6 Ways You Can Travel From Home This Summer

Translated to the 5th of May, Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s victory over France during the Franco-Mexican war in 1862. Also known as Battle of Puebla Day, it is just a minor holiday in Mexico, but here in the US, it has become a celebration of Mexican-American culture and community. Normally, there would be a network of national parties and celebrations, with the largest festivities in San Antonio, New York, Phoenix, Denver and San Diego. But, with social distancing as the new norm, we asked the experts how to make the most of the situation—and how to party like it’s the 5th of May in your very own home. At Mexico’s Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, the 1826 Tequila Bar offers over 120 different tequilas and 20 mezcals—and does tastings on their outdoor terrace. For a little sweeter cocktail, try its Lavender Margarita. Lavender Margarita 2 tablespoons of lavender syrup 1 oz tequila .5 oz lime juice .5 oz of Controy. Lavender Margarita.Sofia Partida, National Brand Ambassador of Mexico’s Partida Tequila, is organizing a face time “Cinco Salud” with friends and family in Northern California. She will also host a Cinco Happy Hour at home where they will be playing Loteria and watching a movie like Nacho Libre or Like Water for Chocolate. Decorations will include flowers, both paper and fresh, and the menu will include appetizers like Shrimp Aqua Chiles and mini Chicken Tostadas. Her cocktail of choice is the Ponche Cabellero. Ponche Cabellero 2 oz Reposado 1.5 oz tamarind nectar 1.5 oz pineapple juice .5 oz agave nectar .5 oz fresh lime juice 2 dashes of Angostura bitters. On the other end of the spectrum, Desolas is a brand new Mezcal crafted in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, wants to add a little spice to its Cinco de Mayo cocktail, which they suggest countering with chips and guacamole. They also suggest pairing their Spotify playlist with your at-home party. Desolas Sol 2 oz Desolas Mezcal 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice 1 oz ginger beer garnished with a lime wheel. Desolas SolThe MGM Resorts Event Production Team suggests finding a special place in your home, either indoors or outdoors, to be the hub of the celebration. Decorations can be a colorful scarf to drape on the table or hang up on the wall and you might want to search up a streaming folklorico dance class or discover new music contributed by Mexican artists for ambiance and entertainment. Try a tequila tasting at home and allow each taster to rate and review their findings before the next public gathering. However, if it’s a cocktail you’re after, try the Dama Blanca from the Mama Rabbit Bar at the Park MGM Las Vegas. Dama Blance 2 ozs Ilegal Joven Mezcal, .5 oz Italicus Bergamot liqueur .5 oz orange cordial .5 oz simple syrup .5 oz lemon juice .5 oz lime juice an egg white. Shake, pour in a coupe glass and garnish with real flowers for a beautiful finish. Rosewood Hotels are used to celebrating Cinco de Mayo at many of their properties. At the Dallas-based Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, The Mansion Bar has been a steadfast icon since its opening in 1980 and it’s renowned Texas Margarita has been on the menu for four decades. Texas Margarita 2 oz tequila 1 oz fresh lime juice .75 oz Cointreau up to .75 oz jalapeno agave. Shake and pour straight up. For many of us, the word Tequila is synonymous with Patron. This iconic brand has been bringing us super sippable, premium expressions from that famous region for over 30 years. So, it only seems right to mix a Patron Classic Margarita. The only thing you’ll have to decide is: salt or no salt? Patron Classic Margarita 1.5 oz of Patron Reposada or Silver 1 oz Patron Citronge Orange .75 oz fresh lime juice .25 oz simple syrup Shake and pour into a glass (ice optional). Lastly, for those who want to add a little caffeine to their cocktail cause, Mr. Black Liqueur is a bittersweet blend of vodka and coffee. A simple way to enjoy it at home is part of this eye-opening, Paloma Negra. Paloma Negra 2 oz coffee liqueur .75 oz Mezcal 1.25 oz pink grapefruit juice Paloma Negra

With beachside vacations being put on hold with coronavirus-related closures, there’s an alternative way to access sand and surf – right from your screen. Across United States, the nation’s beaches are being represented on screen from coast to coast. Embrace these picturesque views across the United States through these web cams. In California, view Doran Beach in Bodega Bay’s Doran National Park in Sonoma County beach. Torrance Beach’s webcam captures this 1.5 mile stretch of sand. Meanwhile in Monterey County, the Tickle Pink Inn in Carmel keeps a camera’s eye on the Big Sur Coastline. In San Diego, the landmark Hotel del Coronado shows off its sandy scene online. On Visit California’s website, take a 360 degree VR experience along California’s North Coast Beaches; catch more of the Golden State’s beaches through LiveBeaches.com. Wisconsin’s Madeline Island, the largest of the state’s Apostle Islands, is home to the two-mile Big Bay Beach along with Big Bay State Park. In South Carolina, see different parts of Myrtle Beach through this EarthCam plus Edisto Beach on Edisto Island can be seen through video too. In Virginia Beach, view various filming angles of this coastal city, including its boardwalk, along with the waterside community of Sandbridge. The Wildwoods, NJ lights up with nine cameras throughout this five-mile island capturing its boardwalks and beaches. Also, find different feeds of the Jersey Shore beaches, from Asbury Park to Atlantic City and Cape May. Other Jersey beaches range from Jenkinson’s Point Pleasant Beach