Category: activities

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Home Tips: Design Trends in a Post-Pandemic World

If you want to know how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted home design, take a seat. Since panic over possible toilet paper shortages erupted in March, sales of bidet attachments have skyrocketed — increasing more than 300 percent at San Francisco-based Brondell, the Los Angeles Times reported. And home experts foresee built-in bidets becoming an increasingly popular item even after the crisis has passed. What other design trends are likely to emerge in a post-pandemic world? Here are five that homeowners can expect.

Copper 

What’s old is new again. Humans have been harnessing this metal for more than 10,000 years — and since the Victoria era, it has been recognized for its antimicrobial qualities. In other words, it kills germs and viruses. Considering the coronavirus can survive for days on plastic and other surfaces, designers expect copper and its alloys, bronze and brass, to be sought-after for everything from fixtures and doorknobs to pots and cups. 

Autonomous energy and water 

If you can’t live off the grid, why not at least have your own mini-grid? There’s nothing like a global shutdown to remind us all how reliant we are on supply chains that are out of our control. So expect homeowners to protect themselves against future disasters by pursuing their own water and heat sources ­— whether by drilling water wells or turning to geothermal and solar technology, accelerating a societal shift toward alternative power that is also self-sufficient. 

Purification systems

With a renewed focus on cleanliness, some owners will want more protection than a stash of disinfecting wipes in every room. For them, future smart homes will purify the air inside the home as well as filter the air that arrives from outside. And although using ultraviolet radiation as a disinfectant is currently not recommended, at some point the technology will be developed to manufacture UV lamps and lighting that can safely sanitize as well as illuminate. 

No-touch faucets

Along with being constructed from antimicrobial materials, look for new faucets to use touch-free technology. That way, when you are done washing your hands, you won’t have to worry about who else has turned the tap.

Home offices

Although working remotely has been technically possible for years, companies have mostly resisted the idea of having their employees telecommute. Now that the shutdown has forced them to adapt — and demonstrated the ease of using video conference calls, emails, and texting, among other tools — it’s likely remote work will continue to be the new normal for many people even after the pandemic has ended. And that will make having a proper home office — not just the living room sofa and the coffee table — a necessity. 

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Streaming: Basketball Movies

In a quarantine-free world, NBA playoffs would be underway right now. But with the sports world temporarily benched, there’s no way to know when players will return this year, if at all, or what shape the game will take when they do (other than an almost-certain absence of live / cheering crowds). So what is a fan to do in self-isolation? The living room is a long way from sitting courtside at Staples, of course, but these five films may help ease the withdrawal pains.

Hoosiers

Streaming On: Hulu, Amazon Prime

Have you heard this one before: troubled coach finds redemption by leading underdog team to glory? Of course, you have — just last month The Way Back saw Ben Affleck filling the role of the coach-with-issues. The gold standard of this genre-within-a-genre, however, is this 1986 drama led by the reliably excellent Gene Hackman. Can his high school basketball team overcome impossible odds and private demons to claim the state championship? What do you think? The material is elevated by thoughtful storytelling, all-star performances by Hackman and Dennis Hopper and white-knuckle jolts of impressively breathless action. FOR AGES: 9 and up

Hoop Dreams

Streaming On: Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Now

Considered one of the best documentaries ever, this three-hour Oscar-winner follows high school students William Gates and Arthur Agee as they chart a path to the NBA — and out of an inner-city existence rife with poverty and inequality. And just because its a documentary, don’t assume the on-court action suffers. In fact, because the stakes are so vivid and real, Hoop Dreams crackles with moments of genuine, heart-in-throat suspense. FOR AGES: 13 and up

Space Jam

Streaming On: Netflix

Michael Jordan is enlisted by Bugs Bunny to help win a basketball game between the Looney Tunes characters and a group of intergalactic cretins who, if they prove victorious, will make Bugs and the gang main attractions at a seedy outer space amusement park. Sophisticated and soulful, this is not — but with dazzling visuals, the pleasure of watching the Looney Tunes in action and supporting work from Bill Murray, who needs sophistication and soulfulness anyway, especially if you have kids? FOR AGES: 6 and up

