Category: Exploring Second Life

It was sort-of back on the road in Mainland for me after catching a Tweet from Hico Spicy concerning her Hi-Café, tucked away on the northern arc of Heterocera’s Route 3. This is an utterly charming little corner of SL, lovingly packed into less that 1,500 sq metres to present a restful environment rich in colour and with a sense of fun, ideal for relaxing within and take photos.

With the rainy season at hi-cafe over, the season has shifted from hydrangeas to sunflowers! I hope you can enjoy the full-on summer atmosphere

– From Hico’s Tweet

Set a little back from the main road, the café / bakery offers its own bus stop, with two entrances to its garden space, the smaller passing by way of a newspaper and magazine stand to the one side of the building, and a larger one complete with a greeting to the regions the café is both with and faces, whilst leading to the other side.

Being effectively double-front in design, the building – which is of Hico’s own design and available in her Marketplace store – naturally lends itself to something of a mirrored setting, with brick-edged paths bordering it to either side which are in turn bordering by long, rectangular ponds.

The footpaths contrast nicely with the paving of the courtyard within which the café sits, whilst the trees lined up between each path and pond provide welcome shade.

The setting is surrounded by brick walls, giving it a nice sense of calm and separation from its surrounding without feeling overly enclosed. Even the tall viaduct-like bridge marking the back of the setting fits well with the scene, both blending with the trees and providing an arched space before which an aged tree grows, bench seating and a busker’s music stand under its spreading branches.

Given the paved nature of the courtyard, the majority of the trees have been trained up through tree grates which are also home to many of the sunflowers that give bright bursts of colour to the place, and which can be found in brick-built planters and the brick-retained front garden space.

Further depth is given to the setting through the use of signs and advertising boards, splashes of graffiti on the surrounding walls and the richness of the décor in and around the café. I couldn’t help but smile at a lot of the signage, such as the chalkboard noting that Our coffee is an experience that chalk is unable to convey.

Cats appear to be the overlords here as well; they keep an eye on things from various vantage points, and one appears to be prepared to help out in cleaning up dropped ice cream cones – although admittedly, the cherry which presumably once topped the ice cream is the centre of his attention.

A cosy, memorable place to visit – limited rezzing for photographic is available via joining the local group, but please do clean-up when done!

Slurl Details

• Hi-Café (Sprawler, rated Moderate)

The Last – and until recently, the only – time I visited Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat was in late 2024, when the region was in the depths of winter. Unsurprisingly, with the changing of the seasons comes a brighter, warmer feel to the setting and what – if memory serves correctly – are a number of small changes  to the design. All of which gives plenty of reason for a return visit.

Welcome to the enchanting Loch Tredach Inn and Retreat – a place where romance and magic come together to create unforgettable memories.

Loch Tredach Inn and Retreat About Land description

The setting is a Full private region leveraging the Land Capacity bonus, and the majority of the landscaping and décor is by region holder Isabelle Larkspur.

I say largely, because the entire north-eastern extent of the region is given over to a private residence and its gardens and surrounds. These have been landscaped in keeping with the rest of the region by the property holder allowing them to merge seamlessly with it but are most definitely not open to public rambling. This property extends down a portion of the the east side of the region to butt up against the Landing Point.

Signs notify visitors that the land around the large house is private and a 30-second delay security system will also give fair warning before the hammer drops (to use an auctioneering term); but do take care when first arriving so as not to wander north from the Landing Point. Even with a long delay on actions being taken, encountering a warning from a security system so soon after arriving within a setting can be off-putting to the point of leaving anyway, which would be a shame because Loch Tredach has a lot that’s worth seeing.

Outside of this residence, the rest of the region is free to explore, and so long as you heed the signs the private residence doesn’t really interfere with ramblings and spending time relaxing along the way.

As noted, not a lot had physically changed since my December 2024 visit, but the colour Isabelle has brought forth for summer totally change the appearance of the setting from one of winter’s charm, excuses for skating and the excitement around Christmas and the New Year, to one very much of beauty, tranquillity and romance.

In my wanderings, I noted several elements I recalled from that first visit, if not their exact position in relation to one another. This made their rediscovery feel somewhat like bumping into old acquaintances. The Aviary, the ruined folly offering a bibliophile’s hideaway, the pavilions, the arching little wooden bridges – all served to pop-up in greeting as I explored.

With the arrival of summer, deer have come to enjoy the grazing of the grasslands and the shelter of the woodlands; geese patrol the shores of the inland lake, and foxes and rabbits roam and play whilst seagulls have come inland to circle overhead.