to Bay Head. Long Island, New York has live cameras on locations, including Long Beach, with its 2.2-mile boardwalk; Main Beach in East Hampton; Coopers Beach in Southampton; and Fire Island. Florida has their beaches covered and can be seen through the Visit Florida website. However, their respective regions are also showing their sand off. Paradise Coast is experiencing cameras across Naples and Marco Island, while The Palm Beaches have their eight beach cams collectively on one website; Florida Keys and Key West have a wide variety of water and beach view web cams. Also in Florida, South Walton is streaming Alys Beach and Grayton Beach and Grayton Dunes in Grayton Beach State Park. Pensacola Beach can be screened with east, west and south views. St. Pete/Clearwater through four live beach webcams of Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach and two different views of St. Pete Beach. Or check out Miami's sand scene with these beach cams.

If life is looking a bit drab without travel, add some color into your life by setting off on a street art tour around the world—virtually. Google makes it easy to revisit some of your favorite murals that you’ve come across during your travels or to encounter outdoor public artwork you’ve always wanted to see. Use the human icon to take in the murals from the street level. Enjoy a private viewing of the art displays from the safety of your couch and let these street artists transport you to destinations near and far with this virtual street art tour. Miami, Florida The largest collection of street art in the U.S can be enjoyed at the Wynwood Arts District in Miami with over 200 murals spanning 50 blocks. Shepard Fairey of Obey Giant painted one of the most well-known pieces in the Wynwood Walls open-air museum of street art. His mural features motifs about climate change, war, and more political issues. The mural faces 2nd Avenue and is visible from the street and the museum’s main entrance. Check out more of the artwork in the area on the Wynwood Walls Virtual Gallery Tour featuring murals by internationally renowned artists like Futura, Os Gemeos, Swoon, and Miss Van. Austin, Texas Spotting murals between chowing down at taco stands is a quintessential Austin experience. Order some tacos from a Mexican taqueria and browse through the city's greatest murals including the iconic mural of world-famous Texan Willie Nelson created by local muralist Wiley Ross who later added a portrait of Janis Joplin alongside Nelson. No Austin street art tour would be complete without the uber-popular “I love you so much” mural by local visual artists Amy Cook and the landmark 'Greetings from Austin' postcard mural by Todd Sanders.©Christian Mueller/Shutterstoc New York, New York New York City is home to public art displays created by some of the most famous graffiti artists on the planet. Eduardo Kobra brought his “Colors of Liberty” project to NYC with a series of gigantic murals of iconic cultural figures in vibrant hues including a Frida Khalo painting and Fight for Street Art featuring Michael Halsband’s image of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, both in Brooklyn. Banksy slyly left a painting, ‘Hammer Boy’, on the Upper West Side. The boy is meant to represent the mischievousness of children. Keith Haring left a mark in Harlem with the anti-drug ‘Crack is Wack’ mural to warn against crack cocaine use which was rampant in the 80s when he made the painting. Puerto Rico Los Muros Hablan, meaning the walls speak, is an artist-led project to rescue the abandoned spaces of the city using art. The multicultural urban art initiative includes work from local and international artists. Look for colorful works of people and creatures from Spanish artist Aryz, Chinese artist DALeast, Mexican artist Sego, and more. ©LordRunar/Getty Images Berlin, Germany The East Side Gallery is the longest remaining piece of the Berlin Wall and has been covered in street art. You can scope out the legendary street art that spans across nearly a mile from your living room courtesy of Google. Don’t miss Russian artist Dmitri Vrubel’s ‘My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love’ depicting a kiss between Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German President Erich Honecker. Other powerful motifs include Birgit Kinder’s painting of a car breaking through the Berlin Wall. Folkestone, United Kingdom Folkestone Artworks is the largest outdoor exhibition of contemporary art in the United Kingdom. UK’s largest urban outdoor exhibition of contemporary art comprises of 74 art installations across the town including several street art murals such as Michael Craig Martin’s 'Folkestone Lightbulb' which captures the essence of energy and inspiration created by the outdoor gallery. Valparaíso, Chile The bohemian Chilean city is a cultural center for art with an epic mural art scene. Virtually follow the Street Art Route to skip the lines and view some of the most beloved street art in town. Galvez Alley is a narrow alley decked out in an explosion of color with many murals. Valpo’s Granma by Ella & Pitr is one of Valparaíso’s most famous paintings which depicts a grandmother watching over the city.Scott Beale / Laughing SquidNashville, Tennessee Nashville is known as an arts and culture hub of the United States, and the street art is no different. Art by famous local and international artists can be found on the sides of buildings all across the city. Take a Google Earth tour of the best Nashville has to offer. Next time you find yourself in Nashville, take a photo in front of the famous angel wings, painted by Kelsey Montague, in the Gulch, or the "I Believe in Nashville" murals that can be found all around the city.

