{"id":34348,"date":"2020-04-18T08:46:19","date_gmt":"2020-04-18T12:46:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=34348"},"modified":"2020-04-18T10:16:43","modified_gmt":"2020-04-18T14:16:43","slug":"what-to-do-stuck-at-home-visit-the-uk-virtually","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=34348","title":{"rendered":"What To Do: Stuck at home? Visit the UK, virtually"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

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Buckingham Palace<\/p><\/div>\n

With the \u201cshelter in place\u201d order brought about because of the COVID-19 pandemic, you can no longer go outside into the world. But you can bring the world inside to you.<\/p>\n

You can make virtual visits to cities, museums, amusement parts, cultural sites and a wide variety of other destinations.<\/p>\n

Here are several suggestions of places to visit \u201cvirtually\u201d \u2013 a smorgasbord of tasty treats to be enjoyed in the comfort of your home. This week, the primary focus is on the British Isles.<\/p>\n

This is the time of year when many people make visits to the United Kingdom and, with the help of the internet, you can too.<\/p>\n

One of the most cherished sites in London is Buckingham Palace. Fortunately, Queen Elizabeth\u2019s home is fully accessible via a\u00a0video tour on YouTube (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gen0NgJjry4<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The Tower of London is another popular site. The historical prison, which was founded in 1066, has been the final residence of many of England\u2019s most famous figures, including Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of Henry VIII\u2019s wives. Now, it\u2019s quite a popular tourist attraction where you can go on a\u00a0360-degree tour of the castle and its grounds<\/a>(https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yeLQVare-3k<\/a>).<\/p>\n

St. Paul\u2019s Cathedral is one of London\u2019s most recognizable landmarks and hosts over two million visitors every year. You can visit via a virtual tour<\/a>\u00a0from 360 Cities (https:\/\/www.360cities.net\/image\/inside-st-paul-s-cathedral<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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Stonehenge<\/p><\/div>\n

Stonehenge is a prehistoric World Heritage Site is estimated to have been built back as far as 3,000 BCE. Today, it\u2019s a must-see for tourists and locals. Take a 360-degree tour of the famous landmark via video tour on\u00a0YouTube<\/a> (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_RyqU1r1Fmk<\/a>).<\/p>\n

In Bath, you can visit the legendary Roman Baths (https:\/\/www.romanbaths.co.uk\/walkthrough<\/a>. You\u2019ll be able to take a look at Bath\u2019s iconic \u201chealing\u201d waters from your home computer. Using the site\u2019s official\u00a0virtual tour<\/a>\u00a0on its website, you can discover the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, and the Roman Bath<\/p>\n

House.<\/p>\n

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Hadrian\u2019s Wall<\/p><\/div>\n

Another relic from the Roman Empire, Hadrian\u2019s Wall is estimated to date back to 128 CE. It stretches 73 miles coast-to-coast across England. You can view the wall in what seems like real life thanks by visiting\u00a0English Heritage’s 360-degree virtual tour<\/a> (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kGcpiwL3CEg<\/a>).<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a fan of the literature written by Charlotte, Anne, and Emily Bront\u00eb, you\u2019re in luck. \u00a0Google Arts & Culture (https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/story\/FwLyGtC06USyJA<\/a>) offers a\u00a0virtual tour\u00a0of the all places that inspired the Bront\u00eb Sisters.<\/p>\n

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Abbey Road<\/p><\/div>\n

And, if you\u2019re a music fan, no trip to England would be complete without a visit to Abbey Road Studios in London \u2013 the legendary studio that is famous for being the recording studio used by the Beatles as well as many other British rock bands. You can enjoy a\u00a0tour <\/a>presented by Google (https:\/\/www.abbeyroad.com\/news\/google-presents-inside-abbey-road-1003?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1<\/a>).<\/p>\n

York Minster in York (https:\/\/www.york360.co.uk\/movies\/york-minster-interior.htm<\/a> ) is the largest cathedral of its kind in Northern Europe. The beautiful historic site is famous for its unusual stones and medieval stained glass.<\/p>\n

Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland is another worthwhile tourist destination. The odd, interlocking stones have made the Giants Causeway a popular natural wonder.\u00a0 It gets its name from stories claiming Irish giant Finn McCool formed it when he was attempting to cross the Irish Sea. You can check it out at the National Trust\u00a0website<\/a> (https:\/\/www.nationaltrust.org.uk\/giants-causeway\/features\/take-a-virtual-tour-of-the-giants-causeway?awc=3795_1587148311_51431446614873859d363fe54b35b29d&campid=Affiliates_Central_Mem_AWIN_Standard&aff=78888<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Loch Ness, a freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands, is known for the legend of the mysterious Loch Ness Monster. You can visit Loch Ness for a\u00a0virtual tour<\/a>\u00a0on Google Maps (https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/@57.1866913,-4.6170689,2a,90y,179.9h,82.17t\/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFB8R6jT4YbOQd8Kpy4Xg7g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Another popular attraction in Scotland is Edinburgh Castle. The historical fortress\u2019 elevated position allows it to dominate the city’s skyline. Sitting on top of Castle Rock, it initially served as a royal castle and is an important monument in Scottish heritage. The 360-degree aerial tour (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zu-KVWSqJlI<\/a>) takes you around the castle and also provides an opportunity to see across the whole of the Scottish capital.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re already across the Atlantic on your virtual vacation around the British Isles, you might as well hop across the English Channel for a visit to the Palace of Versailles.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the partnership between the Palace of Versailles and Google Arts & Culture (https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/project\/versailles<\/a>), you can now visit the Palace of Versailles using virtual reality.\u00a0\u201cVersaillesVR: the Palace is Yours\u201d\u00a0gives you the opportunity to freely explore the State Apartments, discover incredible new cultural and multimedia content, and enjoy an extraordinary range of works of art and furniture from every angle.<\/p>\n

From Paris, you can head east to Austria to visit Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace.<\/p>\n

Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace is one of Austria\u2019s most visited sites. This World Heritage Site, located in Hietzing, Vienna, was the summer palace for many of the Hapsburg rulers. Not only can you get a good look at some of the most famous artworks in the palace, you can also take a\u00a0walking tour via Street View (https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/partner\/schloss-schoenbrunn<\/a>).<\/p>\n

And, one more interesting stop to make before you leave Europe is located in the far north \u2013 The Faroe Islands.<\/p>\n

The Faroe Islands is a popular tourist destination for those seeking something out of the ordinary. The Faroe Islands is a self-governing archipelago, part of the Kingdom of Denmark.<\/p>\n

It comprises 18 rocky, volcanic islands between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic Ocean, connected by road tunnels, ferries, causeways and bridges. Hikers and birdwatchers are drawn to the islands\u2019 mountains, valleys and grassy heathland, and steep coastal cliffs that harbor thousands of seabirds. With almost 20 major islands and just under 50,000 people, the sparse and beautiful destination is ready for wanderlusters with cabin fever to explore without leaving home.<\/p>\n

Gu\u00f0ri\u00f0 H\u00f8jgaard, Director of\u00a0Visit Faroe Islands<\/a> (https:\/\/www.visitfaroeislands.com\/<\/a>), said in a statement: \u201cWe believe that our remote islands are the perfect place to inspire people in lockdown \u2013 and, naturally, we hope to welcome them in person once everyone is free to travel again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Faroes are closed to tourists until the end of April at the earliest. The impact of COVID-19\u00a0has been limited, as the islands have the\u00a0highest testing rate per capita<\/a>\u00a0in the world. To experience the Faroe Islands as a virtual tourist through a local\u2019s eyes, go to\u00a0remote-tourism.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Using a new digital tourism tool, travelers can be paired up with a local Faroese islander who will be their avatar on the ground, taking them on a live virtual tour of the islands. Locals will be equipped with live video cameras, allowing at-home travelers to see through their eyes and even control where and how they explore.<\/p>\n

