Category: Exploring Second Life

Occupying roughly one-third of a Full private region is MoonWillow, a completely delightful realm designed by Mille Bliss to present a place of enchantment and mystery, packed with opportunities for exploration and photography.

This is a place I very much fell in love with whilst exploring, although I would note that I’m not sure the selected Shared Environment shows it to its best advantage, being a tad on the dark side of things. This being the case, please note that some of the photos later in this piece use one of my personal Day EEP settings.

This is a setting with a west-east orientation as it runs along the southern side of the host region, with the landing Point located on a small island at the west end of things.

Welcome, traveller, to MoonWillow, a lush, mythical realm nestled deep within the folds of time, where magic lingers like mist in the morning air. Here, every leaf has a story, every shadow hides a spell, and every step draws you deeper.

– MoonWillow Destination Guide entry

A large map of the setting is located at the landing point and highlights many of the locations awaiting exploration. Many – but not all; some are marked by symbols which the map legend defines as What Could This Mean?, together with And This? – both of which pique a sense of intrigue and a desire to discover.

Touching the map will deliver a wearable HUD version – which is nice. Unfortunately, there is no way to minimise it, so if a copy is taken for reference, it has to be constantly added / removed  – and odd clicks on it will cause to it to offer a Landing Point landmark, which can get a tad irritating.

Getting across the waters here should – according to the map – be a case of taking the local ferry. However, printed signs at the quays and piers apologise for the fact that the ferry is currently broken. Instead, visitors are asked to cross the waters by means of the magical lily pads which have been set out to keep feet dry!

Across the water sits a little shoreline hamlet, its waterfront taken up by the local apothecary, tavern and teahouse as well as the local market. Behind and above these, perched on the cliffs and rocky buttresses are little houses (open to the public) whilst across the mouth of a fast flowing stream there rises the tall finger of a wizard’s tower.

Reaching the latter is by means of another lily pad crossing, whilst a walk on the beach facing the tower provides one of the routes of entry to the setting’s eye-catching lagoon.

However, from the village there are in fact multiple routes of exploration climbing up into the hills behind it, some of which pass directly by the little houses perched higher up, others of which are more circuitous in nature – which you take is entirely up to you.

The attractive element with all these paths and routes is that most of them intersect one with another, so whatever turn you take, you’re going to arrive somewhere or easily circle back to somewhere you might otherwise have missed.

There are locations within the setting the eyes and feet are naturally drawn to – the lagoon within its circle of stone, the castle up on the hilltops, the village itself. However, do be careful when heading for just these, as there are caverns, a cave hinting an magic rituals, a hidden waterside place to sit, tree and rock sheltered avenues and climbs and a magical stone circle all waiting discovery.

Travel far enough to the east and you might find the many-bridged path leading around falls and water to where an old mine provides passage through the intervening mountains and cliffs to the rest of the region (or you might come across it by way of the cavern tunnel!).

Called Nymunarby, this is the work of Lotte (Lotte Warwillow) and presents a mist-shrouded setting very different to MoonWillow, complete with its own mysteries. Largly open ground backed by crags and rocky hills (some of which have a path winding up them (and a cavern under), this is a place of ancient standing stones, ruins and a Viking outpost – although follow the path to where a boardwalk leading out over the waters of a small lake and you might find yourself humming the opening Sunrise fanfare of Also Sprach Zarathustra.

There is not a lot more I can say about Nymunarby; but it does form an interesting adjunct to a visit to MoonWillow for those who wish to discover it as well.

As to the latter, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring its many parts and paths; Group membership will bring rezzing rights if you wish to rez props for photographs, but as ever: do please remember to pick bits up afterwards!

Slurl Details

• MoonWillow (Celenor, rated Moderate)

Sitting within a Full private region, Yamato is a place I first visited in July 2026 and then returned to both in August and at the start of September 2026 whilst debating writing about it.

My dithering over blogging came down to a couple of things: access is somewhat restricted (visitors must have payment information registered with LL) – and I’ve taken a certain amount of flak in the past for Covering regions with restricted access. The other was because in July and August my visits left me feeling the region still might be undergoing build-out – a feeling which appears to have been correct and several details appear to have changed between my first and most recent visits.

The region has been designed by Somnous Corvinus and Len Teardrop on behalf of region holder Valefuth Delrove. It presents a Japanese-themed, mix-use setting, as indicated within its simple and direct Destination Guide entry:

Yamato, a quiet costal town, is a residential and social destination inspired by rural Japan during the 2000s.