White Men Can’t Jump

Streaming On: Amazon Prime

Sports is about winning. So why are the most entertaining sports films about losers? Like Bull Durham and Tin Cup — two other comedies from director Ron Shelton about minor leaguers and has-beens — White Men Can’t Jump cares less about the game than it does the fakes and fouls that occur between characters off the court. Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes star as trash-talking Venice beach basketball hustlers not above double-crossing each other. FOR AGES: 16 and up

He Got Game

Streaming On: Hulu, Amazon Prime

Serving prison time for accidentally killing his wife, Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) receives an early, one-week release from the governor as well as a special request: convince his son, the country’s top-ranked basketball prospect, Jesus (Ray Allen), to play for the governor’s alma mater, “Big State” University, and in exchange, Jake’s prison sentence will be reduced. Directed by Spike Lee, He Got Game feels as current as ever today, super-charged by the conflict between domineering father and haunted son. FOR AGES: 18 and up

 

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Out and About: Virtual Escapism

Have you ever wanted to swim with sharks while avoiding the, uh, sharks? Or climb Mount Everest without suffering a freezing, suffocating death? Then have we got the risk-averse getaway for you — from the comfort of your own snack-riddled sofa. Between the technological advances of virtual reality and the pandemic-induced shutdown that has halted all travel, exploring the world and all its fascinating, frightening dangers has never been so utterly safe.

Mount Everest

Skip the lifelong commitment to training and preparation (really, where do they expect us to find the time?) and venture out over some of the planet’s most astonishing peaks. The first tour, courtesy of Discovery, speeds you along with helicopter rescue pilots as they soar over treacherous, breathtaking terrain. After that, keep exploring the highest pinnacles between Nepal and China with this interactive 360-degree map from Google Maps.

The Great Barrier Reef 

Sir David Attenborough narrates this interactive trek through the Great Barrier Reef and the planet’s largest — and highly-endangered — coral reef system. Naturally, it is an ideal educational tool for children — although adults will appreciate it as well as a break from lockdown normality. Among the things you’ll learn as you navigate five locations with videos, audio and virtual reality: the bottom of the reefs generate a discord of distinctive sounds.

Swimming with sharks

Just when you thought it was safe to go into the water, you don’t have to bother. Instead, stay dry and still get up close with these majestic predators. This 360-degree video Mexico’s Lower California Peninsula puts you in the thick of things. Or thanks to Exploreorg’s live stream in the Atlantic off Cape Fear, North Carolina, you can wait for a glimpse of one. Once you’ve encountered a few sharks, check out BBC Earth’s Our Blue Plant VR video series to swim with bottlenose dolphins and manta rays.

Ancient caverns

If scaling new heights doesn’t appeal to you, how about descending into the depths of the planet? The world below, it turns out, is no less illuminating than the one above. And this way, you don’t have to fret about what might be down there in the dark with you. Carlsbad Caverns is a national park in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and includes a limestone chamber, known as the Big Room, which is almost 4,000 feet long and 255 feet high, making it the fifth-largest such chamber in North America. Meanwhile, the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave in southern France boasts some of the best-preserved cave paintings in the world. As a bonus, your guide on this tour is Daisy Ridley.

Titanic

Was there enough room for two on the raft? While this virtual excursion doesn’t answer that pressing question, for fans of Titanic who don’t want to board a bathyscaphe to the deep, it nevertheless delivers 360-degree tours of the famed ship — from its staircases, chambers, and decks to its final resting place on the ocean floor.

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Streaming: Feel Good Movies

If you never saw Contagion, why start now? That’s like stopping to watch Jaws as your life raft springs a leak. Yet movies about viral pandemics — like the excellent but eerie Steven Soderbergh thriller as well as such lesser efforts as Outbreak and Pandemic — are topping digital movie charts, despite the reality, we’re living in. Our advice? Give your mind — and your stress level — some relief and seek out something upbeat and life-affirming. Any of these five films will do just fine in lifting your spirits.

