The Bulletin., October 21, 2021, Page 59, Image 59

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2021 • THE BULLETIN
COVER STORY
GO! MAGAZINE • PAGE 17
Continued from previous page
ruins, again with an audio commentary to
fully immerse yourself in the historic signif-
icance of the place high in the mountains of
Peru.
Closer to home, there is a huge virtual
hiking site of Yosemite National Park that
you can easily spend hours wandering
around. With more than just a few 360 de-
gree views of outlooks, virtualyosemite.org
takes online visitors on a journey through
not only the highlights of Half Dome and
Yosemite Valley but also out other areas
of the Sierras like Mono Lake, Chilnualna
Falls, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, fall colors
along Mill Creek, the historic mining town
of Brodie and much more.
AMAZON EXPLORE
If you want something a bit more per-
sonal, the online juggernaut has paid ex-
periences where you can take part in
livestreamed, interactive private and
semi-private tours led by locals. Besides just
walking around a particular city or town,
you can also take a lesson in cooking or
cocktails from experts based in the region
you’re interested in. You can even shop vir-
tually for souvenirs.
Prices vary depending on experiences,
duration and location, but there is a whole
range of $10 deals to try out. Just click on
where you want to go, pick a day and a time,
and you’ll be on your way to learning about
the place of your choice, conversing with
the locals and experiencing more than you
thought you could from a recliner.
You will need an Amazon account and a
computer — the experience won’t work on
a phone or tablet — as well as a high-speed
internet connection of 5 mbps or higher.
Also make sure you have a microphone that
works or headphones with a mic on them so
you can chat with your host.
You can even become a host yourself and
take other virtual visitors on a tour of your
favorite spot or teach them something new.
From the historic streets of Rome to
learning about Zen in Kyoto, the sky, or at
least your internet connection, is the limit.
WEBCAMS
Maybe you just want some ambient views
YouVisit.com
A screenshot from the virtual tour of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes. The tour includes an audio commentary on the history of the Inca and the
significance of the specific locations.
to take a look at while you toil away at your
work-from-home setup.
There are thousands of webcams out
there depending on where you want to
“go” that you can easily pop on in the back-
ground.
Check out Sydney Harbor with webcam-
sydney.com. Just remember that there is a
substantial time difference and they’re al-
ready in tomorrow. When you think about
it, it’s kind of like time travel. Regardless of
the time you catch the feed, the harbor is
stunning.
Many National Parks right here in the
good ol’ US of A also have webcams. They
refresh every minute or so, so it’s not quite
like watching a livestream, but you can get
glimpses at the majesty of places like Crater
Lake, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon The
cams are run through the NPS websites so
they’re easy to find as well.
For more variety, the website earthcam.
com has a massive collection of webcams
from around the globe, so depending on
where you’d like to go, you can find a live
feed whether it’s bustling Times Square in
New York, the Western Wall in Jerusalem
or a white sandy beach of the Caribbean,
For more variety, the website earthcam.com has a massive
collection of webcams from around the globe, so depending on
where you’d like to go, you can find a live feed whether it’s bustling
Times Square in New York, the Western Wall in Jerusalem or a
white sandy beach of the Caribbean, you can find pretty much
anything. Explore.org also has a variety of webcams to check out
that go beyond your basic tourist destinations.
you can find pretty much anything. Explore.
org also has a variety of webcams to check
out that go beyond your basic tourist desti-
nations. Here you can also catch feeds from
animal sanctuaries, underwater cams, watch
for the Northern Lights and more. Many of
these also have sound meaning you can feel
even more immersed.
And if you’ve been envious of all the bil-
lionaires going to space, you can get a more
out of this world experience and check out
the live feeds from the International Space
Station through nasa.gov.
Reporter: 541-383-0304, mwhittle@bendbulletin.com