– Yamato Destination Guide entry

As a residential / public setting, Yamato is reasonably engaging. The majority of the residential units appear to be around the edge of the region – mostly, but not exclusively, along the eastern side.

That said, there is a small town on the north-west side of the region which is open to exploration but does also include rental properties. Whilst sitting in their own parcels, there are not immediately obvious to the casual explorer, so some discretion is encouraged when exploring.

The Landing Point sits on a small dead-end road that runs towards the middle of the region from the little town and ending at a small shrine as it awaits visitors. This middle area of the region is largely open, forming something of a small park and an open field area, a dividing wall running between them.

Alongside of the little road is what appears to be a bus stop but is in fact the access to the rental office (located in the sky) for those interested in living within the region. Those finding their way up to this platform can return to the ground by walking into the table overlooking the platform’s shrine (the teleport is Experience-enabled).

A path marked by a marching line of Torii gates points southwards. Following it will take visitors down to a coastal Onsen with rock pools, waterfalls and a low bamboo fence separating from open waters and a stream while runs into  running into it from inland.

The rest of the park separates the Onsen and town from the east-side residences. It is also itself split by a tram track emerging from a tunnel from where it apparently runs under part of the town before looping back to it overland.

This tram track leaves the upper side of the park richly wooded while the lower side an open field. Whilst this might at first appear to be lacking places to sit and spent time – look around and you will find some nice touches of detail nonetheless, including a nicely tucked-away place to spend time.

Across the road from the field is the beach, the southern end of which is open to the public.

In terms of attractiveness, it is the small details within Yamato which draw the eyes rather than any single large-scale elements within the region. Scattered throughout the setting, these are worth looking for as they do bring Yamato to life.

In all, a quiet little setting, interesting in design and making for a pleasant exploration – and possibly a new home for those seeking somewhere to live.

Slurl Details

• Yamato – A Quiet Town (Yamato Island, rated Moderate)

As we wave bye-bye to August 2026, so thought for many in the northern hemisphere turn to the ending of summer and the onset of autumn, with many public locations within Second Life also changing to match the seasonal change.

One such place which has done just this is LeLooUlf’s Mainland setting as it straddles the regions of Laothoe and Gunda in the south of Heterocera. It’s a place I last visited in May 2026, not long after it had opened and when it had a decidedly spring / summer feel to it.

LeLoo’s World – Dancing Leaves is a place where the season wraps around you, inviting you to wander, breathe deeply, and feel the calm magic of fall. Enjoy a peaceful stroll along the lakeside, complete with its charming balloon tour, or wander into the adjoining woodland paths. Throughout the area, you’ll discover cosy spots perfect for capturing those special autumn photos.

– From the Destination Guide entry for Leloo’s Mainland world

Now called Dancing Leaves to mark the seasonal change – and as recorded in its Destination Guide entry -, the setting still straddles the two regions but now has a more unified Landing Point than was the case at the time of my May 2026 visit.

Also in keeping with the design at the time of my last visit, there is a sharp divide between the north and south extents of the setting – the latter being greatly elevated when compared to the former, with the two having individual Shared Environments.

However, I was so taken by the EEP setting used for the northern half of Dancing Leaves (and which is active for visitors when arriving at the Landing Point); I maintained it whilst photographing both.

The northern aspect of the setting pushes its way out from stepped cliffs into a wide, circular lake, the majority of which is neatly landscaped, allowing Dancing Laves to now smoothly merge with it, whereas at the time of my original spring visit, there are more of a sharp divide between Leloo’s land and that of her neighbours.

To the west side, a flat finger of land runs out into the waters of the lake from the base of the cliffs, home to a trio of wooden buildings. All are open to the public and form, respectively, a small café, a summer house and a little potting shed / greenhouse.

The eastern side of the land is more broken forming a trio of islands reaching into the lake, connected one to the next and to the land below the cliffs by a series of bridges.

No formal buildings stand on any of these islands, although two are home to gazebos and the third has a windmill sitting on its back. The outermost of these islands sits across the head of Leloo’s land and has a raised bridge connecting it back to the western finger of land, allowing the waters here to be circumnavigated.

All around (and on!) the waters here are places to sit, while an orca surprisingly frolics alongside one of the bridges, ready to splash those crossing it, and the inner, shallow waters are home to a variety of fish.

And don’t miss the little “coffee grotto” tucked under the cliffs complete with a sign I can well understand and appreciate!

At the top of the cliffs and alongside the Landing Point is the local balloon tour – instructions provided on the sign next to it. This gently floats around the lake and is suitable for singles or couples. It doesn’t cross the region boundary into the southern aspect of the setting, so you’ll have to re-engage your pedal extremities to explore here.

