10 Great Geek Getaways For Summer
(Image: Milan Stojanovic/iStockphoto)
With the long, cold winter finally behind us, it's time to turn our attention to long weekends and more adventurous, far-flung summer vacations.
For the geek traveler inside us, though, relaxing by the ocean or a pool might seem less thrilling than a tour of CERN or NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Aside from site-specific locations that we find particular alluring for their high level of nerd appeal, we've also highlighted some cities that, although well-known and popular destinations in their own right, also play host to a variety of museums and other attractions that we think you'll find particularly appealing.
Did you know that Chicago is home to the International Museum of Surgical Sciences? Did you know that you could strap yourself to a glass wall on the 96th floor of the city's John Hancock Center and have yourself tilted 30 degrees out over the street 1,000 feet below? You do now.
[Read about hot summer tech.]
While we can't guarantee that every entry on this list is going to spark your particular geek fancy, you might know someone else who's looking for a vacation destination that lines up nicely with the locations we've provided here.
As always, we encourage you to leave us your comments and let us know what your favorite geek destinations are -- and the ones we missed.
Here's to a summer that has fun, sun, and maybe even a guided tour of the Jet Propulsion Laboratories. You're gonna wanna go ahead and book that one now, though -- you're not the only geek planning a nerd-tastic vacation this summer.
Take The CERN Tour
The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, located north of Geneva, operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. It offers guided tours of the facility, and of the Globe of Science and Innovation, a landmark exhibition space and locale for meetings and interactions between CERN and the general public.
Hang Out In The Windy City
Chicago's got a long list of attractions aimed at geeks, such as Adler Planetarium, the International Museum of Surgical Science, and the Chicago Architecture Foundation. Thrill seekers should head to the 96th floor of the Hancock Center to hang 30 degrees out over the city streets -- strapped in safely behind tilting glass walls, of course.
Meet The Real Rocket Men At JPL
Located on the outskirts of Los Angeles, the JPL is responsible for the construction and operation of planetary robotic spacecraft. It's also responsible for operating NASA's Deep Space Network. The lab offers tours free of charge on an advance reservation basis. Guests may also visit the Space Flight Operations Facility and the Spacecraft Assembly Facility.
Get Your Cosplay On At Comic-Con
You'll have to move fast for this one, but the annual Comic-Con convection, held every year in San Diego (July 9-12) is like Mecca for nerds of all stripes. Geekdom’s favorite artists, writers, and illustrators meet more fans dressed up in costumes (with admittedly varying success) than you can imagine.
Feel the Universe Flow Through You At The Integratron
Designed by ufologist and "contactee" George Van Tassel, the all-wooden Integratron was built in the late 1950s near Joshua Tree in California, supposedly following instructions provided by visitors from Venus. Three sisters who bought the building after Van Tassel’s death give tours and offer "sound baths," which they describe as meditation-like sessions accompanied by tones from quartz bowls.
Watch Your Head In Hobbiton
This one's a long-haul flight away, but many a JRR Tolkien fan has made the journey to Middle Earth -- or the next closest approximation, New Zealand, where Peter Jackson built these sets to film his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. Among the attractions spread over 10 acres of rolling green hills are hobbit holes, a restaurant, a gift shop, and the Green Dragon Inn.
Living Long And Prospering In Vulcan, Alberta
As you may have guessed, this out-of-the-way town of under 2,000 on Highway 23 in Alberta, Canada, is a strange collection of Star Trekartifacts: a large replica of the starship Enterprise, a visitor center and museum designed with in a funky, all-white space-age architecture style, and sculptures of your favorite characters scattered around town.
The Nation's Capital As A Museum of Nerd Life
The classic architecture, the seat of US power … blah, blah, blah. Where can I see my shoe-phone? In addition to the International Spy Museum, with its displays of secret agent arsenals, Washington boasts two air and space museums and the Wheaton Metro Station, featuring the longest set of single-span escalators in the Western Hemisphere, each 230 feet long.
Kennedy Space Center Ready For Launch
Conveniently located closer to more general beachy tourist destinations, the space center offers guided tours of landmarks like the countdown clock, active launch pads at Cape Canaveral, a massive 363-foot-long Saturn V rocket at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, and Firing Room 4 -- one of the Launch Control Center's four firing rooms, and the one from which all 21 shuttle launches since 2006 were controlled.
Berlin Is Best For Brainiacs And Beer Lovers
Germany's capital boasts hundreds of museums -- and almost more history than one city can handle. There's evidence of destruction caused by the Second World War and remnants of the Cold War apparent all over. History nerds can reflect on the last century. Tech geeks can spend hours at the German Technical Museum or the exhaustive Museum of Things. Both can ogle the bizarre mix of modern architectural styles.