Groundhog Day

Streaming on:  Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube

Bill Murray is a weatherman trapped reliving the same day, again and again. Sort of like being locked down at home. Murray’s predicament generates raucous laughs, but by the end, both the character and the equally sarcastic movie are channeling Frank Capra, elevated by the big-hearted notion that a man can improve, even if it’s one day at a time. FOR AGES: 12 and up

Ratatouille

Streaming on:  DisneyPlus

Remy is the best chef in Paris. Unfortunately, he’s also a rat. Enter Linguine, a garbage boy who is clueless at cooking. Working together — sort of Cyrano de Bergerac meets Anthony Bourdain — the new partners enjoy huge success until a food critic with his own issues turns up the heat. This undervalued Pixar movie is for anyone who’s ever been told they can’t realize their dreams just because of what they are or where they came from. FOR AGES: 6 and up

Singin’ in the Rain

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

The quintessential Hollywood musical, this 1952 classic stars Gene Kelly as a silent film star making the career move into “talkies.” Together with a chorus girl (Debbie Reynolds) and a vaudeville pal (Donald O’Connor), they plot to make a masterpiece. Once you surrender to its old-school, all-ages charm, it’s impossible not to be won over by the performances and the iconic musical numbers, which still endure almost 70 years later. FOR AGES: 6 and up

The Princess Bride

Streaming on: Amazon Prime

Don’t expect the effects, violence and grit of today’s action-fantasy genre in this 1987 Rob Reiner comedy. A sly, self-aware fairy tale that favors humor and romance over battles and bloodshed, what distinguishes The Princess Bride is its utterly unique tone: whimsical, silly and warm, without a trace of mean-spiritedness. It’s framed as a bedtime story told to a child, but really, it’s a bedtime story being told to us. FOR AGES: 8 and up

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Streaming on: Netflix

Argue all you like about who the best movie Spider-Man is — Maguire? Garfield? Holland? — the best Spider-Man movie, period, is this 2018 animated Oscar-winner, in which a teenager named Miles Morales partners with Spider-heroes from alternate realities to save the multiverse and defeat the villain who killed his world’s Peter Parker. Bolstered by a sensational soundtrack, standout cast (including Nicolas Cage, Hailee Steinfeld and Mahershala Ali) and eye-popping animation, this thrilling, emotional adventure truly feels like a comic book sprung to life. FOR AGES: 9 and up 

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Virtually Out and About: L.A. Museums

Think of it as a virtual staycation. While museums like the Louvre and the Guggenheim welcome interactive, international visitors with tours of their exhibitions, self-isolating Angelinos have plenty of culture, history and science to explore right here – from behind the safety of their screen, of course. Take these five local institutions, for example. They may be shuttered, but thanks to online archives, activities and resources, they’re hardly off-limits to the public.

The Getty

If you were thinking of dropping by the Getty Center or Getty Villa before the lockdown, good news: some of its most popular exhibitions are open to virtual visitors. That includes Michelangelo: Mind of the Master, which examines rare drawings by the artist, ranging from sketches to detailed figure studies. Listen along to a free audio tour as you browse his work. For something fun, in addition to the online archive of art, videos and books, you can download a free coloring book filled with some of the museum’s most iconic artwork.

The Grammy Museum

The doors are closed, but the music plays on. On their website, you can enjoy archived performances by artists ranging from Common to the late Kenny Rogers. Join their album club, which is sort of an interactive book club for music fans, and follow along as founding executive director Bob Santelli discusses such classic albums as Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A.

 

Natural History Museum

For families wanting to hit pause on streaming movies and TV, the Natural History Museum offers the chance to link up with scientists and other students for virtual adventures and crowd-sourced science. It also boasts an impressive video selection. For example, after learning about the animals and plants we share Los Angeles with, you can watch a clip chronicling how scientists uncovered the skull of the prehistoric world’s smallest dinosaur preserved in amber.

California Science Center

For burgeoning young scientists, the California Science Center live streams “Stuck at Home Science” every weekday at 10 a.m. Considering topics include “gross science,” it’s fair to say the goal is to keep children engaged and interested as they learn. Don’t worry about having to leave the house for materials, either. All the projects use common household items.

Museum of Contemporary Art

MOCA offers an entire schedule of interactive activities throughout the week, designed to help the community stay connected. Available on the website as well as across MOCA’s social media channels, these include workshops, classroom curriculum discussions, an Instagram takeover series with a new artist every week, a book club and “Feel Good Friday,” which focuses on meditation and other exercises to relax the mind and reduce stress.

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Home Tips: DIY Grooming

Living in a lockdown can expose a lot – including your roots. So it’s no surprise that a month into the coronavirus pandemic, grooming gear is being snapped up with an urgency usually reserved for toilet paper and sanitizing wipes. According to Nielsen data, hair clipper sales have shot up 166 percent from this time last year while hair dye sales have increased 23 percent. With salons shuttered and Americans becoming do-it-yourself stylists faced with unkempt hair, chipped nails and scruffy stubble, here are a few tips to help you stay tidy while also avoiding jagged hairlines and accidental bald patches.

