Category: Exploring Second Life

Isle of May – click any image for full size

Serene Footman and Jade Koltai specialise in designing regions based on real locations around the world. Each of them has always been popular among visitors and bloggers, perhaps none more so than Isle of May, which opened its doors in May 2018 for a month before closing once more.

As someone who certainly appreciated the original version of Isle of May, I was delighted to learn – by way of the ever-vigilant Shakespeare – that Isle of May re-opened on November 23rd, 2018, albeit it in a new location.

When we closed the Isle of May in June we promised ourselves that we would try designing a winter version later on in the year to see how it turned out. Having worked on the sim for a couple of weeks, we rather like it.

– Serene Footman, discussing the return of Isle of May

Isle of May

The actual Isle of May is located on the north side of the outer Firth of Forth. It’s a small island – less than 2 kilometres long and under half a kilometre wide – sitting 8 km off the Scottish coast. It forms a rugged finger-like uplift of basalt, home to over 285 bird species, including puffins, kittiwake, guillemots, razorbills, shags and fulmars. It is managed by Scottish Natural Heritage as a National Nature Reserve, and from October through Easter, is a home for seal pups.

The name of the island is subject to some dispute, but it is thought to be either of Old Norse origin, meaning “island of seagulls”, or from the Gaelic Magh meaning a “plain”. It is uninhabited outside of its wildlife, but open to day trippers between March / April through until October, and makes for and intriguing place to re-create.

What we were hoping to create is something wild and untamed: less desolate and abandoned than Khodovarikha, or even Furillen, but still a place where you’d feel the wind and snow hurting your face, and the cold gnawing away at your insides. We imagined a roaring sea, with north-easterly gales blasting onto isolated beaches.

– Serene Footman, discussing the return of Isle of May

Isle of May

Jade and Serene have certainly succeeded in creating a winter’s scene, and one that is not uncommon to the rugged Scottish coastline. Those familiar with the original Isle of May from earlier in 2018 will also recognise this design, which retains the core look and layout of the original – hardly surprising, given it is based on a real location. However, there are some subtle changes as well they go beyond the weather.

For example, this design appears to offer a broader path down to the beach from the landing point, while the greenhouse that once sat on those shingles has been moved a north-side beach, reached by a similar twisting path down from the island’s plateau. This northern beach runs around the north-west coast, to the east offering a walk between the greenhouse and an A-frame cabin, while to west it offers a way to a lonely stone cottage.

Isle of May

Such abodes are in keeping with the look and feel of many of the Scottish isles, and while Isle of May may not have permanent human residents, it has a long history of occupation that encompasses both the Vikings and the site of one of the earliest Christian churches in Scotland. So the cottage isn’t that out-of-place, while the religious history is reflected this time not only by ancient ruins, but also the presence of a small chapel on the north-east headland. Another path switchbacks down from this headland, providing access to one of my favourite Second Life house designs: the Skye Luxury Forest Cabin, by Alex Bader. Facing this across the southern bay is the peninsula mindful of the real Isle of May’s Rona headland.

This build also expands on the rich diversity of Isle of May’s wildlife. As well as the birds, the region includes otters, goats and wild rabbits, together with orca and dolphin out in the waters. The latter might be hard to see through the snow, but all are fully in keeping with the real island’s creatures. A couple of liberties have been taken, however, as Serene notes:

We introduced a small wolf pack. Surely there are no wolves in Scotland? Correct – not since the eighteenth century, it would seem – but we placed this group on the sim as a hat tip to a landowner called Paul Lister, who wants to reintroduce wolves – safely behind fences, I hasten to add – to the Scottish highlands. You’ll also see an Arctic fox flitting in and out of its den. Why? Because this beautiful animal once thrived in Scotland.

– Serene Footman, discussing the return of Isle of May

Isle of May

As always with Serene and Jade’s design, the region is rounded-out by a superb sound scape, one that should not be missed during a visit, as great care has been taken to incorporate he sounds of the actual wildlife found on the island (as well as mixing in the plaintive cries of both orca and wolves).

Rounded-out by off-sim islands, and a now moving fishing boat, the new Isle of May is a masterpiece of design – but I would add a small comment of my own: it is a very busy region, both in terms of visitors during this, its opening week, and as a result of things like the heavy snow falling. As such, it can take a toll on systems when visiting – so do be patient, and if you’re used to running with shadows enabled, you might want to turn them off except when taking photos – which can be shared through the region’s Flickr group.

