The Number one question I’ve been asked during the Pandemic is “Are you missing travel?”  

Of course, I am.  Who isn’t?  

I love to travel and if you are reading this, you know how much I enjoy capturing my travel experiences on my camera and sharing them here on DesignDestinations.org   

Well, it all came to an end, March 2020.  I literally canceled a trip to Sante Fe, New Mexico two days before I was supposed to get on the plane to join a Travel Photography workshop.   I had barely unpacked my suitcase and downloaded my images from Oman and UAE when the lock down hit.  

I  haven’t gone anywhere since unless you count the 40 miles between Grand Rapids where I live and Grand Haven where we have a cozy cottage.  

But the reality is I’ve gone a lot of places.  Yep.  I’ve become a fan of armchair travel.  I always thought of that term as something for “old” folks not for someone energetic and ready to hop on a plane like me.  My kids roll their eyes and say, “Where are you going next?  Is it safe?”  

Armchair Travel

I looked up the definition of armchair travel.  According to Wikipedia,  “Armchair travel is all about discovering the world without actually going anywhere. Whether that’s through virtual experiences, planning a future trip or bringing the world into your home, there are many ways to do it.”

Covid has turned us into armchair travelers.  

I’ve enjoyed some wonderful programs from Context Travel called Context Conversations.    They feature a variety of places around the world as well as many art and architecture programs.  Perfect for a person whose blog is called DesignDestinations.  

New York Adventure Club is also a great source of fun.  They normally do walking tours in NYC but have pivoted into offering online programs about the city I love so much.  

Many travel photographers offer classes for the aspiring photographer. One of my favorites last fall was through Sante Fe Workshops on Using Travel Portfolios for Zines.  Zines are small magazine-like publications.  We created them on blurb.com.  The home bound travel photographers were encouraged to mine their thousands of images to create small creative publications to share with friends.  I’ve done three now and will do more.  

I’ve also enjoy webinars with my friend Niall Benvie, a Scottish nature photographer  now located in France.  He has encouraged his viewers to be creative with their work. His wife, the charming Charlotte who is a chef and chocolatier, taught us how to make macarons online.  What a deliciously good time that was.  

Niall and Charlotte run Food and Photography Retreats. 

I thoroughly enjoyed a photography focused workshop with Angie McMonigal, an architectural photographer in Chicago.  She presented a terrific way to see lots of very cool buildings in a new light.  She also does online walking tours to help you plan your next city adventure. 

If you go online and search virtual travel you will come up with a myriad of options.  Some are free.  Some cost a small amount.  There are too many for me to report on here but you can view  zoos, restaurants and all kinds of landscapes.

Travel companies like National Geographic and Road Scholar have jumped into the webinar world.  My husband recommends an app for Smartphones called Artland.

You can visit major museums, take a digital hike around American’s National Parks, take virtual tours of World UNESCO sites, visit  aquariums, watch whales and walk the Great Wall of China.   You can even visit casinos.    

Not only is this a great way to visit countries, art museums, wildlife, landscapes and have cultural experiences, but it is tantalizing for those of us already planning our next adventure.  Recently I did an interactive tour of Takayama with a group of Japanese travel wannabes.  By the end of the hour and a half session, I had made new friends and am eagerly anticipating returning to the Land of Rising Sun.  

Even Amazon has gotten into the act.  They are now offering Amazon Explore, where in one-on-one sessions, armchair travelers can visit shops in Seattle, Tokyo or Norway. I haven’t tried that yet but I might.    Of course, there’s an opportunity to shop.   You can take tango lessons and visit a cemetery.   

Now if they can just figure out how I can take pictures, I’ll be really happy.   For now, screen shots will have to do.

If you have any suggestions for Armchair travel, do share in the comment section below.  Thank you.