Virtual Tours and Travel in a Time of Quarantine

I do believe that the beginning of this post will need a bit of explanation. You see, as social distancing continues to unfold I find myself yearning for something different that did not happen yesterday, the day before, and last week. When that happens, it is usually expressed in my writing, as is the case now. You will notice some rather odd words following this introduction. I gleaned them from Susan Kelz Sperling’s book Poplollies & Bellibones: A celebration of lost words. It is a rather fun book to read and sure to add some unusual verbiage to your vocabulary. Definitions for these fun italicized words are at the end of the post. Cheers and happy trails.

May this be Adam’s Ale for your soul

The world has been kew-kaw for the last few months. With so many businesses shuttered, self-quarantines, and social distancing in place, it nigh feels like the world has stopped spinning and is in garboil. 

But I am doing my best to continue with as normal a routine as possible. I continue to raise each morning to shower and apply my calliblephary to my wink-a-peeps, trying not to be carked because of the diminishing chinkers. Trying not to dretch myself because of the downsteepy of our economy. 

Each morning I rise, thigging for a glimpse into an eyethurl of the future of when this will end. Every day I look for ways to not become flag-fallen and also to stay healthy and fit so as also not to become lennow or porknell because of all the snacking I feel compelled to do.

I have compiled a list of virtual tours and activities that I hope you find iqueme. This is today’s darg and tomorrow’s darg may be something completely different. 

So take a trip, yes, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE (virtually)! Go on a field trip someplace fun, exotic, or just around the corner. I am sharing with you, some of the ways I have been virtually escaping my surroundings. 

Join me on an armchair travel escapade. Tell me your favorite place to escape virtually.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Give yourself a bit of relaxation with the Monterey Bay Aquarium live cam. Chill to live sights and sounds of jellyfish, penguins, sea otters, sharks, and the splashing of the waves of the Monterey Bay. The shark, kelp forest, and penguin cams have music as well so if you have the bandwidth, they are fabulous to let stream. 

Bubble Machine

This is a fun one. From what I can tell (and from what it says) this live cam is of Andie and Mike’s backyard Florida patio. What makes it fun is that you can click a button and blast 30 seconds of bubbles from their bubble machine. 

Look for Nessie

Has Nessie the Lockness monster been a curiosity of yours since childhood? Well then this cam will be of interest to you, just keep in mind that it is located in Scotland. I have checked it a few times but need to coordinate the time zone differences. 

Beatles Fans and Abby Road

For all The Beatles fans out there this cam is for you. Gaze upon live views of Abbey Road in London while you listen to your favorite Beatles song. Watch cars and mopeds drive the street and people cross on that historic zebra-striped crossing. I get a kick out of the double-decker buses and skateboarders.  

Virtual African Safari

If you have wanted to go on an African safari but can’t really afford it then this may be the next best thing. Tip, make sure your sound is on for these. There are eight different locations with cameras going. The same as with looking for Nessie, keep in mind the time you are checking out the cams. These cameras do have night vision so if something is moving around, you will see it. I saw some of the largest flying critters I have ever seen, and no they were not birds or bats. I also saw a mongoose-type critter and heard something rustling in the grass but couldn’t quite make it out. 

Life on Earth

If you want to see if there is still life left on this planet or if you are the sole survivor then check out EarthCam. I had to check in on one of my favorite cities, NYC. The Square was pretty empty vacant with just a few cars and people. Another cam I checked out was the Fort Lauderdale Marina. It was nice to watch boats meander through the water. You can also scope out St. Thomas, Dublin Ireland, or Rick’s Cafe in Jamaica.  

Explore with a 360 Tour

Take a break from your regular routine to stroll through the Louvre, walk the Great Wall of China, or tour Pompeii – all virtually of course, with a 360 tour. Investigate natural history with a virtual walk through the Smithsonian National Museum of History or see what it is like to be a rocket scientist for NASA as you traverse the Glenn Research Center facilities touring ballistic labs to simulated lunar operations to supersonic wind tunnels. 

Perhaps you are feeling the need to get back to nature and hike trails in National Parks or explore Yosemite. for  Virtual 360 tours are a wonderful way to ‘get out’ and explore destinations that you may not be able to visit, even after social distancing is lifted. 

There is even a 360 tour of college campuses’ for high schoolers who are exploring their college options and want to check out the campus’ to narrow down the field.

Test Your Bourbon Knowledge with a Virtual Distillery Tour

Think you know your bourbon? Put your knowledge to the test by downloading Buffalo Trace Distillery’s virtual tour and trivia app. Buffalo Trace has been shaping America’s spirits industry in Kentucky for over two hundred years. Today, they offer some of America’s finest bourbon ranging from a single barrel, bourbon cream, Sazerac rye, and even a true old-fashioned recipe root beer soda. 

Get Out, Virtually that is

We may be confined to stay home during this trying time, but as you can see, we can still travel, explore, and see this remarkable world. I have included just a few of the virtual excursions I came across. There are many more virtual adventures waiting for you to discover from the comfort of your home. So grab your phone, ipad, or scootch to your computer and take a tour, test your knowledge, walk in the Beetles footsteps, create bubbles, or hunt for Nessie. So get out and virtually discover.

 

DEFINITIONS

Adam’s Ale – A humorous term for water, the only drink for Adam and Eve. 

Calliblephary – A coloring for eyelids. From the Greek words kallos ‘beauty’ and belepharon ‘eyelid’

Carked – fretfully anxious

Chinkers – money or coin

Darg – a day’s work

Downsteepy – steeply descending, precipitous

Dretch – to torment

Eyethurl – a window

Flag-fallen – Unemployed, from the sixteenth and seventeenth century custom of lowering a Garboil –  turmoil, commotion, from the Old French word garbouille

Iqueme – pleasing, agreeable

Lennow – flabby, limp

Porknell – one as fat as a pig

Wink-a-peeps – eyes

Thigging – begging

Kew-kaw – upside down

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Thank you for reading this travel nugget of knowledge about Virtual Tours and Travel in a time of Quarentine. This article may contain an affiliate link or two, which does not affect you in any way, but will allow Empty Nestopia to continue to bring you travel tidbits.