Google StreetView becomes RiverView in latest addition

As much as this writer likes the outdoors, he’ll probably never head down the Colorado River in America, nor will he likely go to Antarctica. Good news, though, that both are on Google Maps for those of us who’ll never get to do either.

Added to the “awesome things Google does” pile of the internet, Google has taken a boat down one of America’s largest rivers, photographing the entire experience and adding it to Google StreetView, effectively turning it into Google RiverView, so to speak.

For those who don’t know, the Colorado River spans 2,333 kilometres, and features one of the most picturesque landscapes one can find on that continent, weaving its way down through the rock formations that make up Middle America.

Google provides plenty of start points, too, so you don’t have to start at the beginning, with plenty of places to see the Colorado River from.

Now all we need is a headset, a fan in front of us, and someone spraying us with water while we keep our finger on the up arrow to help make this simulation even more realistic.

Outside of the immersion, though, it’s another way the world can continue to remember fantastic parts of the earth, especially if they end up disappearing one day.  It joins other Google StreetView “Treks” such as the Taj Mahal, Venice, the Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon, and Australia’s own Great Barrier Reef.

At a different part of the world, you’ll find Antarctica on Google StreetView too, added three years ago and with plenty of penguins. Be thankful it doesn’t leave your keyboard as cold as the temperature in that part of the world, or even as hot and toasty as a trip down the Colorado River could be.