Travel the World – Without Leaving Your Home

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Google Earth provides travel from your couch.

In this time of sheltering in place, you may find yourself dreaming of your first post-COVID-19 travel destinations

And maybe you’re also just a little tired of looking at the same walls after all this time, too.

But thanks to the internet, many of the sites we can’t see right now are available virtually – giving us all a great opportunity to check out our next excursion (and maybe even our next vacation pad).

From the Texas Historical Commission’s mobile look at Texas and World War I.

Want to stick to Texas? Thanks to the Texas Historical Commission, you can do everything from watch YouTube videos of historic sites to learn more about the land of bluebonnets and longhorns, or even take advantage of mobile, interactive tours that provide videos, and ways to burn hours clicking on one thing after another learning about La Salle’s ill-fated expedition to the U.S. that landed him in Texas, the history of German dance halls, and more.

The THC also explains how Texas heritage could’ve been a great deal more French, if La Salle’s voyage had gone better.

Want to tour Versailles? Thanks to the Google Arts & Culture collection, you can tour it and several other museums and historic places.

The Hall of Mirrors, Versailles

To see live tours of Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, every day, all you have to do is download Zoom. You can ask questions of the guides in real time, and there are special tours for families, too. 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has all kinds of interesting places to visit on its website, from the homes of the founding fathers to the pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico. 

James Madison’s living room.

The trust also has an excellent list of places to hit with Google Voyager and other options, including Route 66 and the not-open-to-the-public home of Madame C.J. Walker (and then you should go watch Self Made on Netflix).

When you’re done with their list, I recommend just hitting Google Voyager and checking out the travel options, or even just Google Earth and hitting “I’m Feeling Lucky,” which is the technological equivalent of closing your eyes and throwing a dart at a map.

As we all work to flatten the curve, there’s no reason we can’t also engage in a little sightseeing – and even a little house inspiration – while we’re inside. 

Bethany Erickson

Bethany Erickson