According to Visit Faroe Islands: \u201cJust like a real-life computer game, the main player will control the moves of the Faroese islanders, who will not only explore locations on foot, but also take to the skies by helicopter, giving the virtual visitors a bird\u2019s eye perspective on this beautiful island nation\u2019s steep grassy slopes, its 80,000 sheep, its endless seascapes and its wild and natural countryside\u201d.<\/p>\n

Here are a few good sites from North America to check out in an effort to keep cabin fever from your door.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden\u00a0(http:\/\/cincinnatizoo.org\/<\/a> ) is always a welcoming place. It\u2019s a great place to visit \u2013 especially after a long winter has made its exit. In the springtime, the zoo comes to life with the gorgeous tulip blooms in every color of the rainbow.<\/p>\n

April is usually a time when garden enthusiasts flock to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for\u00a0\u201cZoo Blloms,\u201d a month-long celebration that features more than 100,000 beautiful tulips.\u00a0 This year, since the Zoo is closed, it will bring the blooms to homes via virtual garden tours.<\/p>\n

The zoo\u2019s website posted this message — \u201cIt\u2019s so beautiful at the Zoo in April.\u00a0 Too beautiful not to be shared with the thousands of people who would usually be here to see and smell tulips up close,\u201d said Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard. \u201cWe can\u2019t bring the smells of the garden to people at home, but we will host virtual garden tours to share the beauty of the blooms with people everywhere.<\/p>\n

In lieu of Party for the Planet, our annual Earth Day Celebration at the Zoo, we will be providing a virtual resource to allow families to celebrate this important day, but from the comfort and safety of their own homes. We will be partnering with other, local conservation and sustainability focused organizations to create hands-on activities and learning opportunities, while highlighting the awesome work that Cincinnati organizations are doing to better our planet. Earth Day is about coming together for our environment, and while we can\u2019t do this physically this year, we are excited to continue with our partnerships and to bring Earth Day to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The B&O Railroad Museum (http:\/\/www.borail.org\/jrjunction.aspx<\/a>) has a program called \u201cJunior Junction!\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the museum\u2019s website, \u201cHere at the B&O Railroad Museum, we are working diligently to develop tools and resources that can serve both educators and students who are currently impacted by mandated school closures. Each Tuesday and Thursday while schools are closed, we\u2019ll be posting a Junior Junction special, which includes a virtual story time, accompanied by a corresponding educational activity that can be easily downloaded to use at home. Our education staff is dedicated to posting new content for a variety of ages to continue to support our teachers, parents, and the children throughout the community and offer a fulfilling educational experience at home. All aboard!\u201d<\/p>\n

The next presentation — \u201cAll Aboard the Dinotrain\u201d by Tish Rabe \u2013 is scheduled for April 21. Little engineers will become young paleontologists as they follow this easy tutorial to make their own fossils.<\/p>\n

Want to watch the Northern Lights? All you need do is visit https:\/\/explore.org\/livecams\/aurora-borealis-northern-lights\/northern-lights-cam<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Located at the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Churchill, Manitoba, this live cam is located directly underneath the aurora oval–one of the best places on earth to watch the aurora borealis, the spectacular atmospheric phenomenon better known as the Northern Lights.<\/p>\n

Live viewing hours are offered all night.<\/p>\n

Here is a list (not by genre and in no particular order) where you can enjoy interesting and informative virtual journeys:<\/p>\n