The Landing Point sits to the east of the region as noted, being located on the south-eastern headland. It presents my kind of coffee house (“Bad Day? Coffee. Good Day? Coffee. Lots of Work to Do? Coffee”). It offers indoor and outdoor seating, with more to be found in a garden shed converted into a little summer house close by (beyond which the private land commences). A large lighthouse sits out the southern bluff of the headland, with a little camp site between it and the coffee house.

Exploring the region from here is achieved by following the path down to a covered bridge passing over the narrow channel marking the exit point from the region’s large central lake – on the shore of which the Landing Point sat at the time of my original visit.

To the west the region retains its air of misty age and wintry mystery within the open-air event space occupying the north-west with its sense of age and history with the columns and ruins. The latter include the TLC Chapels Ruins, complete with wisps and phantoms of mist wrapping themselves around it. The Chapel is a personal favourite of mine I frequently use in my own builds, and here it offers a kind of “private” dance space set to one side of the main dance floor, although I cannot help but feel it really deserves some added décor; it was simply created to be decorated.

Alongside of this, but separated from it by a curtain wall of rock, is the mystical-feeling “winter’s gorge”.  Here is a place of great crystalline walls backed against the high blocks of rock. The waters here are eternally frozen and snow surrounds them at the feet of the tall crystals. It’s a place watched over by the Spirit Maiden and where exotic flowers grow and a stone stairway climbs a gentle turn into the clouds to reach a floating island of rock, a romantic retreat in itself. It would perhaps be nice to see this location have its own EEP setting (shape allowing), but in lieu of this I do suggest flipping your time of day over to Midnight whilst within it to full capture its beauty.

Elsewhere, there’s the gentle looping walk that carries visitors to the reading nook folly as it and converted shed before returning to the large red house which sits to the south of the region on the main paths coming down from the Landing Point, and which appears to be open to the public. There’s also the path up another gorge to a little snug overlooking the feet of the waterfalls which created the gorge and fee its fast-flowing stream.

And all of this barely touches on the level of detail awaiting discovery. These include multiple places to sit, some obvious, others tucked away and perhaps easily missed. Itan dancing columns are also to be found throughout the region giving people the freedom to dance almost anywhere (including up on the floating island!), and more.

Whilst the public expanse of the region has its own Shared Environment which gives it a further air of romantic mystery, it also lends itself to other EEP settings for those wishing to experiment with their photography (I’ve used one personal EEP for the photos here). All of which reaffirms Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat an ideal visit and photogenic visit.

SLurl Details

• Loch Tredach Inn & Retreat (Tredach, rated Moderate)

Albane Claray is the genius behind the  Village de Roqueblanche, which I visited back in 2022 and Les Secrets d’Albane, now sadly gone from SL, but which captured my eye back in 2025 with its tiny size and huge beauty . She is also responsible for a host of regions designs, public and private, across Second Life she has brought to life on behalf of their owners. 

Albane is also the creator of Garden of Silversides, a public retreat of just over 7,00 square metres sponsored by estate holders Blackwater property Rental. It’s a setting proving (again) what can be achieved with a small about of land space and land capacity, and how a location with a substantial change in elevation within its relatively small size can be used to create something very special.

A place where souls wander and where the softness of the night invites you to stroll along the paths.

– Garden of Silversides About Land description

Located in a fold of land marking the start of the north-west headland of Nautilus, Garden of Silversides presents a heaven of tranquillity wrapping themes of fantasy, exotic plants, tumbling falls and quiet, still waters. Within it is not only an atmosphere of peace and harmony, but also of eternal mystery befitting of the elves of Tolkien, particularly when seen under the Shared Environment EEP settings.

The uppermost elevation of the setting is where the Landing Point resides, just outside of the main building. The latter takes the form of an elven cottage that would not be out of place within Imladris. It is a design by Compulsion Overdrive I’ve always admired and oft wondered about using. Here, Albane has taken its natural beauty and turned it into something truly extraordinary and captivating inside through the use of art, water, plants and décor, presenting a place where the imagination can become immersed in weaving tales and legends, the giant books to be found within and just outside perhaps spurring those tales on.

Paths run around the outside of the cottage to offer routes of exploration for the inquisitive. They wander through the garden and up and over the curtain cliffs dividing the setting from the local road as it passes the northern edge of the parcel.

