In case you missed it, our last virtual vacation took us to the Great Wall of China, Macchu Picchu, Masad, and more. We also explored the Vatican Museums, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and the Louvre. Now, it is time to venture into the great outdoors. To do so, we have curated a special virtual excursion just for you (and your little ones)!
This planet is chock full of breathtaking scenery, from the most popular parks to the far reaches of civilization. Many of these places are now offering interactive online tours, allowing you to explore from home! For those that lack a full interactive tour, plenty of resources offer great digital experiences.
These trips are perfect for homeschooling, weekend activities, family adventures, and anyone yearning for travel without the hassle right now. Some of the links include live feeds which will naturally vary in what they show depending on the time.
Be sure to bookmark or pin it for later so you don’t miss out on any of the fun! As we all learn how to deal with travel in the post-COVID world, more resources are emerging every day. So, I encourage you to subscribe to get all of the latest updates.
Now, grab your travel buddy and let’s get going on our virtual excursion!
Virtual Excursion Packing List
One of the best things about a virtual excursion is that it is devoid of all the packing woes of your typical trip. I’m currently preparing for a road trip to Florida in a few months. Since we are avoiding hotels as much as possible, I picked out campsites along the way for my family of 4. Of course, this comes with additional packing challenges as I have to figure out how to fit camping gear, a stroller, a cooler, and normal bags into our car.
For your virtual excursion, I compiled the following list for you to prepare:
1. Computer / Tablet / Mobile Device
2. Charger
3. Notebook (in case you want to take any notes)
4. Enthusiasm
5. *Expert Tip* Make a folder on your computer to save screenshots if you like photos!
African Virtual Excursion: Namib-Naukluft, Namibia
Our first stop is the famous red sand dues of the Namib, the world’s oldest desert which dates back 80 million years. Africa’s super park is a large protected area in west Namibia and extends over 49,800 square kilometers. From Sandwich Harbour to Sossusvlei, this natural wonder houses unique creatures, majestic geological formations, and resilient vegetation.
Air Pano provides some dazzling views of the dunes and natural features from above. Don’t forget to click on the hiker icon for ground-level panoramic views.
Live Virtual Safari: Laikipia County Webcam
Before we depart the continent, we must take an African safari through the wilds of Kenya. Laikipia County is home to thousands of elephants and this watering hole is a great place to spot some of these magnificent creatures. Who knows what else you’ll see?
This one is great for the kids! MPala Live also features many more videos that put you up close and personal with some of Africa’s coolest animals.
Virtual Mountain Climbing: Prielbrusye National Park, Russia
Our virtual excursion is now embarking on a mountaineering expedition in Russia. Centered on Mount Elbrus, which towers 5,642 meters above sea level, Prielbrusye’s relative isolation of steep gorges has greatly enhanced biodiversity. The park covers 3,900 square miles in southwest Russia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, near Russia’s southern border with Georgia. This virtual tour of Elbrus will give you a sense of what it feels like to summit the immense peak.
For those looking for trekking information, conquering the “Seven Summits” of Prielbrusye is a bucket list inclusion for many in the mountaineering community. Here, you can stroll among the quaint villages and lush forests in the foothill regions. Check out the Global Alliance of National Parks for more information and resources that can take you miles away in a nanosecond!
A Day with the Sherpa: Sagarmatha, Nepal
Next on our virtual excursion, we are exploring the mountainous country of Nepal. Sagarmatha National Park became a UNESCO recognized site in 1979. Covering 124,400 hectares in the Solu-Khumbu district of Nepal, the park is home to dozens of rare species, an expansive mountain range consisting of seven peaks, glaciers, and deep valleys, and a relatively large population of Sherpa people. You can explore some of the villages as you scroll through ground-level panoramic views.
Few can say they have scaled the 8,848 meters to the top of Mount Everest. But here you can try out your mountaineering skills without the risk of frostbite. AirPano provides a fantastic bird’s eye view of the world’s tallest mountain and surrounding base camps, while GoogleMaps compiles interactive ground-level views.
Exploring Patagonia: Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina
Now, we are jet setting across the globe to the South American continent! The next stop on our virtual excursion is Patagonia. Patagonia is a region in South America stretching over Chile and Argentina. Its surface area covers approximately 800,000 square kilometers. The Los Glaciares National Park boasts towering mountains and numerous glacial lakes, and is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list for the universal value of its massive freshwater reservoir.
These interactive images on 360cities provide viewers the chance to revel in the majesty of the Perito Moreno Glacier. I love this resource because it is built by people like you for people like you. You can upload your own 360-degree videos of any destination in the world to add to the experience for future virtual travelers.
