasts. Whether you want to sit calmly, watching the birds dance around your back yard, or need something to listen to while on the treadmill or getting started on your Spring cleaning, surely you can find something to listen to!

Time Travel

Why not try out some time travel? (Sort of.) The Radioooo App (iOS, Android) allows you to pick a country, then pick a decade (starting in 1900), and listen to music from that country & decade. Wish I could find something that allowed me to do this with movies!

But whatever you love doing to keep yourself entertained, we wish you and yours good health!