If you've read my bio then you know I've got a hopeless case of wanderlust. One of the reasons I call my reader group Day Dreamers is because when time or money got in the way, I could rely on my imagination to help me scape. They say the world belongs to dreamers...and I can attest that it does. If your mind can see it, you can be there. That feels more important than ever right now. I know that even though some of you continue to work at home, most of us have spare time on our hands. I've started cooking more, exercising, and learning new skills. I know not all of us can conjure up destinations on a whim, so I decided to send you some inspiration. I've got some of my personal favorites as well as a list curated by Good Housekeeping Magazine!
I hope you're all staying lifted, and happy and sane. Keep reading for more and comment with your own recs for lock down sanity!
MY PERSONAL FAVORITES:
Missing a chance to visit Broadway? Have no fear - you can still go! Check out BroadwayHD, which has a huge catalog of performances on hand. It’ll give you a seven-day free trial, so you can stream as many shows, plays, and ballets as your musically deprived heart desires.
Khan Academy is for those of you who want to keep learning.It's free and where I learned to code my own website. Visit Khan Academy here.
Want to clear your mind and find your Zen? There is a free 21 day meditation experience by Oprah and Deepak Chopra and is very user friendly "Hope in Uncertain Times" Try It here.
Exercise is always important. But in moments of stress or worry, it can be a lifesaver! Can't go to the gym or just trying to save your muscles from atrophy? Try Sweaty Betty for FREE! These are short, heart healthy workout videos that even I can do! Try it here.
Have you been wanting learn a new skill? Here's how to do it for free! From building your own website to public speaking Skill Share is the place!
Have you been make great meals while you're home? But... maybe you kiss better than you cook? Well, now's your chance to up your cooking game! By following along with this free basics tutorial, you'll learn all the fundamentals of cooking you need to create delicious meals.
More advanced culinary whiz? Check out Tasty.co for free videos on how to make just about anything!
Titlemax has curated a list called Road Trip from Home. This was sent by a site visitor on behalf of
their friend Hailey who is a budding art guru. I'll add some of their more interesting (to me) recommendations below. But you should check out their whole post here. Thanks, Hailey!
Good Housekeeping Magazine has curated a list of virtual adventures that are free and only require access to wifi. I've listed them all here for your ease. But you can read the entire article here.
Museums
The Louvre: You don't have to book a ticket to Paris to check out some of the famous pieces in the world's largest art museum. The Louvre has free online tours of three famous exhibits, including Egyptian Antiquitie.
Museo Galileohe former Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza (Institute and Museum of the History of Science) is located in Florence, Italy, in Piazza dei Giudici, along the River Arno and close to the Uffizi Gallery. The museum, dedicated to astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei, is housed in Palazzo Castellani, an 11th-century building which was then known as the Castello d’Altafronte. See it here.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: The works of Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Jeff Koons, and Franz Marc are just some of the 625 artists whose work are a part of the Guggenheim's Collection Online.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Move at your own pace through the 360-degree room-by-room tour of every exhibit in the museum.
Van Gogh Museum: You can get up close and personal with the impressionist painter's most famous work thanks to Google Arts & Culture.
Getty Museum: Los Angeles's premiere gallery has two virtual tours, including "Eat, Drink, and Be Merry," which is a closer look at food in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
The Vatican Museum: The Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and Raphael's Room, are just some of the sites you can see on the Vatican's virtual tour.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum: Madrid's must-see art museum has the works of some of the continent's most celebrated artists like Rembrandt and Dali available online.
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum: Six virtual exhibits are available online from this museum named for the "Mother of American modernism."
National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City: Dive into the pre-Hispanic history of Mexico with 23 exhibit rooms full of Mayan artifacts.
British Museum, London: The Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies are just a couple of things that you're able to see on a virtual tour of the museum.
NASA: Both Virginia's Langley Research Center and Ohio's Glenn Research Center offer online tours for free. Also, you can try some "augmented reality experiences" via The Space Center Houston's app.
National Women's History Museum: Have a late International Women's Day celebration with online exhibits and oral histories from the Virginia museum.
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Though the Met Gala was cancelled this year, you can still have a peak at the The Costume Institute Conversation Lab, which is one of the institution's 26 online exhibits.
High Museum of Art, Atlanta: This museum's popular online exhibits include "Civil Rights Photography" — photos that capture moments of social protest like the Freedom Rides and Rosa Park's arrest.
Detroit Institute of Arts: Mexican art icon Frida Kahlo is the focal point of two of the four available online exhibits.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam: The Golden Age of Dutch art is highlighted in this museum which includes the work of Vermeer and Rembrandt.
National Museum of the United States Air Force: You can't take a ride in Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential airplane, but you can check it out, in addition to other military weapons and aircraft, online in the Air Force's official museum.
MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art): New York's extensive collection is available for view online.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: The 16 virtual exhibits include a special section on 21st Century Designer Fashion.
Zoos and Aquariums
The Cincinnati Zoo: Check in around 3 p.m., because that's the time the Zoo holds a daily Home Safari on its Facebook Live Feed.
Atlanta Zoo: The Georgia zoo keeps a "Panda Cam" livestream on its website.
Georgia Aquarium: Sea-dwellers like African penguins and Beluga Whales are the stars of this aquarium's live cam.
Houston Zoo: There are plenty of different animals you can check in on with this zoo's live cam, but we highly recommend watching the playful elephants.
The Shedd Aquarium: This Chicago aquarium shares some pretty adorable behind-the-scenes footage of their residents on Facebook.
San Diego Zoo: With what may be the most live cam options, this zoo lets you switch between koalas, polar bears, and tigers in one sitting.
Monterey Bay Aquarium: It can be Shark Week every week thanks to live online footage of Monterey Bay's Habitat exhibit.
National Aquarium: Walk through tropical waters to the icy tundra in this floor-by-floor tour of the famous, Baltimore-based aquarium.
Theme Parks
Walt Disney World: Set aside some time, because there's plenty to see here. Virtual tours you can take include Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot, just to name a few. There are also unofficial YouTube videos that feel just like you're on famous rides like the Frozen Ever After ride, It's a Small World, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
LEGOLAND Florida Resort: The Great Lego Race and Miniland USA are just two of the attractions you can check out in a virtual tour of the park.
SeaWorld Orlando: The virtual tour of Seaworld includes a tour of Discovery Cove and the option to"ride" the steel roller coaster Mako.
Natural Wonders
The Largest Cave in the World – A wondrous cave in Vietnam that includes almost anything you can imagine!
Mount Everest – Explore and learn about what it’s like to scale the highest peak in the world.
Egyptian Pyramid Tour – The pyramids of Egypt are some of the most famous monuments in the world.
The Secrets of Easter Island – Here’s your chance to explore the remains of a lost civilization.
Machu Picchu – Explore the mysterious ancient ruin of Machu Picchu deep in the mountains of Peru.
The Lincoln Memorial – Tour the memorial to this highly regarded President who presided during the Civil War.
The Acropolis – Enjoy a 360 degree view of the famous historic site from ancient Greece.
What do you do online now that you didn't before? Share recs!