The National Park Foundation (https:\/\/www.nationalparks.org\/connect\/blog\/take-virtual-visit-national-park<\/a>), Appalachian Trail (https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/walk-the-distance\/id634548793<\/a>), The National Park Service and The National Cherry Blossom Festival\u00a0 (https:\/\/nationalmall.org\/bloomcam<\/a>), The Penn Museum (www.penn.museum<\/a>), The Museum of the American Revolution (www.amrevmuseum.org<\/a>), The Delaware Art Museum (delart.org\/connectwithartfromhome<\/a>), The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (https:\/\/www.rijksmuseum.nl\/en<\/a>); the Van Gogh Museum (https:\/\/www.vangoghmuseum.nl\/en<\/a>); The Louvre in Paris (https:\/\/www.louvre.fr\/en<\/a>); Mus\u00e9e d\u2019Orsay in Paris (https:\/\/m.musee-orsay.fr\/en\/home.html<\/a>); The Vatican Museums in Rome (www.museivaticani.va<\/a>); Uffizi Gallery, Florence (https:\/\/www.uffizi.it\/en)<\/a>.; The National Gallery in London (nationalgallery.org.uk<\/a>); The British Museum (britishmuseum.org<\/a>); Guggenheim in Bilbao (www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus\/en<\/a>); Guggenheim Museum in New York (https:\/\/www.guggenheim.org<\/a>); Metropolitan Museum of Art (https:\/\/www.metmuseum.org<\/a>); The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (www.nga.gov<\/a>); and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (https:\/\/naturalhistory.si.edu\/<\/a>), Space Center Houston (https:\/\/spacecenter.org\/app\/<\/a>), The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution (https:\/\/airandspace.si.edu\/<\/a>), Six Flags Great Adventure (https:\/\/www.sixflags.com\/greatadventure\/attractions\/vr2016\/experience<\/a>), Dorney Park<\/a> (https:\/\/www.dorneypark.com\/<\/a>), Walt Disney World (https:\/\/disneyworld.disney.go.com\/<\/a>), LEGOLAND Florida Resort (https:\/\/www.legoland.com\/florida\/<\/a>), SeaWorld Orlando (https:\/\/seaworld.com\/orlando\/<\/a>), and Universal Orlando Resort (https:\/\/www.universalorlando.com\/web\/en\/us<\/a>), Betsy Ross House (historicphiladelphia.org\/betsy-ross-house<\/a>), Valley Forge National Historical Park (https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/museum\/exhibits\/valley_forge<\/a>), the American Treasure Tour Museum<\/a>(http:\/\/americantreasuretour.com\/<\/a>), The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania<\/a> (https:\/\/rrmuseumpa.org\/about\/musviews\/<\/a>), The National Toy Train Museum (www.nttmuseum.org<\/a>), The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (http:\/\/www.phmc.state.pa.us\/portal\/communities\/archaeology\/resources\/virtual-tour.html<\/a>) and the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum (http:\/\/lumbermuseum.org\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Here is this week\u2019s bit of irony.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with\u00a0MERS-CoV,\u00a0SARS-CoV, and now with this new virus (named SARS-CoV-2).<\/p>\n

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three of these viruses have their origins in bats. The sequences from U.S. patients are similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single, recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir.<\/p>\n

Ready for the irony?<\/p>\n

Today is International Bat Appreciation Day.<\/p>\n

Each year on\u00a0April 17, International Bat Appreciation Day reminds us of the roles bats play in our daily lives. April is also the best time of the year to observe bats, as they are now beginning to emerge from hibernation.<\/p>\n

Bats often get a bad rap — but are the \u201cbat guys\u201d really the \u201cbad guys?\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Bat Conservation International, bats carrying coronaviruses in the wild, undisturbed by people, are not a threat to human health.\u00a0Actually, bats play a beneficiary role in our natural environments by acting as pest controllers. They also pollinate flowers and disperse seeds enabling the sustenance of ecosystems.<\/p>\n

So, three things to remember \u2013 maintain social distancing, wash your hands and don\u2019t eat bats (even if your name is Ozzy).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times With the \u201cshelter in place\u201d order brought about because of the COVID-19 pandemic, you can no longer go outside into the world. But you can bring the world inside to you. You can make virtual visits to cities, museums, amusement parts, cultural sites and a wide variety of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[12018,12017,6518,12019,12020,12015,12016],"class_list":["post-34348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-abbey-road","tag-buckingham-palace","tag-featured","tag-hadrians-wall","tag-stonehenge","tag-the-united-kingdom","tag-virtual-tours"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34348"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34359,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34348\/revisions\/34359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}