It’s been almost two months since the COVID-19 pandemic began to make major changes to everyday life in South Carolina. We have no guarantee as to when vacations will be rescheduled or when travel will open back up. While it may be easy to dwell on the disappointment of missing these niceties in life, we do all have a unique opportunity to keep each other safe and in good spirits while gaining rare experiences through virtual travel opportunities around the world.

Close to home or far away, these virtual travel experiences will give you a taste of the world from the comfort of your living room.

Art Classes and Exhibitions at the Gibbes in Charleston, SC

As local Charleston area financial planners, we like to enjoy our city as much as possible. While the Gibbes Museum of Art continues to stay closed, the downtown Charleston art museum has been offering many virtual options to explore its collections and partake in creative endeavors at home.

Browse an exhibit or attend one of their regularly scheduled workshops. If you have little ones at home, join the Gibbes for an online art class that keeps everyone entertained for at least another hour.

Join Fallon Peper, Teaching Artist with the Gibbes, for fun, interactive 45-minute sessions for ages 6-10. Each morning will focus on a different artist and style and will keep your young artists’ creativity flowing. Ms. Fallon also infuses different topics like math, science, and history into the lessons. View the complete list of virtual workshops and events.

 

Stream Concerts from Charleston, SC Musicians

With so many venues and concerts shuttered just before spring, musicians are finding an outlet online to share their music. Nothing beats live jazz, but a FacebookLIVE or virtual concert hosted by some of Charleston’s best musicians can certainly soothe the pain of social distancing.

The Post & Courier’s No Intermission series is available online without a subscription. Each week local musicians partner with the paper to perform for their video concert series. Watch The Charleston Symphony’s full length concert on Facebook. Wind down with jazz concerts performed at Forte Jazz Lounge and published to their social media for Charleston jazz fans to enjoy.

 

Explore Wildlife in America’s National Parks

Explore the country from sea to shining sea. National Parks across the country have made webcams and virtual tours accessible through desktop and mobile devices. For a complete list of ideas, view the National Parks service recent blog.

One of America’s most popular parks, Yellowstone, is included in this list. Explore virtual resources like podcasts, Q&A series, and live streams to popular icons. Also on the list: Washington Mall’s Bloom Cam. Watch the world famous cherry blossoms frame the marble monuments at our nation’s capital Mall.

 

Learn Something New at NASA’s Research Center

NASA has launched its virtual tours of the Langley Research Center. Explore and learn about some of the world’s most historic advances in science and technology.

Explore the Cockpit Motion Facility at NASA (CMF) and take a virtual tour to see an overview of the facility. This building contains flight simulators used in aeronautics and space flight research.

Check out NASA Langley’s busiest wind tunnel where low-speed tests lead to safer takeoffs and landings, the 14-by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel.

 

Tour the World’s Most Historic Art

Just like our Charleston local art museum, museums around the world are opening virtual doors for experiences in virtual travel in order to share some of their most beloved works.

The Louvre: From ancient Egypt to the Sun King’s elaborate ceilings by Delacroix, view art through the ages housed in the Paris galleries.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Feeling inspired? Get creative by recreating your favorite paintings with self portraits and staged photos. Post to instagram and tag the museum, you may be featured on their account!

The Dali Museum: If you’re looking for ways to stimulate your mind while stuck at home, you can delve into the surrealist mind of Salvador Dalí by exploring the St. Petersburg museum dedicated to his art.

The Vatican Museums: Home to some 70,000 artworks and artifacts spanning centuries, continents and mediums, the 5.5-hectare Vatican Museums are among Italy’s finest cultural institutions. Virtual visitors can tour seven different sections of the sprawling complex, enjoying 360-degree views of the Sistine Chapel.

The London National Gallery: Take a virtual tour of 18 gallery rooms. Enjoy a panoramic view of the museum’s halls and click through a wide collection of artistic masterpieces using the National Gallery’s virtual tools.

 

Dive into the Ocean’s Reefs and other World Wonders

Google Earth Cameras give live feeds of some of the World’s most renowned locations. From vibrant ocean reefs to ancient artifacts, explore the world with Google Earth for a fun activity or as an educational lesson for a stay at home student.

With these vibrant and stunning photos you don’t have to be a scuba diver – or even know how to swim – to explore and experience six of the ocean’s most incredible living coral reefs. Now, anyone can become the next virtual Jacques Cousteau and dive with sea turtles, fish and manta rays.

Walking along the Great Wall has been at the top of many “vacation goals” lists for centuries before hashtags were invented. Now, with virtual travel, you can take a virtual hike in lieu of actually exerting physical effort.

It’s not everyday that you get to explore the tombs of Egyptian rulers like Pharoah Ramesses VI and Queen Meresankh III. But thanks to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, you can take a virtual tour of museums, sunken monuments, and tombs throughout the Grand Egyptian Museum.

 

While we continue to follow procedures that keep our neighbors and families safe, we can still find enjoyment in the world around us. Now is the time to enjoy virtual travel options and prepare for the future when you will once again be able to make explorations first-hand. Our Charleston, SC financial planners are available to help you on your journey to financial freedom. When the world reopens, be ready and financially free to experience it.

Get started on your path to financial freedom. Contact one of our Financial Planners today.

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Morris Financial Concepts, Inc. (“MFC”) and are subject to change without notice. This material is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. MFC is an independent investment adviser registered
under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about MFC including our investment strategies, fees and objectives can be found in our ADV Part 2, which is available upon request. MFC-20-11.