Virtual Road Trip: United States National Parks
Whether you’re a U.S. native or not, one of the best ways to see the United States is overland. That is why we are finishing our virtual excursion with a romping road trip through the nation’s grand parks.
The National Parks Foundation highlights a number of fantastic virtual tours that are being offered at various U.S. historical sites. You can learn about the founder of the American Red Cross at the Clara Barton National Historic Site.
After that, take a peek at the live webcam of the National Mall and Memorial Parks for a moment of zen.
For those who have either never been to the Statue of Liberty or are feeling nostalgic, EarthCam provides a great view of Lady Liberty. There are also many great stills with unique perspectives. Plus, you can click through to some other great places!
The Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park, for instance, is also broadcasted live 24/7 for your viewing pleasure. If you scroll down on the page, you will see a handful of still captures from the days before your viewing. Depending on the season, this can grace you with some cool time lapses of snow accumulation or melting.
Moving West: The Wild Frontier
As we near the end of our virtual excursion, we are moving into the “Wild West” where past explorers first experienced the sheer scale of the American landscape.
The Yosemite Virtual Tour offers you an awe-inspiring look at this 1,200 square mile natural sanctuary. You can literally get lost for a few hours by clicking through red target symbols overlaid on the breathtaking imagery. Each target will display a caption, then jettison you to a new location when you click on it. This is by far my favorite of the virtual tours, and it is a great teaching tool for the homeschooling parent!
Next, join Dierks Bentley and a park ranger in a 360-degree tour of Crater Lake National Park. After you’re done, click on a few of the other resources below to take advantage of great insight and educational opportunities. My little one enjoyed learning about the job of a park ranger from the park rangers themselves.
The Grand Canyon is a must on any trip through the continental United States. Lucky for us, our virtual transportation lets us gaze down on the expansive valley with bird’s eye views and allows us close up views from the ground through an interactive trek.
Now, let’s head to Alaska for some bear watching. Katmai National Park and Preserve showcases the lives of its brown bears along the Brooks River with its three bear cams. It is quite a riveting experience to watch nature at work as the bears go fishing in real time. If the video stream isn’t working, go to explore.org for the live cast.
Bats, Volcanoes, Shipwrecks, and More: Interactive Excursions
Our final stop on this virtual excursion is actually a 5-destination combo! Google Arts & Culture has put together a magnificent resource that brings you truly unique experiences. These interactive tours take you into the heart of the locations and are narrated by expert guides. For the homeschooling parent, the educational value is immense and you can easily integrate the information into your lesson plans.
First you should try your hand at rappelling in Alaska’s Kenai Fjords. Entering the crevasse is not for the faint of heart!
Then, you can warm up at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. The Nahuku Lava Tube takes you down the path where lava once flowed. You can also fly over the active Halema’uma’u crater!
Ever wonder what the world looks like through the eyes of a bat? Well, at Carlsbad Caverns, you can see for yourself. In this mesmerizing experience, you’re able to poke around a dark cave using echolocation.
After your flight, it is time to saddle up and ride horseback through the world’s largest collection of rock pillars, known as “hoodoos.” Bryce Canyon National Park is also the perfect place for stargazing. Lucky for us, this virtual excursion provides a breathtaking view of the starlit sky, complete with an interactive tool which traces out the constellations in their pictorial form.
Finally, we end our virtual excursion under the sea. Dry Tortugas National Park lies about 70 miles off the coast of Key West and spans 100-square miles of mostly open water. The park is part of the Everglades & Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reserve which is on the UNESCO list. From exploring an old costal fort to scuba diving at the Windjammer Shipwreck, this stop is certainly a place for the adventurers.
The NExT Chapter
I hope you enjoyed our virtual excursion. This was a particularly fun project to work on since I got to explore the far reaches of the world while researching it for you. If you like content like this, please let me know by commenting below or sending us a note. We want to write about things that interest you and help you see the world a little bit differently.
Later this spring, we will take another virtual excursion (honestly, there will probably be many more given the state of travel right now). But the one I’m planning out now is a trip into outer space with a bonus adventure that I won’t reveal until that post is published. Sign up as a member to get the latest updates and be the first to find out when the next virtual excursion is departing. Also this spring, we will start sending out monthly newsletters to our subscribers and members.
Before we go, here are a few bonus activities to add to your virtual excursion:
National Parks Service Virtual Experiences (tours, talk to a ranger, or participate in a live presentation)
National Geographic Virtual Reality Scuba Diving
Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Take a brief look into this remote global seed vault that is only accessible to authorized personnel.)
Happy Travels!
Think big, act small.
-Michael
~Change the world one nameless stranger at a time.~
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