Nights are getting longer. Temperatures are dropping lower. These are typical warning signs for those with naturally hermit tendencies to begin hunkering down with a hot beverage and fluffy blanket.
Hunkering down, of course, doesn’t mean a comatose state. Add a laptop or a streaming television to the mix and travel to distant places from a comfy couch, and find a multitude of topics, entertainment options and adventures to experience all the world has to offer. Thousands of virtual tours from locations near and far are just a few clicks on a keyboard, or press of a thumb, away.
Start nearby by virtually visiting Carnegie Hall, “Music has the undeniable power to comfort, uplift, connect, and inspire. In response to this unprecedented time, we invite you to join us for Live with Carnegie Hall. Tune in for unforgettable episodes that feature some of the world’s finest artists as they share behind-the-scenes stories, excerpts from past performances, and live musical moments. Free livestreams and archived episodes can be viewed [at carnegiehall.org].”
The pandemic caused artists and musicians to rethink avenues in presenting their talents to a wide audience resulting in cutting-edge technology.
One of these new tools is Wave mixed reality, “Waves are live, interactive, immersive, and social concerts that allow artists and music fans to express themselves and connect in new ways.” Search Youtube for some of these concerts and discover how they are made.
Learn more about nearby towns without leaving home, by searching Youtube for Greenbrier Valley virtual tours. That search will bring up videos on Lewisburg, Organ Cave, the Greenbrier River Trail and other locations around Greenbrier County. Find a tour of The Greenbrier Bunker and even information about Sasquatch’s stop at the Sporting Club. Discover more about the Mountain Music Trail’s terminus in Monroe County. Tour a Beckley coal mine.
Cast the search net a little further out and investigate Parsons, Elkins and Beverly. Take a virtual walking tour of the WVU campus. Find the best, most beautiful or incredibly exotic places in the state.
Plan a future trip to Washington DC, of course during warmer weather, say when the cherry trees bloom, by first watching the Solomon Family’s visit to 15 Smithsonian museum locations, 10 gardens and a zoo.
Then investigate air and space, fossils, history, art, dinosaurs and each individual museum under the Smithsonian umbrella.
Halloween is coming. Not many are aware of hundreds of videos posted of displays in the Smithsonian including top five most haunted items at the Smithsonian Museum featuring “spirits that have latched themselves onto a number of the museum’s artifacts. From the most cursed diamond in the world to a dress haunted by Abraham Lincoln’s wife,” according to host Lindsay Ivan.
For more Halloween fright, search for haunted adventures around the U.S.
Take a “road trip” across America from a plush recliner. National monuments, man-made marvels, area wonders are only as far away as your phone, tablet, computer or television.
Let’s not stop between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, visit beyond the shores. Adventures are to be had under the sea. Oceans, gulfs, inlets, channels and other waterways have distinct lifeforms that tell unique stories.
Discover places in South America, Canada, Germany, Austria, Italy, Egypt, India, Australia, New Zealand, this planet is huge. Investigate the oldest cities in the world, holy sites, ancient ruins and iconic castles. The histories of each of these areas can be sought out and found using a search bar.
Christmas sits in the heart of winter. Visit the White House, the Magic Kingdom and a real enchanted forest during Christmases past. Take a 360-degree look at a Tivoli Garden Christmas in Copenhagen, Denmark.
But, there’s more to the world than earthly locations. NASA videos can convey the most earthbound human to the moon, Mars and to a black hole in the spectacular Milky Way Galaxy.
Explore, grow and be inspired through virtual trips during the darker, colder seasons ahead.
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