Although called “The Woodland” at the Landing Point, the southern, upper part of the setting is more an open garden. Whilst completely rebuilt, it nevertheless carries within it the spirit of the spring / summer build for those who have previously visited.

This is a place for gentle wandering, the colours very much those of early autumn, when the greens of summer vie with the browns, golds, yellows and reds of the fall months. Grassy paths invite exploration. One of these connects to the local road as it passes the setting, whilst the other reaches towards the raised southern end of the garden.

This path winds gently past a small pond to one side, watched over by a vigilant owl and a cube-like garden house as it forms a quiet little retreat.

As with the lakeside areas, the gardens offer many places to sit and pass the time – some perhaps more obvious than others (don’t miss the bee hives wither their novel pose / sit point or the little gazebo ticked away to one side of the garden!).

I particularly like the southernmost end of the garden with its clock and shaded benches and piano – although perhaps it might benefit for a couple more places to sit.

My only niggle with Dancing Leaves is the presence of the billboard sitting between the Landing Point and the archway to the road, which I feel loudly intrudes into an otherwise peaceful location. Fortunately, I never travel without Derender in my pocket, so it was easily taken care of 🙂 .

This aside, I genuinely love Leloo’s work both on the Mainland and with her region. She puts a huge amount of time and care into building very special places for people to visit, and I’m always more than happy to drop into them and just relax. I’m pretty sure you’ll feel the same way as well!

Slurl Details

• Leloo’s World Dancing Leaves (Laothoe and Gunda, both rated Moderate)

When exploring and writing about Second Life, it can be somewhat easy to focus on those places which are new or which are periodically re-imagined with new designs or in reflection of the changes in the seasons.  Indeed, it can be regions that do undergo such changes which can become particular favourites for revisits – and I say this as one who is as guilty as anyone in this regard!

However, there are regions which tend to remain largely unchanged over the years, quietly attracting visitors with their perennial designs – but often being forgotten about when it comes to blogging.

I was reminded of this fact courtesy of Cube Republic recently when, following a discussion (and preview) of some of his upcoming new products (which are also highly appropriate for region / parcel landscaping!), he pointed me in the direction of Lost Lagoon.

The last time I visited this Homestead region was way back in January 2020 (which was actually my second visit there). At the time, I found the setting – the work of Mark Knight (knight676) and Jana Guyot – extremely attractive.  And I’m more than pleased to report this is still the case today.

Lost Lagoon is an isolated paradise in the South Seas. This beautiful jewel of a destination is a great place to explore, get in touch with nature, relax and cuddle. Everyone is welcome to find their piece of paradise at the Lost Lagoon.

– Lost Lagoon Destination Guide entry

Presenting a rugged island with a sweep of rocky and hilly uplands arcing around the north side from west to east, this is an island of dramatic changes, the hills in particular framed as an attention-grabbing view when first arriving at the Landing Point as it sits tucked into the region’s south-east corner.

A bridge connects the Landing Point on its little island with the rest of the setting; and on my arrival, I was initially struck by the comforting sense of familiarity. At first camming it appeared that indeed, the setting was much as it had been at the time of my last visit over 78 months ago.

However, just a casual glance around the landing Point itself revealed several small, but subtle changes, all of which suggested that whilst the landscape might not have overly changed since 2020, there was certain pretty of new touches to be found and appreciated whilst exploring.

But – I’m not going to just simply do a compare and contrast between my last and current visit; suffice it to say whether you haven’t visited Lost Lagoon in the last few years or have yet to make a first visit, you’re in for a treat as you explore, as there is a lot to discover throughout.

What I will say is that this is a setting deserving to be seen under its Shared Environment, the heavy skies under what feels like a westering Sun (even if it does lie to the east!) ideally suiting the dramatic nature of the landscape and the hardy lives of those who appear to be living here.

This is a place of rugged paths winding into the hills, of boardwalks snaking over marshy wetlands and trails encouraging the fee onwards in exploration. Wooden cabins lay scattered over the drier lowlands like a handful of seeds cast over the landscape and left to take root.

One of these sits on the eastern coast where a white-capped tide rolls to the shore, its caps and foam speaking to the potential of rocks waiting just under the surface, ready to rip the bottom out of an unwary boat anxious to cut corners and reach the moorings at the Landing Point.

More cabins lie along the southern side of the island, each standing in defiance of the heavy skies and offering calming comfort within. Off to the west and within the wetlands are the remnants of older structures, broken and deserted yet still providing, perhaps, little oases of solitude and relaxation.