Isle of May

SLurl Details

• Isle of May (Overland Hills, rated: Moderate)

Winter’s Hollow – click any image for full size

In September, I wrote about Frog Hollow, a parcel designed by Stella Mahogany. Since then, Stella has moved on, and now offers a Homestead region for people to visit and enjoy. Called Winter’s Hollow, it is, as the About Land description notes:

Welcome to the winter version of ‘Frog Hollow’ Please enjoy your stay, take photos, ice skate or sit a while in the coffee shop but please pick up your items when you are done. Private residences are out-of-bounds.

Winter’s Hollow – click any image for full size

Given the title, it should come as no surprise that this is a snowy, winter’s setting. As the description notes, there are some private residences on the region, but on the whole, it is open to exploration, and offers places for photography, but it is perhaps a little low on places to simply sit and cuddle and enjoy passing the time.

Which is not to say it is unpleasant – quite the reverse. Skating, dancing and sledging can be enjoyed, and the region does offer a highly picturesque setting, particularly as rezzing is open to props, etc.

Winter’s Hollow – click any image for full size

The coffee shop mentioned in the description sits in the north-west. Seating is available inside and out, although the latter has largely been claimed by the local squirrels. A road lies close by, running along the north side and down the west, each branch leading the way to one of the private residences on the region – so do take care approaching them.

The western road also turns to run along the south side of the region a short distance, ending alongside a cabin. However, it was not clear at the time of my visit whether or not this is also private or public.

Winter’s Hollow – click any image for full size

The promised ice skating can be found inland, a little to the north of the region’s centre – just look for the penguins having a little fun. Couples wishing to enjoy something a little less strenuous, a pavilion on the south side of the region offers dancing. Cuddle spots can be found in the form of a couple of old cable cars, long since removed from their lines. One offers sheltered views back across the region, while the second sits just off the loop of one of the roads, a place where a couple can be watched as they let their young son play on the local swings.

Winter’s Hollow makes for a pleasant visit, one where care has been taken not to overload the scene with too much scenery, an important factor given the use of mesh snow. Nevertheless and as mentioned, the opportunities for photography can be found throughout.

Winter’s Hollow – click any image for full size

If you enjoy your visit, keep an eye out for the little fat penguin, who will gladly accept donations towards the region’s continued upkeep.

SLurl Detail

• Winter’s Hollow (Auron, rated: Moderate)

Cherished – click any image for full size

Cherished is the latest region design from Arol Lightfoot that opened recently to visitors. A homestead region, it differs from the current trend towards wintertime themes and opts to stay with autumn, as Arol loves that time of the year – and I can’t say I blame her.

This is  – as would be the case given Arol is responsible for its design – a fabulous region, uncluttered by an off-sim surround and offering plenty to see and enjoy as your travel through it. A visit begins out on the east side, on a headland sitting between a small bay and a narrow channel of water that cuts deep inland. A single cabin sits here, connected to a the rest of the region by an ageing, low-slung bridge running over a rocky finger.

Cherished

A track points west from the bridge, leading the way to where the ground rises to a rocky bluff, bracketed on one side by the water channel and on the other by a path that leads either up to the top of the bluff or down to where another track continues inland. The bluff, with a second bridge running between it and a rocky hill on the far side of the channel offers the perfect vantage point from which to observe the rest of the island.

To the west stands a large house, the only genuine abode to be found on the island. Calling it a farmhouse, however, would perhaps be misleading; while there is a barn close by and a traditional American-style windmill, the house itself seems too big and grand to be a working home. Rather, it has the feeling of being a coastal getaway home, one complete with swimming pool – albeit drained and partially covered ready for the eventual arrival of winter, and a luggage-laden (if humble) VW Beetle parked outside.

Cherished

Cows are grazing outside of the barn, while horses shelter within it – together with a couple of turkeys – but not even the presence of a tractor close by can leave visitors with a feeling this is all part of a working farm; so perhaps the horse are purely from the riding pleasure of those using the house, and the barn is under the care of the landowner who otherwise rents the property out.

