Google lets homebound visit isle sites

If you’re stuck inside on a rainy day, take the kids on a virtual tour of the Honolulu Zoo or wander the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace with newly expanded coverage of Google Street View.

You can now get a panoramic preview of numerous attractions without leaving the house on six of Hawaii’s islands, including Waikiki Beach, Waimea Bay, the USS Arizona Memorial Museum, Kualoa Ranch and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

More than 200 popular Hawaii visitor attractions, as well as resorts and golf courses, are available.

To get a street-level view of Honolulu Zoo, visit http://g.co/maps/za7xr. You see a little bit of the entrance and the duck pond in front, plus a few peacocks strolling the grounds. Then start your tour, virtually walking past the former home of the elephants being cleaned up by zoo employees (Google filmed the zoo before the current exhibit opened), to the gibbons swinging on trees on their islands, and all the way back into the Savannah to see the wild dogs, wart hogs and giraffes.

The link to ‘Iolani Palace — http://goo.gl/maps/nr31 — shows the front steps leading up to the palace as well as the gazebo and surrounding grounds.

See the entrance to Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawaii at http://goo.gl/maps/KB6Z, drive through the lava fields on Hawaii island (http://goo.gl/3Hrnu), tour movie sets at Kualoa Ranch (http://goo.gl/qCaAa) or dream about sitting on the beach at Waimea Bay (http://goo.gl/y91HO) without leaving your desk.

Google partnered with the city and local attractions to collect the imagery via its Street View trike, which is a three-wheeled pedicab topped with cameras.

Google plans to continue to expand the number of attractions on Google Street View, according to spokeswoman Laura Gardner Smith, but the Mountain View, Calif.-based company would not give specifics of what’s next or when. — Nina Wu

Get universe updates at Kroc Center

Most kids are fascinated by the possibilities associated with space exploration.

Learn more about the latest research into the universe at the Kroc Center’s monthly multimedia presentations, featuring the most recent images, videos and findings, 1 to 2 p.m. July 29 and Aug. 26.

The interactive presentations, offered by the Solar System Ambassadors Program, also provide time for Q&A.

Cost is $14, $10 youth and free to Kroc Center members. Call 682-5505. — Star-Advertiser staff