Travel makes the world a better place. When humans are exposed to other cultures and ways of living, we open up and grow as individuals. With the freedom of travel currently on pause because of the COVID crisis, there are other ways to connect with the global community and make the world a better place. While staying isolated (or at least 6 feet away) can help us all locally, there are more ways that we can help globally, other than by donating money to a charity. With the current travel bans in place, here are a few ways global travellers, wanderers and sun-seekers can connect and give back on an international scale, all from the comfort of your own home. 1. Find an International Pen Pal Remember grade school days when you wrote to a pen pal in another country? How fun it was to check the mail waiting to receive a letter back from a friend you had never met before. This is the perfect time to reach out and connect with someone globally, someone who may be going through a tough time being isolated and needs a pal. Fast-forward to modern day, there are so many ways to find a new friend around the world with sites like PenPal World and International Pen Friends. There is even a student letter exchange for younger writers called, Students of the World. With all of these websites, you can decide if you prefer contact through email, video calls or snail mail, but I have to say there is something whimsical about getting a physical letter in the mail these days. 2. Write an Online Business Review With time on our side, make a list of your favorite businesses that you’ve supported while traveling and give them a positive online review. These can be any kind of small businesses like souvenir shops and restaurants, to tour guides and concierge services. Enjoyed that Eiffel Tower tour guide in Paris or that delicious pasta making class in Tuscany? Write a review! Take some time to write about these businesses on Yelp or Google or on tour operators sites such as, GetYourGuide or The Tour Guy. Businesses that are fueled by tourism will be among the businesses that are hit the hardest by the current travel restrictions. Your review will create positivity during an unclear time and support their business when travel restrictions are lifted. 3. Donate Your Time If you have a valuable skill set that others can benefit from, why not donate your time to projects around the world that could use your help? Consider donating your time to support a global charity (via Skype or email) if you have the ability to do so. For example, if you’re an architect, consider drawing up plans for a far-off project or as a writer, consider drafting a newsletter about the charity of your choice to get more exposure. Whatever your skill set is, you get the idea! Don’t know where to start? There are many ways to find an international charity to assist, or maybe you already have a non-profit in mind and can contact them directly. However, there are also sites like, The Taproot Foundation that helps to connect nonprofits with skilled volunteers that would like to share their expertise pro bono. You could contribute invaluable knowledge to a charitable project in a developing country without even leaving your home. 4. Shop & Share Global Artisans Artisans around the world are another group of people that will be hit hard by the current travel restrictions. These are the people that make most of their living by selling their work to tourists, like beautiful baskets or handmade jewelry. Some of these small businesses also sell their goods online, where people around the world can either shop to support them or simply share their website with others that may be able to support them. If you can’t afford to shop at this time, you can simply share their website on any social media platform or by email to give them exposure to a new set of potential supporters. 5. Donate Supplies Product donations are a great way to support those in need around the world. Whether you have extra supplies hanging around, you are crafty and can make certain supplies or if you simply want to purchase items to donate. Any and all donations are welcome to charities in need. In the current state of affairs, many people are sewing facemasks to donate around the world. But nonprofits accept other types of supplies too – from pharmaceuticals and basic hygiene products to clothing and education supplies. World Vision is an example of an organization that helps facilitate product donations around the world. This is a simple way to support others without breaking the bank.