Watching over this, up on the hills sits what at first appears to be an old observatory – although a walk and climb up to it will quickly reveal it to be anything but. However, how one gets up to it is not as obvious at might first appear to be the case.

Whilst a gravel track does appear to offer a route up the east-side slopes of the hills this only goes as far as a small folly sitting on the east shoulder of the higher peak. True, there is an arch of rock spanning the gap between folly and rotunda (and under which another gravel footpath runs) – but this is not the way forward.

Instead, to ascend to the tall cylindrical building with its imposing dome, one should first travel west along the lowlands, passing by way of an outdoor event space, around a little island on which one of the local cabins sits and then climb the stone steps running up into the hills alongside another of the cabins.

From here an old bridge crosses a stream tumbling down from falls bursting forth of the high rocks, and a path points the way to the hidden means of ascent up to a promontory and from there, the way around the peak and to the observatory-like structure.

But wherever you go while wandering here, there is much to see and appreciate. The attention to detail is marvellous throughout, and the entire island is a haven for birds and waterfowl throughout – as well as to sheep and to the stags as they literally but heads.

Lost Lagoon exudes a sense of lived-in longevity well suited to its largely unchanged appearance across more than 6 years. It’s an atmosphere that is both inviting yet edged with a hint of mystery which invites onward exploration across land and boardwalks, with discoveries promised no matter how remote the path might appear to be.

Should you require rezzing rights for photograph, these can be obtained via Group membership (L$150). Do make sure to have local sounds enabled when wandering to more fully immerse yourself in the setting.

In all, Lost Lagoon remains a visually engaging and attractive location for exploration and photography. My thanks again to Cube for remaining me of its continued presence in Second Life and the Mark and Jana for creating it.

Slurl Details

• Lost Lagoon (Sea Starr, rated Moderate)

Hiraeth Beach occupies around a half of a Full region held by Philippe Bruraf – VOID (bruraf), the other half being taken up with his club THE BLOCK, of which more anon.

I came across it via the Destination Guide earlier in August, and decided to hop over and have a look. What I found was a natural expanse of coastline carrying with it memories of places I’ve visited in the physical world whilst itself remaining a place firmly rooted in the imagination.

Hiraeth Beach is a secluded coastal escape where sea, wind, nature and forgotten history meet. Wander along wild shores, explore ancient ruins and a mysterious temple, discover hidden places beneath the sea, or simply find a quiet spot overlooking the horizon. Hiraeth is a Welsh word for a longing for a place that feels like home, even if you have never known it. More than a beach, Hiraeth is a place to explore, photograph, or simply slow down and breathe. Some places are visited. Others are remembered.

– Hiraeth Beach Destination Guide Description

I’ve spent many a happy hour over the decades walking the sands of places like Bamburgh on the coast if Northumberland, on spring, summer, autumn and even blue-skied winter days when the tide had retreated to expose broad, wets sands, the wind is fresh and clean and the worries of the world are a lifetime away.

Whilst a castle is noticeably absent from Hiraeth Beach (unlike Bamburgh!), there was something about it which immediately put me in mind of those walks, particularly when taken in the early morning. At the same time the setting is suggestive of more far-off places; a feeling most likely heightened by the Kuromatsu pines growing along the back of the beach and out along its headlands and the presence of a stone Buddha’s head.

This is a place with a sense of both age and patience: ruins mark part of the coastline, casting a more Mediterranean feel to it (and hint at the temple remnants lying beneath the ebb and flow of the sea), whilst fishing nets are strung as if awaiting unwary fish carried inwards by an incoming tide.

There are numerous places to sit found scattered along the length of the beach whilst the temple ruins under the waves can be reached via a teleport board.

There are some small niggles with the setting; elements in the form of the privacy surround around the nightclub setting intrude into the western skyline. Whilst not a major inconvenience, once noticed, they do tend to distract when in view; given that he nightclub venue is wreathed in a darkness that largely hides them from within it, it’s hard not to question the necessity of their presence.

The other is that the above aside, Hiraeth Beach is ideal for photography, but the lack of rezzing rights (even with local Group membership and / or Auto Return enabled) might be a limiting factor some seeking to capture themselves using the setting as a backdrop.

Meanwhile, the nightclub – THE BLOCK, as noted above – is connected to Hiraeth Beach via a road tunnel at the northern end of the region. Passing through this tunnel in either direction will transition visitors through the two local Share Environments – and both of the locations really should be seen using their respective environment settings.

