Cooperative Living Northern Virginia Electric • June 2020 • Happenings

A dream vacation is the perfect antidote to stress and the monotony of daily life. With the pandemic that is sweeping the globe, it’s just not in the cards right now.

But that doesn’t prevent you from escaping and exploring new places virtually.

A virtual trip can be a great way to explore destinations you might consider for a future vacation, or it might be a chance to see remarkable sights around the world that you wouldn’t get to experience otherwise.

Virtual travel also can engage kids in learning when you pair the experience with lessons on culture, geography or even a homemade take on local culinary treats.

Add authenticity to the experience with special touches that mimic the ambiance. If you’re visiting the beach, kick up the heat and turn on a fan for some breeze. Light a coconut-scented candle and enjoy a bowl of ice cream while you take in the sights.

Get your virtual adventures underway with these selections from the travel experts at Vrbo, the popular vacation rental website:

Explore the Egyptian Antiquities, remains of the Louvre’s Moat and Galerie d’Apollon by virtual museum tour as you head inside this iconic art lover’s institution. Visit louvre.fr/en.

Get up close and personal with the resident apes, penguins, pandas, giraffes, elephants and tigers in real time via one of the many live cams positioned to spot wildlife from the comfort of your couch. Check out sandiegozoo.org.

Make your Great Wall goals a reality. Get a glimpse of this 300-mile wonder of the world with a cyber stroll before dreaming up your own future family trip.

Transport yourself to the beach as you watch white-knuckle surfing at its most surreal. Whether you’re a super fan or first-time spectator of the sport, it’s a compelling beach-cam watch and an escape from the everyday. Try livesurfcamhawaii.com.

Feel a world away as you explore Mars from aboard NASA’s Curiosity Rover. Learn as you roam between its different mission sites for a realistic view of the Red Planet’s remarkable landscape. See mars.nasa.gov.

For families who miss traveling together, you can share the joys of your virtual journey through videoconferencing and adding some extra ambiance and a change of scenery by downloading a travel wallpaper for your meeting background.

If the virtual destinations inspire you to visit in person someday, use resources like Vrbo’s Trip Boards to create a list of places to stay as soon as you can get away. Keep the dream going by sending the link to family members and asking them to vote and comment on their favorites.

Editor’s note: With so many events canceled or postponed, we are taking a practical approach to our Happenings column this month — happenings you can enjoy from the safety of home.