Travel is something that has always taken my mind off other life troubles. Even when my next trip was far off, I always enjoyed planning for it and looking forward to my next trip. I know that so many of us are at home this week and a lot of things, including travel plans, are uncertain - but, that doesn't mean that travel can't still cheer me up!
There are lots of great ways to keep being inspired by travel - virtually! Technology today can take us to destinations around the world without having to leave the house. So... want to travel with me this week? Let's see where we can go!
#1 Disney Theme Parks
For those of us missing a visit to Disneyland or Walt Disney World, there are several ways to bring the magic into your home!
YouTube is full of videos of Disney theme park attractions (many are offered in high-quality 4K). You can check out several here, find 360-degree videos of attractions here, or check out a video of my favorite Walt Disney World show here.
Search for Disney Parks music on Spotify or Apple Music, check out a YouTube playlist, or visit DParkRadio.
Learn to draw Disney characters: There's a whole playlist available that shows you how to draw a variety of Disney characters!
Make some of your favorite Disney treats at home!
Get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Disney Parks were built, developed, and changed over time with The Imagineering Story on Disney+.
#2 Tour a Museum
I'm a big museum-goer, and I love to visit museums when I travel. Many museums now offer virtual tours either through their website or through a feature of Google Street View. Here are some of the museums around the world you can visit virtually!
Louvre Museum, Paris, France
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, USA
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
British Museum, London, UK
Guggenheim Museum, New York City, USA
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA
Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Germany
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, USA
Museu de Arte, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Smithson Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, USA
Looking to explore more museums? You can check out even more here. You can also tour some exhibitions that have since been closed.
#3 Visit the Zoo
Take a field trip to the zoo with lots of different options for livestream webcams available on zoo websites. Many also offer livestreams on Facebook or YouTube. Check your local zoo to see if they're offering Facebook events or webcam livestreams.
Reid Park Zoo Lion Cam in Tuscon, AZ
Ouwehand Park Polar Bear Cubs in Rhenen, Netherlands
WildEarth offers South Africa safari livestreams
The Cincinnati Zoo offers a Home Safari on Facebook Live each weekday
Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania is offering "Zoo School" Facebook Live streams
Explore.org also has lots of other livecams for zoos and anmal sanctuaries.
#4 Go to the Aquarium
Many aquariums are also offering webcams, livestreams, or virtual tours. If you have a local aquarium, check their website or Facebook page to see if they have a webcam feed running. You can also check out some of the options below.
#5 Explore Historic Landmarks
Lots of websites, as well as Google Street View, offer the chance to tour historic landmarks virtually - including the 7 Wonders of the World here!
You can tour more Google Street Views, such as Pompei, the Palace of Versailles, Alcatraz Island, the Sydney Opera House,and Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
You can also take virtual tours to England through this 360 video, take a live look at Colonial Williamsburg, and go on a virtual field trip to Ellis Island.
#6 Discover National Parks
Make a virtual visit to Yellowstone National Park, or take a virtual tour of the hidden worlds of many US National Parks, including Kenai Fjords, Hawai'i Volcanoes, Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon, and more.
Looking for some educational activities to do along with these virtual visits? Check out some ideas here.
#7 Plan Your Next Trip
Did you know that one of the best parts of taking a trip is actually planning it? While a lot of things are uncertain right now, what we do know is that this will end and travel will come back. Dream big and have fun planning your next trip for when travel does come back - and be sure to work with a trusted travel agent!