THE BLOCK is a world away from the tranquillity of the beach, being something of a post-apocalyptic setting, complete with a fallen Statue of Liberty. It is located in what amounts to a concrete compound guarding a fortress-like warehouse, the ruins of streets on two sides. Inside, the club is an almost psychedelic tour de force of lighting (hence the reason for viewing it under its Shared Environment) and industrial design, all of it highly effective. Events are held both within the club and in the courtyard of the compound Thursday through Saturdays – details via the local Group; and I gather some events are additionally held out on the beach as well.

I’m not a great person for clubs in SL, but I did find the lighting and design of THE BLOCK appealing. Camming around also suggested that some expansion to the club spaces is underway, if currently off-limits to public access. As such a return to see what else develops here might be in order.

Hiraeth Beach and THE BLOCK are two very different locations joined by a single designer / builder. Very different in looks and appeal, they equally work together as locations to visit and experience.

SLurl Details

Glendell is rated Moderate

• Hiraeth Beach Landing Point
• THE BLOCK Landing Point

Linden Lab recently indicated that they would be carrying out various small-scale projects to improve part of Second Life Mainland following the decision not to close the Gaeta 1 continent. Various aspects of this work are now in progress, as numerous Second life users have noted through the forums and elsewhere.

One location in particular where improvement has long been requested has been the 12-region estate of the Linden Memorial Park, located off the north coast of Corsica.

For those not familiar with the Memorial Park regions, they were established in 2009 as a place where Second Life residents who have passed away in the physical world could be remembered by their SL families and friends. While its active life was relatively short – the Lab ceased accepting requests for new memorials to be added to the Park in July 2011 – it has remained a part of Second Life, whilst looking increasingly aged.

While there have been various attempts to revitalise the regions (I think I’m correct in saying the last being in 2020, although my memory is hazy on this), it now appears it is subject to improvement, with the first phase of the work now complete, as recently noted by Oatmeal Linden in a comment added to a request made via the Feedback Portal, and which Miro Collas pointed me towards.

Hello everyone! We have made some cosmetic updates to the regions in Linden Memorial Park. This is the first part of the revitalization efforts for this project.

We are still reviewing updates for the Day of Remembrance Garden. The original build in remains in its current location for now, with scripts disabled to prevent damage to or loss of the existing content. We hope to be able to provide a means to continue to leave messages and record the account names for those we’ve lost before the end of this year.

We are also exploring enabling the addition of new stand-alone memorials.

– Oatmeal Linden, August 21, 2026.

This work appears to be focused on general landscaping, with elements designed and used in some of the Bellisseria themes being given new purpose in updating the general look of the park.

For example:  rock forms used within the Stilt, Houseboat and Newbrooke Linden Homes themes been used to redress key areas of the Park, such as the waterfalls surrounding the Greco-Roman style circular Shrine of Remembrance. Meanwhile, trees and shrubs from the Sakura, Newbrooke and Chalet themes have been used to refresh the woodlands and many of the plants throughout the parklands.

For those who have not previously visited the Park, the Shrine, sitting upon its artificial island, forms the Landing Point for the Park, with three sides of the lake fed by pairs of waterfalls, and the 4th (at the time of writing at least) be a single fall.

A bridge crosses the waters on the north side of the Shrine’s island to offer a way up to the Memorial Gardens, a set of five tended plots arranged in the form of a cross with the names of those being remembered rising from the flowers therein.

Exploration of the Park can be carried out by following the paved paths running around and through most of its regions, or simply by wandering freely. The former pass many of the larger memorials placed within the Park between 2009 and 2011 as well as some of the more general contemplative areas – such as the Hyper Mole memorial garden. Wandering freely, meanwhile, particularly through the woodlands might bring visitors to various ruins and memorials such as the  LDPW Mausoleum.

With the Highgate Monument, Winterspire and Derran Moor regions in the south-east of the Park largely devoid of landscaping outside of the coastline (as is San Michele to the north-west), it appears the Memorial Park has room to expand. If so, what form the expansion might take could be a further point of interest for future visits.

At Oatmeal notes in their update, scripts within the Park regions remain inactive for the time being. Nevertheless, the facelift carried out so far greatly increases the beauty of the regions without either overwhelming them or replacing the original builds of the Shrines, monuments, etc. The fact the work has been carried out (albeit  seemingly paused as of the writing of this piece) makes the Memorial Park well worth (re)visiting. My thanks again to Miro for the poke about the update!

Slurl Details

All Park regions are rated General.

• Linden Memorial Park