Cutting your hair 

If you can, you should wait until salons open again for your next haircut while also keeping your hair healthy and moisturized with leave-in creams and conditioners. As well, such products as gel, wax and pomade will let you experiment with your style without resorting to shears. Likewise, if you feel your bangs are out of control, try a slicked-back ponytail or headband to wrangle them away from your face. But if you absolutely feel like you need a cut, keep it simple and clean, snipping at dry – not wet – hair without switching up your style (again, leave that to the professionals). If you’re tackling the back of your hair, seek out someone to help you.

Doing your nails 

Try to make manicures a social activity in these self-isolating days. Invite the kids to participate. And if you have roommates, take turns doing each other’s nails. While there are manicure tool kits, all you really need are the essentials: a file, buffer and clippers. For a simple manicure, cut and file the nails into whatever shape you want, then buff the nail plate and wipe it with an acetone-based polish remover. A base coat will guard against chipping. If you want to remove Shellac or gel nails, there are plenty of online video tutorials to help guide you.

Coloring your hair

Because at-home and salon products are different, if you haven’t already been dyeing at home, you shouldn’t start now as it can wreak havoc on your appearance and your hair. So as you wait for your salon to re-open, take a few steps to maintain your hair: wash it less to keep the color from fading; use root touch-up products to conceal roots and vanishing colors; and for blondes and people with highlights, use purple shampoo to brighten your locks.

Caring for your skin

If you’re missing your regular facial and are looking to show your skin some love, but don’t have any face masks at home, you can make any number of your own alternatives, using such foods as bananas, cucumber, honey, milk, egg whites, squash and oatmeal.

Waxing

With salons closed, let it grow. That’s the advice from most experts, who suggest you don’t do anything more drastic than shaving at home while we’re all self-isolating. But if you’re a first-time self-waxer who is feeling particularly hirsute (and courageous), there are at-home solutions for you. The first, and most well-advised, are wax strips. For non-beginners, there are hot wax options, which are ready to go out of the microwave.

Growing a beard

So you’ve always wanted to grow a beard. Why not a pandemic beard? Being stuck at home is a perfect excuse to experiment. A few tips to unleash your inner lumberjack: let it grow for a month before you try to style it beyond snipping the edges; wash it at least twice daily while also using a beard oil to reduce the itchiness; and brush it in the direction you want it to grow.

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Streaming: 6 Documentaries to Binge after Tiger King

Tiger King’s roar is inescapable. The breakout Netflix docuseries about illegal big cat breeders and other eccentric characters has been the streamer’s top title since it debuted last month, inspiring mullet-themed memes and Twitter talk about who should play Joe Exotic in a forthcoming limited series. (If you don’t know who Joe Exotic is, he’s the owner of a private zoo who is currently in prison for trying to hire a hitman to kill the activist who wanted to shut him down.) Whether you’ve already binged Tiger King or have zero interest in its garish world, what can’t be denied is the popularity of documentary filmmaking across platforms. From true crime to family mystery to adorable guide dogs in training, there is a subject for everyone.

Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened and Fyre Fraud

Streaming on: Netflix (Fyre) and Hulu (Fyre Fraud)

The Fyre Festival was such a debacle it produced not one, but two, documentaries exploring how the influencer-touted music festival on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma descended into what has been described as a “millennial Lord of the Flies.” Which one should you watch? The Netflix doc offers a more vivid account of what transpired, but Hulu’s version, which presents the fiasco through a cultural lens, boasts an interview with co-founder Billy McFarland, who went to prison for six years. In other words, why not just watch both? For Ages: 15 and up

The Jinx        

Streaming on: Hulu, Amazon Prime and HBO Now

This masterful six-part series chronicles the bizarre existence of Robert Durst, the disquieting, possibly homicidal heir to the Durst empire in New York City. Just consider how many people close to him either disappeared or wound up brutally murdered: his wife, Kathie, who vanished in 1982; his friend, Susan Berman, who was killed in 2000; or his neighbor Morris Black, who was murdered and dismembered in 2001. Durst is currently on trial for Berman’s murder in Los Angeles thanks to new evidence uncovered by the filmmakers. For Ages: 15 and up

