Traveling the World in a Pandemic

This Pandemic life is weird. So weird. 

I could go on and on about the tragedies of this virus... life tragedies of losing or thinking about losing those you love and the realistic tragedies of worrying about losing your small business, not being able to pay your bills and all of the economic issues that this is causing. 

But I am here to talk to you all about trivial stuff. 

Schools are closed. Travel is pretty much closed. Zoos and Museums and Aquariums are closed. Even church is closed. 

What should a wandering heart do when confined to their home? And I am SURE that some of my fellow travel/discovery/adventure lovers are a bit troubled/anxious about not having a trip on the books or having to cancel their plans. So what can we do to entertain ourselves and our kids long enough to follow the rules/recommendations required to hopefully protect our families and communities? What can we do to somewhat satisfy our thirst for adventure and wonder? 

I have some really cool resources to share with all of you. 

Share them with your kids, share them with other people your own age and hey, share them with your grandparents, parents and the elderly. I know my Papa, my Grandma and my husband's grandma have been enjoying seeing the world from their computers. 

These links are easy and generally take you right to where you need to be. I have them sorted by Landmarks, Museums, Zoos and a few other activities. Enjoy wanderlusting a bit while we all stay home. 

LANDMARKS
Versailles - https://artsandculture.google.com/project/versailles
National Parks - https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service
Tower Bridge, London-  https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/tower-bridge/ugEFp7aCM3BIiA?sv_lng=-0.07670989908956471&sv_lat=51.5061485330904&sv_h=117.7749823814594&sv_p=12.162013151743352&sv_pid=qao5YXmJq469asudlxdyXw&sv_z=0.9999999999999997
Stonehenge - https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/history-and-stories/stonehenge360/#section-1 
Scott's Hut, Antarctica  -https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/scott%E2%80%99s-hut-and-the-explorers%E2%80%99-heritage-of-antarctica/4wE0hFnKrfZkWw?sv_lng=166.4173991294906&sv_lat=-77.63616621268466&sv_h=65.7162863753052&sv_p=-13.755496069053052&sv_pid=xpbI0_dgYzBfNcUP0ayA-w&sv_z=0.9999999999999997
The Acropolis -  http://acropolis-virtualtour.gr/ 
Machu Picchu -  http://www.peru-machu-picchu.com/map.php 
Pompeii- https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7489468,14.4848331,3a,75y,346.35h,74.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1e-bu_kis-dL1BnVGZhDdw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en 
The White House -  https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-white-house 
The Vatican -  http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html 
Giants Causeway - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway/features/take-a-virtual-tour-of-the-giants-causeway
Yellowstone - https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
Yosemite - https://www.virtualyosemite.org/
Shakespeare's Globe Theater- https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/shakespeare-s-globe
Blarney Castle - ​https://www.virtualvisittours.com/blarney-castle/
​Mount Vernon, Virginia-  https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/george-washingtons-mount-vernon  ​​
The United States Capitol - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/us-capitol
Buckingham Palace - https://www.royal.uk/virtual-tours-buckingham-palace
Westminster Abbey - https://www.westminster-abbey.org/learning/virtual-tours
The Great Wall of China- https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china 
The Taj Mahal -  https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/taj-mahal/UwGKcX7FFM5U4g?sv_lng=78.04199578168942&sv_lat=27.17376226664116&sv_h=7.5&sv_p=11&sv_pid=vQAmRxAVGgXXQmPcT8d0cQ&sv_z=0.999999999999999/ 
The Eiffel Tower -  https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/explore 
The Cliffs of Moher - https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/virtual-visit-tour/
​Disney World - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/03/disney-parks-launches-first-ever-360-degree-panoramas-on-google-street-view/
Disneyland - https://www.google.com/maps/@33.8117612,-117.9190477,3a,75y,55.45h,84.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFxPJBNyHBQVVf01IwGd2Ng!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
The Sydney Opera House - https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/sydney-opera-house/KgGPW2YWtcHpBg?sv_lng=151.2135034733324&sv_lat=-33.85845058282505&sv_h=8.999&sv_p=-13.299999999999997&sv_pid=opBj2MqN2Mk4yX5QdZPYDw&sv_z=0.9999999999999997