The main body of water extending inland turns south close to the house, running before the barn and facing it across another track, before turning east once more to end in a narrow, reed-lined pool from which morning mist slowly rises. This southern and western extent of the island is a rough grassland and rolling humps of grey rock, standing like a frozen tide caught in time as it rolled over the landscape. Tall trees grow throughout, presenting plenty of discrete spots where deer roam and people can camp out in peace.

Cherished

To the north, the land beyond the little headland and its landing point is gently rugged, but more denuded of trees. A low ridge angling away from the rocky bluff here offers a good place to appreciate the lighthouse sitting on is own rocky spur, as it is framed against the early morning Sun.

What might be a fisherman’s dock sits between the arms of the headland the lighthouse spur, and testimony of the dangerous nature of the waters here can be found in the wreck of a fishing boat lying close to the lighthouse rocks.

Cherished

Throughout the region are places for individuals and couples to sit and appreciate the setting, while the trails offer plenty and very clever, given the way they tend to naturally connect to one another, opportunities for exploration. Similarly, the gentle sound scape included with the region offer a very subtle added depth to the setting, further encouraging time to be spent within it.

Unsurprisingly, this is a highly photogenic region, one in which photography is actively encouraged, as Arol notes in the About Land description, “If you take photos and want to share please add them to the Flickr group. I would love to see them!”

Cherished

For those not quite ready to face exploring all the winter themed regions popping up over the grid, or who need a break from the snow and ice, Cherished is likely to make for an ideal visit. Appreciation for Arol’s work can also be shown by “feeding” the Labrador inside the cabin at the landing point. My thanks to Shakespeare for the landmark!

SLurl Details

• Cherished (Cherished, rated: Adult)

Let It Snow! – click any image for full size

It is with a good deal of delight that I received an invite from Milly Sharple to visit her winter themed Let It Snow!, which has once again returned to Second Life for the holiday season.

With the exception of 2017, Let It Snow! has been something of a winter tradition in Second Life for the last few years, so I’d been looking forward to visiting the latest iteration ever since Milly hinted she might try for it this year.  So as soon as the invite came in, Caitlyn and I donned our winter woolies and set out to explore.

Let It Snow!

What I’ve always loved about Milly’s wintertime designs is both the natural simplicity with which they are designed, blending little scenes with open spaces and trails to explore, and the way she create little vignettes across her regions. When coupled with the opportunities for people to simply enjoy one another’s company, Let It Snow! has always offered something for everyone – and 2018 is no exception.

Another aspect of her winter regions I love is the use of certain elements that act as motifs linking each new design with its progenitors, helping to give a feeling of continuity down the years between designs. And so is the case with this iteration, be it with the great crystal greenhouse that harks directly back to 2016, or the cottages and  Harleywan Haggwood’s charming snow kids that encompass 2015 and 2016.

Let It Snow!

Which is not to say Let It Snow! 2018 is in any way a re-run of previous builds; far from it. It is unique in is design in and of itself, from the Elven house that forms the landing point and which gives the region a little slant towards fantasy. At the end of a rutted, snow-filled track lies a little village square, home to Santa’s cottage. Close by, DJ Cat is waiting to entertain those wishing to dance (he’ll also accept tips towards the region’s upkeep!), while the snow kids can be found at play.

Dancing is very much part of the theme here, with heart-shaped dance machines scattered throughout the region (you may have to cam in close to some due to the snow), including inside the crystal greenhouse, which also offers the opportunity of romantic dining.

Let It Snow!

Elsewhere across the region lie various places to sit and enjoy close companionship, be it a gazebo out among the trees, a bench suspended from the bough of a tree at the side of a path, a horse-drawn sleigh or an underground grotto (you’ll have to find that for yourself!).

As the region is caught under a steady snowfall that can at times obscure the star field of the surrounding skydome, it’s worth taking the time to experiment with environment settings when photographing Let It Snow! – as I’ve done with a couple of the images here, opting to use one of Stevie Davros’ sky settings (you can read about those here).

Let It Snow!

Let It Snow! is, as always, a delight to visit: just be sure to take your time to let things load should you drop in when it has a significant number of visitors.

SLurl Details

• Let It Snow (Author’s Point, rated: Moderate)

Let It Snow!

Lutz City – click any image for full size

Update: it appears the landing point had been temporarily reset to deliver people to the events venue mentioned into this article for a live event. The default landing point is in fact the railway station on the south side of the city.

