Travel plans are on hold, but there are still ways to see the world, to experience the arts, to watch movies with friends, to go to the zoo, to get some exercise and more – all free and from home. Here is a list of resources to keep your mind and body active. From museums and music to Instagram shows and national park ‘excursions’ – there’s something for everyone.
Just Need A Little Virtual Getaway?
Google Earth can do a lot more than just locate a spot for you and let you look at it from different views. Try these out!
- Roll the dice and go! Click on the little ‘dice’ icon and it will take you to a random place on the globe, show you photos of it and tell you about it. Click the dice again and you’re off to a new locale.
- Voyager: Click on the ‘ship steering wheel’ Voyager icon (or go to the ‘hamburger’ menu option and click on ‘Voyager’). There are a ton of ‘pre-made’ adventures from around the world. In the ‘Travel’ tab, you can walk the Appalachian Trail, visit Glass Sculptures Around the World or Explore Ho Chi Minh, for a start.
- Visit and learn about places around the globe: Click on the Projects icon, which looks like a marker on a map. From there, click on any location in the world, and for many of the places an ‘information card’ will pop up with info on that spot. You can choose to add it to a ‘project’ should you wish to save it. A good way to gather info for a trip in the future?
Museums
Many of the world’s top museums have virtual galleries – some that show various art pieces and some that walk you on a virtual tour of the museum.
Of all those I ‘tested’ for this blog, this Hermitage tour shot on an iPhone was by far the one I would say not to miss. It is a 5-hour one-take visual walkthrough of the Hermitage (while empty of guests) and it is amazing. You can skip around within it, but have a look even if just to see the scope of the museum and the beautiful architecture. It includes some performances as well.
Also very cool – Art Zoom videos are like 4-minute art history classes. They zero in on tiny details of famous canvases and are narrated by famous musicians. Worth having a look!
Google Arts & Culture has done an amazing job of bringing many of these artistic gems to life. Joining forces with over 2500 museums and galleries worldwide their virtual tours and exhibits are the next best thing to being there in person. Be sure to check out their home page and explore all they have to offer, and here is a list of all the collections they offer. Here are a few of their offerings.
Visual timeline of the world via the British Museum
National Parks
Also via Google Arts and Culture you can visit 5 National Parks (Kenai Fjords, Hawai’i Volcanoes, Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon, Dry Tortugas) including amongst others:
or climb into an ice crevasse in Kanai Fjord in Alaska
For a wider choice of National Parks of the US via Google Earth
Opera:
Royal Opera House London – lots of choices and variety from which to choose
Met free opera streaming nightly – each performance is available online only until 3:30 pm ET the day following the performance
Symphony:
Broadway Shows/Theater:
Free 7 day trial to view Broadway shows online
TheatreWithoutTheater is an Instagram account that is “A nightly theatrical broadcast aiming to fill the current artistic void at curtain time”.
Calendar of Events
Social Distancing Festival: This site has a calendar of free online performances – opera, poetry, storytelling and more. Live-streams of events happening worldwide. Have an event coming up? Add it to their calendar.
Instagram Concerts/Living Room Concerts:
Many have taken to Instagram to host ‘in-home/living room concerts’. For Broadway check out the list here
The 24 Hour Plays @24hourplays Viral Monologue series. It’s like ‘play in a day’, where a prompt is given and then within 24 hours a monolog is to be written, performed and put on their Insta account. Each is about 5 minutes or less. Worth checking out! Don’t miss “Simon the Real Estate Guy”.
Singalong: ChoirTine. They hosted a remote singalong on Sat Mar 21, so check back for more future dates (scroll down to ‘upcoming events’).
Animals
Live cams of San Diego zoo. You choose the animal. Elephant cam anyone?
Georgia Aquarium live cams (you choose the fish/animals). Beluga whale cam anyone?
Free Exercise Options
Peleton App: There are lots of exercise apps and YouTube stations but for a great FREE option download Peleton’s app that is offering 90 days free. The app can be used with any bike or treadmill, and also includes their top instructors leading classes in strength, core, yoga, meditation and more.
Group Remote Entertainment
Netflix party: Want to see a movie with friends…but can’t leave the house or have friends over? Netflix Party, available for free for Chome browsers on desktop or laptops, syncs video playback and adds a group chat to Netflix slows.
Or Just Need Some Quiet Time?
Need a quiet background to get some work done in a busy household?
Put in your earphones and play Spotify’s Deep Focus station
Looking for a Good Travel Book?
Check out our list of books to inspire travel here
Need a Class on Happiness?
The popular Yale class The Science of Well Being has 90% 5-star ratings and is currently being offered online for free
Upload a Trip to JamboGuides
Now is a great time to save and share your past travels on JamboGuides. Is there a particular trip itinerary friends are always asking you to share with them? Why not start with uploading that trip first so it’s easy to share in the future by just forwarding them the url! Simply register and hit the ‘upload itinerary’ button to get started.
Enjoy and stay safe.