​​MUSEUMS
Musée d'Orsay, Paris- https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/musee-dorsay-paris?hl=en 
​The Lourve, Paris-  https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne  https://www.youvisit.com/tour/louvremuseum 
The Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum - ​https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/auschwitz-birkenau-state-museum
The National WW1 Museum, Kansas City- ​https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-world-war-i-museum
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center  - ​https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-underground-railroad-freedom-center
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum- ​https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-baseball-hall-of-fame-and-museum
The British Museum - https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/ 
​Tate Modern -  https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern 
​The UK National Gallery -  https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtual-tours/google-virtual-tour
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, DC -  https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/united-states-holocaust-memorial-museum
​The Museum of London -https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/about-us/business-services/venue-hire/museum-london/3d-tour
​The Natural History Museum (UK)  https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/natural-history-museum
​The Benjamin Franklin House, London-  https://benjaminfranklinhouse.org/visit/virtual-tour/
​The Imperial War Museum, London - https://www.britishtours.com/360/imperial-war-museum
The Charles Dickens Museum, London- https://dickensmuseum.com/pages/interactive-tour
The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam- https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?hl=en   
​Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam -  https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/rijksmuseum/iwH5aYGoPwSf7g?hl=en&sv_lng=4.885283712508563&sv_lat=52.35984312584405&sv_h=311.1699875145569&sv_p=-5.924133903625474&sv_pid=fOVcUXQW2wpRf33iUmxEfg&sv_z=0.9999999999999997​
​Anne Frank House, Amsterdam - https://www.annefrank.org/en/museum/web-and-digital/ or https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/anne-frank-house
Uffizi Gallery Florence - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/uffizi-gallery?hl=en
Fondazione Cariplo Milan -  https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/fondazione-cariplo
Museum of Tolerance LA - ANNE FRANK EXHIBIT  -  http://www.museumoftolerance.com/visit/exhibits/visit-anne-frank-exhibit/#
The MOMA, NYC  -  https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/moma-the-museum-of-modern-art
The Getty, LA - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-j-paul-getty-museum
The MET, NYC - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art
The State Russian Museum, St Petersburg, Russia - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-state-russian-museum-st-petersburg
The Ohara Museum of Art, Japan - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/ohara-museum-of-art
The Olympic Museum, Switzerland - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-olympic-museum
The Frick, NYC - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-frick-collection
The Guggenheim NYC -https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/solomon-r-guggenheim-museum 
The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, DC -  https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-portrait-gallery
Tokyo National Museum - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/tokyo-national-museum
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-israel-museum-jerusalem
The Botero Museum, Bogata Colombia - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/museo-botero-bogota
The Fords Theatre, DC - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/fords-theatre 
The National Museum of Art, Mexico - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/museo-nacional-de-arte 
The Acropolis Museum, Athens - https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/acropolis-museum/IwFUpQvIJ1QDVA?hl=en&sv_lng=23.7282032&sv_lat=37.9681684&sv_h=30&sv_p=0&sv_pid=t65OTdI1BloiINk1Y00BqQ&sv_z=1

MORE MUSEUM EXPERIENCES - https://artsandculture.google.com/project/streetviews

​GARDENS 
Hidcote Manor Gardens - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote/features/hidcote-virtual-tours
Hestercombe, England - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/hestercombe-house-gardens
Chateau Bouges, France - https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/gardens-of-castle-of-bouges/2QHbPsnD3z0TyQ?sv_lng=1.672855235998292&sv_lat=47.04317471094553&sv_h=176.3355176009656&sv_p=-3.0332870241937684&sv_pid=X2ynFRJl8IcAAAQvPA94EQ&sv_z=1
New York Botanical Gardens - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/new-york-botanical-gardens
Ephrussi De Rothschild Villa, France - https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/ephrussi-de-rothschild-villa-gardens/xQH5k1vhSD1h8Q?sv_lng=7.328606391486603&sv_lat=43.69611069477268&sv_h=166.65510612890927&sv_p=0.1949725462364711&sv_pid=CN00Irb0vf_0mT03EbCweQ&sv_z=1
Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, UK - https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/royal-botanic-gardens-kew/_AHcldkoXDckhw
Ge Garden, Yangzhou, China  -https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/ge-garden/zgFBWUlowFjtSQ?sv_lng=119.4436457837985&sv_lat=32.39871100151625&sv_h=2.0654957153855094&sv_p=-1.7626000785736124&sv_pid=zRs3-gkh0wQAAAQo8NAaYw&sv_z=1
United States Botanic Garden - https://www.usbg.gov/take-virtual-tour
Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden/features/sissinghurst-castle-virtual-tours
​
​ZOOS + AQUARIUMS
The San Diego Zoo - https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams
The Georgia Aquarium - ​https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/beluga-whale-webcam/
The Monterey Bay Aquarium - https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
Ouwehand Park Polar Bear Cubs Rhenen, Netherlands - https://explore.org/livecams/polar-bears/polar-bear-ouwehand-twin-cubs-cam-2
Smithsonian’s National Zoo - https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo - Giraffe Cam - https://www.cmzoo.org/animals/a-z/giraffe-cams/
MORE ZOO CAMERAS HERE: https://zoocamerasaroundtheworld.com/
​​CULTURE + OTHER EXPERIENCES
The Met Opera Screenings - https://www.metopera.org/
​MARS - https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/#
Cincinnati Zoo Facebook Live Safaris - https://www.facebook.com/cincinnatizoo
Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper) — Broadcast recordings of previous opera and ballet performances will be broadcast daily for free at staatsoperlive.com.
Berlin Philharmonic -- All of the concerts and films in the Berlin Philharmonic’s Digital Concert Hall are available for free for the next month.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center — Free videos and livestreams of concerts are available from its website.
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra — Previous concerts from past seasons have been made available for free on the symphony’s website.
The Jacksonville Symphony — A livestream of the performance of “SHIFT: Kennedy Center Bound” will take place on March 20.

I hope this blog post gives you some unique activities to fill some of your time with. I know how strange this is for our family. But we are enjoying seeing some of these places from home! 

Please let us know in the comments which ones you decided to visit and which ones were your favorites! Don't forget to share with your friends and family, especially those in the elderly population! It's good for all of us to turn off the news sometimes! 

And don't forget, we are still encouraged to hike, bike, walk and have outside time!
Never stop exploring! 

Thanks, 
Tyler, Callie and Jakey 
​