Occupying half of a Full region, Yukina is the home of Namanax & Stella (Stella Mahogany), who is largely responsible for its design. Currently sitting within a winter setting, we were directed to it by Shawn Shakespeare, our resident region discoverer :).
The parcel runs north-south, with the eastern side open to the sea, and the west boundary marked by high cliffs separating it from the neighbouring parcel.
The southern end of the land is a actually the private home of Stella and Namanax, and while protected by ban lines to prevent trespass, leaving the garden open, it might be a good idea to avoid straying beyond the gabled gates leading up to the house (complete with stone lions guarding the path), in order to avoid the flick-knife armed squirrel patrols (you’ll have to visit and take a peek into the grounds of the house yo understand this comment 🙂 ).
The main house isn’t the only property on the parcel, however; the public area of the parcel are home to a number of houses and cabins large and small, including one particularly impressive structure rising from the small lake in the middle of the landscape. All of these appear to be open to the public and are furnished, giving each of them a cosy feel.
The landing point sits on the east side of the parcel on the dock alongside a boathouse. From here visitors have a choice of routes for exploration, most laid out in the form of snowy tracks that wind their way out and around the houses and cabins. The way around is also marked by by the local wildlife within the parcel, which ranges from the aforementioned squirrels (which are in fact more interested in playing than carrying weapons of any description!) through rabbits, cats, puppies, chipmunks and – most notably reindeer.
All of this makes for a lot to see, from the comfort and warmth of the houses to the scenes along the tracks to the decks that sit alongside a number of the houses (and which offer places for visitors to sit).
There are also some nice scenic touches waiting to be found – the Christmas tree shop operated by some nattily dressed gnomes being one of the more obvious, although I liked the little hump backed bridge over the still-flowing stream that feeds the (otherwise frozen) lake. And for those who like a little a little activity during their visits, the lake offers ice shaking; just look for the sign on one of the tracks that loops by it.
Overall, the setting is well presented and makes for an engaging visit. However, there is a lot packed into this half region, including falling mesh snow (that actually invites itself into one of the houses, drifting through the roof!), all of which can make for heavy going in places due to the volume of mesh, so some might want to tweak their viewer to get the most comfortable level of performance.
But that said, Yukina offers a rewarding wintertime visit.
SLurl Details
- Yukina (Cosa Nostra, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 