As I noted back in 2018, America’s historic Route 66 has been a popular theme for Second Life region designs over the years. In fact I made the observation about Motorheadz Café / Route66, designed by ROCKET (Rocket Biedermann) – see Another trip on Route 66 in Second Life.
Another popular Route 66 destination from around that time was Mother Road by Paul Cutter (Xtreme Paule) – see Get Your Pics on Route 66 In Second Life – and which today has grown to three regions in size (marking itself for a potential re-visit on my part).
I mention both of these settings, as I was immediately reminded of them on arriving at Cherishville – Summer, the 2025 summer iteration of Lam Erin’s Cherishville setting, which offers another take on the Route – and with its own twist.
The road runs east-to-west across a desert-like setting, complete with sandy hills forming a surround on three sides, and mesas breaking up the landscape. Some of the latter are places to give the impression the road winds through them as it leaves the region at either end.
Bordering the ribbon of tarmac is an assortment of locations that tend to typically inhabit these roadside scenes: petrol (gas) stations, diners, a motel, and so on. A second road exits the main thoroughfare at 90-degrres, providing access to a run-down drive-in theatre, passing a rag-tag circus-come-carnival along the way. How safe the latter is to visit is hard to say: two large African elephants and a tiger seem to have the run of the place.
A smaller sign at the junction of the two road hints at the setting’s little secret. Whilst the main road and its surroundings suggest somewhere deep in the desert, tucked behind the mesa running along the south-west edge of the landscape sits a coastal scene which – for me – totally transforms the design.
In contrast to the drabness of the main road and its tired, grimly gas stations and diners, this coastal scene is gaily vibrant in its colours. An open market is filled with fresh fruits; a street café and coffee house offers refreshments, cakes and pastries; pizzas can be enjoyed at the local pizzeria; brightly painted mobile vendors…
The beach might be slightly grassy in places, but there is enough clear sand to be enjoyed underfoot, the waters appear inviting enough for swimmers and surfers, while the entire scene has a sense of bean popular place to visit for those in the know.
I admit that I found the default EEP settings for the region to be a little murky – although they are well in keeping with the general sense of tiredness the main road and its surroundings exude. So for the pictures included here, I opted to make a few adjustment with cloud cover, brightness and ambient lighting.
There are a few oddities within the setting which, while small, are the kind that once seen, cannot be unseen – such as the stack of wooden chairs embedded in the chest of one of the elephants. However, whilst these do draw the eyes when seen up close, they do not interfere with the overall theme and look of the region as a whole.
I noted last time around that recent iterations of Cherishville have followed more-or-less the same broad design of a small town environment, viewing them through seasonal changes. This iteration therefore offers a significant change from the last few iterations, one that largely works and offers plenty to see and explore.
SLurl Details
- Cherishville – Summer (Tuscan Hills, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 