In my own case, for the most part, it has required only minimal changes - I've been working remotely from my home for going on ten years now (I was only surprised to learn that apparently another name for my lifestyle is "quarantine"). But one of the key components that has made this lifestyle work for me, is that it has up until recently afforded me the ability to pause throughout my day or week and choose a new local spot to explore, be it a unique restaurant, a hidden monument, an oddly specific private collection, a natural wonder or something else that intrigues me. That, of course, has gone largely by the wayside and I worry that many of these smaller, lesser known sites may not be able to reopen as they are often far more dependent on the money from offbeat tourists than the larger and better known attractions. But until I can continue my exploration in person, I too have had to adapt, and I've been quelling my wanderlust to the extent possible through virtual museums and tours.
No, it's not the same as being there in person, but it's as good as I imagine it will get for some time yet. And so through my screen I've been wandering the hallways of art museums in Spain and London, listening to the sound of arctic glaciers underwater, learning about the endless construction undertaken by the heiress of a gun manufacturing company and viewing an array of medical oddities. All of these tours are different, but I generally think of them in four categories:
Static Tours:
The Museum of Broken Relationships falls into this category, with a pinterest-style display of items and the stories attached to them. Visitors can scroll through an astounding assortment of trinkets and objects (the most memorable of which may be a 27-year-old scab) that tell the sweet, sad, surprising and sometimes laughable final chapters of different romantic relationships. While the collection is truly fascinating, I would love to hear some of the stories narrated or be able to have a 360 degree look at the objects, perhaps those are features already in the works. In the meantime, what it lacks in interactivity it makes for in content.
You can explore the Museum of Broken Relationships here.
Guided/Recorded Tours:
Both the Winchester Mystery House and the Mütter Museum fall into this category and I enjoyed both of them a great deal. I have not yet visited either one in person although I've read about both of them and the knowledgeable guides do an exceptional job of bringing both to life. Just a few highlights from the Mütter Museum tour (which takes less than a half hour) include the Soap Lady, the skull collection, the world's largest colon, the death cast of Chang and Eng (who were the first to be call "Siamese Twins), and slides of Einstein's brain. The Winchester House tour is equally fascinating, delving into Mary Winchester's compulsion to keep building, even if it meant stairways leading to nowhere and other such architectural oddities, possibly in an attempt to confuse the spirits of those slain by Winchester weapons. Although the tour of this labyrinthine abode no longer appears to be offered for free on the site, the $5.99 seems like a very reasonable and worthwhile price.
You can see the Winchester Mystery House here.
360 Degree / Self-Directed Tours:
Both Bran Castle in Romania (famously connected to Vlad the Impaler, who was supposedly the inspiration behind Dracula), and the Paris Catacombs are accessible via this type of self-guided tour. While I enjoyed both, I do think they would have benefited from more background and narration. The ability to have 360 degree views was a benefit, but I would have traded that functionality for more insight via recorded or even text information. I know that the technology will continue to evolve and perhaps eventually arrive at an easily accessible form of true VR, but that seems a ways off yet and in the meantime, the clunky navigation ultimately just made me more acutely aware that I'm not able to visit them the way I would like. Still, both are worth exploring, however you are able to get there. Bran Castle does have a video tour version with music in lieu of narration.
You can experience Bran Castle via Google Maps here.
Visit the Paris Catacombs here.
Hybrid Virtual Tours:
Several of the tours I've explored thus far online combine both interactive and guided elements, none more effectively, in my opinion, than the National Parks. The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks provides interactive as well as guided components of five different parks. So far I've just explored the first two (Kenai Fjords in Alaska and Hawaii Volcanoes) but I plan to check out the other three as well (Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon and Dry Tortugas here in Florida). The technology behind these is sharp and seamless, the content is very engaging. Overall I think these have been the most enjoyable stops in my online exploration.
You can experience the National Parks here.
I'll continue to seek out wonder in the world and online, and I'll share my perspective in the days to come. Even though some states have begun to ease restrictions, I think it may be quite some time before we're all traveling about in anything resembling the way we did prior to 2020. And while visiting unusual places from my desk isn't my preferred means of experience them, I am thankful to be able to visit them at all - a hundred, or fifty, or even thirty years ago none of this would have been possible. So I'll keep focused on that, and while I'm at it, I'll think of something more compelling to call it than virtual tourism - digital out of body travel perhaps? Technology enabled astral projection?
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