Lutz City, which opened its doors on November 16th, 2018, is the latest is a series of region designs by Luis Lockjaw, another of Second Life’s superb creators of regions and setting that capture the imagination and sit within the mind’s eye long after a visit. In in, he continues his tradition of presenting captivating settings under his Templemore banner.

I first encountered Luis’ work through Hesperia of Templemore, although sadly, I never got to blog about it – although I did get as far as writing about its sister region the Isle of Mousai, also by Luis, and made sure I did not miss out on his Elysium City of Templemore (which you can read about here). Lutz City very much carries on many of the traditions seen within these previous builds, as Luis notes in his own description of the region:

As a celebration of art, Lutz City continues the Templemore tradition of offering the greatest musical experiences. The live music venue features a grand stage where musicians become part of a living painting that reaches out to your very soul. Lutz City of Templemore isn’t just a sim, it’s home for your creative spirit.

Lutz City

And it is with the musical element in mind that visitors arriving in the city find themselves in one of the major venues for the city, the Lutz Theatre, standing block-like on its own island on the west side of this magnificent Full region design. Just how magnificent a build it is only requires stepping out through the foyer of the theatre to the cobbled road outside.

This is a place cut neatly into blocks by waterways that flow along brick-sided channels, the water passing under the bridges that connect them and occasionally through tunnels. Aiding them in the division of the city are the roads, sometimes running parallel to the canals, at others sitting at right angles to them, extending over the stone bridges to link distracts one to the next whilst also denoting their boundaries.

Lutz City

There is an air about the design of Lutz City that gives it very much a feeling of being a place, part of something larger, but invisible, lying beyond the high mountain peaks that surround it. While separated from these by surrounding water, Luis has cleverly made the city feel a part of the mountains through the use of an off-sum tunnel and steel bridge that carries a railway track to the south side of the city, where a rural-looking halt waits to greet arriving trains while the tracks pass onward over a second steel bridge and vanish into yet another tunnel at the foot of the southern mountains. At the same time, the region has been cut to roughly match the three channels of open water dividing the mountains, giving the feel that the land on which the city stands has been as much formed by the action of water as the mountainside gorges.

There is also a wonderful sense of age and development imbued in Lutz City. Bracketed to the west and east by the massive forms of music venues, the central area has the feeling of evolving as a modern centre of commerce, art and music. a grand brick-built gateway facing the railway halt across the bridge lying between them. But to the north, the buildings are more mixed in age and style, some becoming more careworn and tumble-down until the paved road gives way to a rutted, dry dirt track running under trees and between purely wood-built houses, and shacks, all bar one of which have seen better days, time having moved on to the city’s newer stone and cement heart.

Lutz City

What I particularly like about Lutz City is the design lends itself to a sense that it has different neighbourhoods. These may be defined by the age or style of buildings within in (such as with the north side), or by the way they are divided by road and water channel. Not only does this give the design a feeling of being somewhat bigger than its 256 metres on a side, it also helps flesh out another aspect of the city Luis references in his description:

Beyond the iron wrought gates and stone sculptures that usher you past the brick archway lies Lutz City of Templemore. True to its name, you’ll find yourself immediately immersed in a whimsical world reminiscent of Peter Pan and Hogwarts. But Lutz City goes beyond that. Here your imagination can be engaged in a place and time that defies the limitations of such concepts. Every detail of Lutz City tells a story, every building creates a unique experience.

Lutz City

Caught in the colours of autumn and by default under a dusty evening sky, the setting also has a certain atmosphere about it for the weaving of stories. But, if I’m honest, I found it came more to life under a brighter sky – hence the pictures here – which breathed more life into the narratives the buildings suggested as I walked and cammed by them, and helped bring their voices more to the fore.

For those who enjoy photography, Lutz City has a huge amount to offer – including a Flickr group for sharing pictures with others. Those wishing to keep abreast of the music events in the region can do so by joining the in-world group – there is a joiner board within the landing point theatre, together with a tip board where appreciation can be shown for the region and assistance given towards its upkeep.

Lutz City

Seeing the Templemore tradition return to Second Life is a treat; my thanks to Shakespeare for passing word to me that Luis has been building again, and thanks as well to Luis for once again sharing his vision and passion with us.

SLurl Details

• Lutz City (Templemore City, rated: Moderate)