Pick of the Litter

Streaming on: DisneyPlus

This heart-tugging, six-part series follows six pups – Paco, Pacino, Raffi, Amara, Tulane and Tartan – as they endeavor to become guide dogs for the blind. Not surprisingly, their journey is no bag of chew toys as they and their trainers face an intensive process marked by both triumph and disappointment. You’ll find yourself cheering on the dogs – as well as fully appreciating the work done by the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization. For Ages: 6 and up

Cheer

Streaming on: Netflix

Forget the big guys on the field – this six-part docuseries finds as much ferocity and anxiety on the sidelines. Another pop culture mega-hit for Netflix, the filmmakers follow five members of Navarro College’s cheer squad as they journey from Corsicana, Texas, to Daytona, Florida, to compete against other athletes in the National Cheerleading Championship. If you’re expecting something light (a la Bring It On), expect to be surprised – and enthralled. For Ages: 13 and up

Three Identical Strangers

Streaming on: Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime

What begins as a wildly-entertaining true story – identical triplets, separated at birth, are reunited by chance as adults only to become talk-show-circuit celebrities – turns into a much more provocative, emotional exploration of fate and self-determination as they and the filmmakers untangle the twisting mystery of why they were separated as newborns. For Ages: 13 and up 

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Home Tips: Making Your Own Mask

As the world tries to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, both the City of Los Angeles and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging residents to cover their nose and mouth when leaving home. Specifically, the CDC says people should don cloth home-made masks while in such public spaces as grocery stores. So how do you make a mask? What material should you use? How do you wear it properly? And why are masks necessary now, anyway? Here are some answers.

Why are masks being recommended now?

At the outset of the pandemic, officials told the public they didn’t need to wear masks unless they were exhibiting symptoms or caring for someone who did. There were multiple reasons for this. They didn’t want the public stockpiling medical-grade masks needed by health-care professionals, for one. For another, masks are simply not as effective a method of protection as social distancing combined with hand washing. But officials also hadn’t realized people who have the virus but are asymptomatic are just as contagious as those who are visibly ill. By urging everyone to wear a mask, they hope to stop people from unwittingly spreading it. In other words, they want you to wear a mask, not to protect you, but to protect everyone else from you.

What kind of materials do I need?

Medical-grade masks, including surgical and N95 masks, need to be set aside for healthcare professionals already confronting devastating shortages of protective gear. Instead, the CDC recommends “cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.” Although there are no guidelines for what material you should use, in general, thicker is better, so try to find something that is 100 percent cotton such as old clothing.

Where can I learn how to make my mask?

Not surprisingly, the Internet has exploded with tutorials showing how you can make a DIY mask. On the official Twitter site for the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams demonstrates how to construct one by easily folding a piece of cloth such as a scarf or hand towel and tying an elastic band on either side. This method is similar to one shown by an online Japanese arts and crafts educator, in which a no-sew mask is assembled with a handkerchief and hair ties. For a more elaborate design, John Hopkins Medicine offers these instructions, suggesting to avoid using solid white or blue material so it doesn’t look like you are wearing a medical-grade mask. Likewise, Kaiser Permanente has this how-to-guide for people who prefer to sew one together. Kaiser also suggests you wash your fabric several times before cutting it, so it doesn’t later shrink. The tighter the fit, the more effective the mask.

Is there a right way to remove it?

If you’ve gone to the effort of making a mask, wear it correctly – and just as importantly, remove it correctly, by taking the straps off from behind your ears without touching the front of the mask. Remember, it is now contaminated. After each use, it should be either thrown out and replaced or disinfected with soap and water.

Does a mask mean I can stop social distancing or washing my hands?

Absolutely not. In fact, you should not be leaving your home at all, except to make essential trips to the grocery store or pharmacy. And even then, although your face covering may give you a false sense of security, maintain a space of six feet or more between you and others. This physical distancing, in addition to frequent hand washing, is the most effective way to both protect yourself and stop the spread of COVID-19.