These paths are worth exploring as they weave overground and underground to eventually reveal more of the setting’s secrets – which are waiting to be discovered amidst the natural and exotic flora. The latter feature elements by Elicio Ember, whose name helps further the elven-fantasy spirit inhabiting the Garden, whilst the plants themselves add to its exotic beauty and sense of mystery.

One of these paths has a spur leading down to the mid-level of the Garden. Here further water features await discovery with a wild flowered glade between them sitting in the shade of a dogwood tree standing like a great horned beast looking out to sea. From the glade, the way down continues by way of steps cut into the rock, presenting a way down to a waterfront lawn and a summer house matching the elven design of the cottage.

This is a place of romance as well as retreat, the large mushroom-canopied bed in the summer house giving both illumination and an invitation to spend time here. A small beach sits alongside the grounds, allowing those who do tarry to listen to the soft splash and hiss of water sweeping back and forth over the sand, thoughts perhaps turning to voyages away from the coast and out to whatever might be found beyond the horizon.

Words  – written or spoken – really don’t do Garden of Silversides justice; the detail throughout, from the cottage and its furnishings through the gardens to the waterfalls and flowers and plants to the summer house and the secret places, are all rich and engaging.

Floating star-like spirit lights drift around the Garden adding to the atmosphere, as does the use of reflected lighting patterns. The latter suggest the play of moonlight dappling waters as seen from below; they drift and turn over grass, flowers and water alike, further enhancing the Garden’s ethereal nature (and are a reason the setting really should be viewed under its assigned EEP settings).

In all, a thoroughly engaging location, one definitely worth the time spent within its glades and under its eaves and its canopies of leaves.

SLurl Details

• Garden of Silversides (Silversides, rated Moderate)

Update, July 7th: Having had the chance to talk to 3chai4 concerning the greeter issue, she has indicated she will make adjustment at the first opportunity she has, but it is liable to take few days from the date of publication of this article.

Escape to Kaleidoscape, a peaceful medieval countryside filled with flower fields, working farms, hidden gardens, rustic taverns, and scenic walking trails. Whether you’re looking for photography, quiet exploration, or simply a place to relax, every corner offers a new story waiting to be discovered.

– Kaleidoscape Destination Guide description

Occupying a Full private region leveraging the additional Land Capacity bonus available to such regions, Kaleidoscape is the work of region holder 3chi4 (3chi4 Ethereal) with the help of Lisapia. And it is, in a word stunning.

Presented – as the Destination Guide entry notes – a medieval countryside, the setting has some interesting modern quirks within it which, as anachronistic as they might be when it comes to medieval times, collectively sit within the setting in a manner that gives it a unique twist without actually intruding into it to the point of distraction.

The most obvious of these is the live event stage tucked away in the south-east corner of the region. However, there are others – such as the mail boxes sitting outside of some of the houses, or the house numbers fixed to the walls of others and the occasional glimpse of overhead power lines together with electrical lighting indoors and out.

The Landing Point for the setting sits within a skybox. This is somewhat detached from the setting in theme given it is an alleyway from a modern Japanese city. From here, visitor click on the whirlpool on the ground to proceed on to the setting itself.

An annoyance here is a greeter script has been set-up at both ends of the teleport from Landing Point to ground. This repeatedly spams a greeting and a landmark to the region very other second – and does so every time the ground-level arrival point is passed. Given the arrival point has an information board with worthwhile reading and a horse rezzer for those wishing to ride around the region, this can get irritating.

Outside of this, however, the region design is genuinely breath-taking – and while there is a recommendation to use the local EEP settings, I would personally suggest switching to something brighter, as the region settings – in my opinion at least – cast things in far too much shadow, hiding a lot of the beauty of the region. To this end, I took the liberty of using one of my personal EEP daytime settings for the photographs seen in this article.

One of the useful items on the information board mentioned above is a map of the entire setting, outlining the main points of interest. This is also interactive: click on the name of a location on the map and you’ll be teleported to it. This is handy for those wishing to get to the events area or back to a specific place when resuming a visit. However, for first-time visitors I strongly recommend exploring on foot – or at least via one of the horses available from the rezzing stall alongside the information board.

The local village is probably the most obvious place to start such explorations. It certainly presents a lot of detail as it steps its way up a shoulder of land bounded on two sides by water on two sides by the cliffs of the region’s uplands to the south and west. It has an eclectic mix of buildings, most of which have an almost Tudor look to them; whilst one had a French lean and another – the water mill – carries a hint of hobbits about it.

