Is winter over yet? It’s been months of shorter days and gloomy weather here in Canada and as much as our bodies and minds may feel it’s time to move on; old man winter hasn’t finished his stay. Even when the sun does poke out from behind the clouds, it’s quickly followed by freezing rain or snow, once again.

For many Canadians this is a time of year when we suffer from a general malaise, a dose of cabin fever. Our hearts and minds yearn for cheerful skies, to reconnect with nature, to hear the crunch of sand underfoot, to soar with a sense of adventure, to just see examples of life blooming all around. It’s time for a vacation getaway, an escape, but with the economy matching the weather’s gloom, everyone is staying put. Canada AM is presenting a week-long series on battling the “February Blues” and they asked me if I had any ideas to help. Here then, are five getaway hotspots that offer a quick virtual vacation you can take at any time from the comfort of your home computer.

Forests Forever

http://www.forests-forever.com/

A photographic tour of the oldest, rarest, and most magical forests on the planet, Forests Forever will connect you with living dream worlds in Japan, New Zealand, Cameroon, Madagascar, and Ecuador amongst others. Immerse yourself within the high resolution photography of destinations with names like “The Forest of Everlasting Admiration”, “The Green Cosmos of Teeming Life”, and “The Fabled Forest Living A Fairytale”. Each adventure includes a moving slideshow and an interactive information pack that includes an article, animated maps and visuals to help you understand the visions before you.

Special Defects: A Walk Along The Beach

http://www.specialdefects.com/v2/

It’s a simple, yet powerful act for relieving stress. A walk along the beach. Move your mouse cursor to walk and listen to the crunch of the sand underfoot. The father you move the cursor, the faster you will run. Let your footsteps guide you, change your direction and watch the imprints of your feet fall away behind. Created by Antonio Costa as part of his own digital playground.

If you click on the white dot in the centre you, you can access more of his interactive including an approaching storm, nighttime fireworks, a beating heart, and more.

Extreme Fullscreen QTVR

http://www.fullscreenqtvr.com/

Imagine a version of Google’s Streetview dedicated to exotic locales and you’ll have an idea what it’s like to take one of several desktop adventures assembled by Extreme Fullscreen QTVR. Choose a region from their index and experience an immersive view, one that will fill your screen with high resolution detail and allow you to look around using your mouse, as if you are actually there. Travel through the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, along the French Riviera, the Mayan Pyramids of Tikal, the Bellinzona castles of Switzerland, and the Yangtze river in China amongst many others. Each tour includes multiple views to explore and in addition to picturesque scenery, there’s also tours of famous buildings, museums, landmarks, and special events.

Papervision 3D’s Ocean Dive

http://www.papervision3d.org/

This little online dive spot was created to showcase Papervision’s 3D technology for the web. It’s an animated scene with a 360 degree view. Use your mouse to look around and take in the 70 different fish swimming about. Tap your spacebar to follow a specific fish and then click on a different fish to follow it instead. Tap your Shift key to see the scene from above, and if the “big fish” comes too close, just click on it to make it move away.

Electric Oyster’s Arctic Flight

http://www.electricoyster.com/electric3d/index.html

Winter doesn’t feel gloomy when you’re soaring across it like Superman. Use your mouse to guide your flight as you glide over glacier mountains and through arctic valleys. The skies are clear and the sun is vibrant. If you look closely, you can even see the occasional lake. Move your mouse all the way to the sides of your screen to quickly bank and turn.