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Streaming: Five Children’s Shows Parents Will Enjoy Too

Television has always been a babysitter. But with schools shuttered and adults working remotely, it’s now more like a co-parent. Good news: in this era of Peak TV, the quality of children’s television programming has never been higher. So much so that there is an abundance of shows all members of the families can enjoy beyond such timeless fare as Sesame Street and Winnie the Pooh. Here are five of them:

Forky Asks a Question 

Streaming on: DisneyPlus

The handmade toy from Toy Story 4, Forky stars in this 10-episode series (each installment runs three or four minutes) in which he asks his toy friends for the answers to life’s simple questions. Like, what is money? And, what is time? Okay, maybe not so simple – yet the series manages to break it all down with humor and heart for Forky’s young fans. FOR AGES: 4 and up

Ask the Storybots 

Streaming on: Netflix

Have you ever wondered why you need to brush your teeth? The StoryBots – Beep, Bing, Bang, Boop and Bo – answer this and many more questions children always ask. In addition to the charming characters, the high-energy, award-winning series illuminates with music, videos and celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno and Snoop Dogg. FOR AGES: 3 and up

Pinky and the Brain

Streaming on: Hulu

A rarity aimed at both grade-school-age children and their skeptical parents, this 1990s-era cartoon fuses lightning-speed slapstick with clear-eyed cultural satire. Brain, if you didn’t know, is the arrogant, scheming lab mouse out to conquer the world. Too bad he’s always being (unintentionally) foiled by his less-than-brilliant sidekick, Pinky. The result probably isn’t as ingenious as Brain would think it is, but for families, it will do just fine. FOR AGES: 6 and up

Beat Bugs

Streaming on: Netflix

Songs by the Beatles – performed by such present-day artists as Pink – embellish the adventures of five young bugs as they forge ahead through life’s problems. Adults will appreciate how Beatles’ lyrics are smartly stitched into the dialogue while their children will relate to themes of friendship, loyalty, and resilience. FOR AGES: 3 and up 

Muppet Babies

Streaming on: DisneyPlus

A reboot of the 1980s animated series, which starred young versions of such classic Muppets like Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo the Great, this series follows the exploits of the titular toddlers. Granted, their misadventures may occur from the safety of their playroom, but when their wild imaginations get the best of them (and they usually do), the gang needs to rely on their problem-solving skills to save the day. FOR AGES: 3 and up 

 

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Virtually Out and About: From Mars to the Great Wall

Just because you’re self-isolating doesn’t mean you can’t leave home. With the travel industry grinding to a once-unthinkable halt, virtual tourism is booming as an alternative, promising to transport travelers around the globe from the safety of their sofas. Aside from the many museums and art galleries online, for those seeking mystery or adventure with their interactive exploration – or simply some spectacular outdoor views – here are a few virtual tours to consider.

Winchester Mystery House

Built in 1884 in San Jose, this Victorian mansion was owned by Sarah Winchester, the widow of firearm tycoon William Wirt Winchester. Having long inspired ghost stories (Harry Houdini himself is said to have believed something was wrong about the place), the house features such spine-tingling oddities as a staircase that leads nowhere. Not surprisingly, the mansion has been a fixture in popular culture for years, including the 2018 horror film, Winchester, and the 100th episode of American Horror Story. Currently closed to the public due to COVID-19, you can still creep around its strange corridors, thanks to this virtual tour and guide.

Mars

If you want to practice social distancing, how about a trip to Mars? Google and NASA have teamed up to create a 3D tour of the surface of the red planet, using footage shot by the Curiosity rover, which landed there in 2012 and continues to operate to this day – almost 2,800 days later. You can start exploring the Martian scenery here. It won’t take you nearly that long.

Stonehenge

Few landmarks have inspired as much mystery as this ancient stone monument in Wiltshire, England. Dating back to 3000 BC, the origins of the stones remain a subject of speculation. Are they supernatural? Or the remnants of an ancient alien close encounter? (Disappointingly, the area was most likely a simple burial ground.) But now you can have a look and judge for yourself, magnifying the giant relics while also learning about them via educational videos.

The Great Wall of China

Visible from space, this 2,000-year-old structure spans more than 3,000 miles across multiple provinces in northern China, making it a must-see whenever you visit the Middle Kingdom. However, since that’s impossible these days, you might want to try embarking on a virtual tour from your living room or bed. You’ll be awed no matter how small your screen is.

Yosemite National Park

It doesn’t compare to hiking the trails and paths found in the L.A. area, but if you’re languishing indoors, why not at least explore Yosemite National Park online? For one thing, you can wander around such breathtaking sights as the Half Dome. And for another, you can get lost without worrying about whether you’re going to run out of sunscreen or water.

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