Of the two bodies of water bounding the village, one might have once been an enclosed lake; however, two channels now connect it to the waters which separate the region from its mountainous surrounds. The second body of water, meanwhile, takes the form of a channel running inland from the west, cutting a gorge through the highlands before it narrows almost to the width of a stream to finds its way into the would-be lake, therefore placing the village on a rugged island.

The village – indeed, the setting as a whole – is populated by static NPCs, all of whom are most definitely in medieval garb. Ehile I think such characters can add personality to a location, they aren’t to everyone’s taste. This being the case, these NPCs have a special power: touch any of them and they will vanish to “go on a wander” around the setting, reappearing in due course. It’s a nice touch for those wishing to take photos but don’t wish to have NPCs in their frame & who don’t want to derender them.

The north side of the setting is beautifully pastoral in design, with sloping fields (two of them forming a marvellous sea of blue blooms with the occasional red and black flickering of butterfly wings) shared by two farms, one to the north-west of the landscape and stepping its way up into the hills there, and the other on lower-lying lands to the east.

Sheep, horses and cattle are to be found in the meadows to the east, the lake-like waters within easy reach for them when needing a drink, whilst a fence running between meadows and flower fields prevents them wandering too far.

Throughout all of this are multiple routes of exploration. Cart tracks connect the farms and their windmills with the village, bridges span the water channels and trails wind up into the hills.

The latter are home to the setting’s wildlife, and it’s worth keeping an eye out for the deer, foxes, stoats and so on which all help to bring more life to Kaleidoscape, as do the birds and ambient sounds throughout.

The degree of detail throughout is impressive: the houses of the village are all furnished, as are the farms houses and cabins to be found, cats keep an eye on things and there are multiple and various places for visitors to sit and pass the time.

I could write a while lot more here but really, Kaleidoscape deserves to be seen first-hand, so I recommend you go see for yourselves!

Slurl details

• Kaleidoscape (rated Moderate)

In November 2021, I visited DayDream Believer, a region design by Janna Daydream (Janna Blackwood), and found it to be an setting ready for winter and elegantly eye-catching (see here for more). Since then, the setting has relocated to a new homestead region, and at the time of my latest visit offered more of a summer setting with the focus very much on daydreams and the freedom of the mind has for wandering as we sit within that state mid-way between sleep and being fully awake.

Welcome to Daydream Believer
the place between sleeping and waking up
the place that let you keep dreaming

– DayDream Believer About Land description

The new design is a collaboration between Jenna and Trisha Devotion (Trisha Blinker), and takes the form of a group of five roughly-cut islands sitting within a ring of tall mountains under a sky lit by a westering Sun. The largest of these islands runs along the north side of the region and feature’s Janna’s pose store located at it’s eastern end. A water garden helps soften the bulk of the store building and blend it into the rest of the setting.

The Landing Point sits a little further along this northern island from the store and close to a tongue of water that licks its way inland. hills to either side of the Landing Point encourage visitors to set out southwards to where an arched wall tries to span the narrow passage between the hills, a clock neatly nestled into the arch over the gap to inform people of the time as they pass beneath it. However, a turn to the north before setting out along the path will reveal a ribbon of beach running westward, palm trees given it a slightly tropical feel.

Thus, visitors have a number of routes of exploration – the store; the beach; the path through the clock arch or up over the hills. All have their own merits and offer things to see. Going south provides access to two of the remaining islands, for example. Both are much small than the main island and lie to the east and south of the region, daisy-chained to one another and the main island by bridges spanning the narrow channels of water separating them.

The first of these two smaller islands offers a quiet retreat focused around a gazebo-like pavilion sitting on the shoreline, bursts of colour provided by flowers breaking up the grass. A fountain and water feature on which to rest together with additional places to sit and pass the time, a wishing well and pair of white doves adding a sense of romantic. It’s an island which encourages sitting and relaxing, a dance system (one of several scattered across the islands) allowing couples to express themselves.

The second island in the chain is hilly in nature. No human-made structures here; instead one of the setting’s caves awaits visitors. Perhaps a little bare as one walks through it, it nevertheless offers a sanctuary-like retreat in its depths, the entrance watched over by unicorns. For those who prefer to remain outdoors, the top of the hill into which the cave bores offers more seating and dancing.

Two more caves are to be found back on the large island, one seated atop the ridge of hills running west with the beach on one side and the waters splitting the region on the other. The other sits below it and forms more of a rock chamber carved into the hillside more than an actual cave. With comfortable chairs within it, it looks southwards towards the second largest of this group of islands.

This is, for me, the most attractive of the islands. Sculpted into rounded hills climbing to the west, its focal point is a windmill with sails turning slowly and the land before it divided into a large working field shared by cereal and cows.  An open field of flowers splashes colour beyond the windmill, pointing the way to where a stone causeway bridges the waters separating this island from the smallest in the group.

The latter is a small crescent topped by a large and comfortably furnished deck and gazebo forming another retreat. The fact that this sits with its back  towards the rest of the setting and is partially hidden by the flank of the neighbour island’s hills gives it a nice sense of privacy and detachment.

As the hills march away from the windmill and turn north, they broaden into a flat-topped plateau, home to a water garden with its own cosy feature in what might have once been a cavern, but which now lacks a roof and so stares up at the sky. Adjoining this is a meadow with more places to sit and a bridge reaching out to the western headland of the main island.

Overlooking the beach mentioned earlier, this headland is dominated by the ruins of a huge cylindrical temple with a distinctive Grecian style to it. Missing most of its domed roof and section of its walls, and with some of the columns which once supported the roof looking the worse for wear, it is nevertheless an attractive retreat, complete with furnishings.

I would point out that the region is rated Adult and some of the seating does have adult-themed couples poses; there is therefore a risk of some visiting getting up to naughties. However, to avoid the region because of this would be a mistake; it offers a lot that is photogenic. Rezzing rights can be obtained by joining the local group, so I assume that the use of props for photos is allowed but – as ever – do please clean up behind you!

A charming region, easy to visit and explore, whether on foot or via a horse from the available rezzer or, if you feel like it, on the water via the Nessie boats (auto-rezzing what the current one is in use). Enjoy!

SLurl Details

• DayDream Believer (Lucky Star Ranch, rated Adult)

I’ve always enjoyed Sorcha Tyles’ region and parcel builds over the years, so back in June I was happy to drop into her latest (at the time of writing) endeavour: The Boathouse Café as I resumed my occasional visits to various cafes and coffee houses in Second Life.

Occupying a waterfront parcel (hence the name) just over 3,000 square metres in size, The Boathouse is presented by Sorcha under her Dutch Pavilion banner and offers a setting which, unsurprisingly and very cosily has much in common with other designs under that banner and which I’ve covered in these pages (notably Wild Silence, which I visited in late 2025 and June 2025’s iteration of Dutch Pavilion itself) – although leaning perhaps a little more into a Nordic theme in keeping with elements of the estate within which it resides.

A rustic Nordic hangout by the sea. Grab fresh fish & chips on the shipyard side, or escape into the wild, wind-swept garden with a cosy coffee. Unwind to the sounds of gulls and waves.

– The Boathouse About Land description

The café itself takes the form of a converted smokehouse with some limited moorings available – the surrounding rocks tend to dissuade attempts to come alongside at least at low tide, as does what’s left of one boat which apparently tried! Most of the high-set wharf is therefore given to outdoor setting to the front of the café, with fish & chips being offered outside as a treat.

Inside, the café has something of that Boho, informal look where whatever might have been available / obtained from local markets has been used for furnishings. This results in chairs and tables with a decidedly vintage 1970s or 1980s style to them mixing with more modern bar-style high chairs, together with a rustic-style food and beverage kitchen / counter space. Eclectic it might be, but it is also very relaxed and cosy.

To the rear of the building is a garden space which very much offers memories of Wild Silence, etc., in its informality and wildling growths of grass and plants.

The deck here has, admittedly, seen better days and could result in some stern words from a passing health and safety executive, but this doesn’t detract from the pies and other scoffables available nor does it prevent the cafe’s cats and dogs appreciating it as a place to catch some Sun.

A gravel path runs around the garden from the wharf and back, presenting the opportunity to walk off any extra weight that might have been felt to have been gained whilst eating, together with some swings for adults or kids to enjoy. There are numerous places to sit throughout the garden, including one on the water and another over it in the form of another deck.

A jet ski also sits on the water by the garden, but fortunately, it is not open to general use so it won’t end up causing interruptions for those trying to relax as it is buzzed around the island.

Those with a romantic inclination or who simply enjoy dancing can avail themselves of a dance system tucked into a corner – although the best place to dance is possible in the garden rather than around where the system has been placed J .  If fishing is more your style, that is also available!

In all, a delightful and easy-going visit; however, one point of note: do not remain in one place for too long, as you might be teleported home if you don’t reply to a pop-up dialogue requesting you confirm you are still at your keyboard.

Slurl Details

• The Boathouse Café (Moonlight Bloom, rated Moderate)