Category: Exploring Second Life

Scribbled Hearts (Flickr)

I was delighted to learn from Ziki that Scribbled Hearts has made a return to Second Life. Formerly on the region of Water Reserve, Scribbled Hearts is back on another Homestead, this one bearing its own name.

It’s fair to say I fell in love with the original when I visited it in October 2012, and I was disappointed to learn it was going away at the end of that year. So on reading that is it now back with us, I had to hurry over and explore.

The new region has much in keeping with the old. It is a quiet rural / coastal setting where water plays a key part, styled by Randi Lenroy. It is the home of *. emm [shop],  which was present in the original, owned by Snowy Melody-Deluxe, and which is this time joined by Little Closet, operated by Noel Ryhann Kennedy-Deluxe. Finally, as also was the case with the original, neither store overwhelms the region, but fit their surroundings perfectly.

Scribbled Hearts (Flickr)

Little Closet occupies a small island in the south-east corner of the region, which is linked to the rest of the land by a partially flooded grass causeway which in turn forms the main teleport point.  *. emm [shop] is across the region, towards the north-west corner, sitting in open grassland.  There is also a cafe on the west side of the main island, surrounded on three sides by water. The rest of the region is a mixture of woodland, water and a small, intimate beach,  all beautifully and naturally presented.

Winding across the main island are a couple of trails, one of which runs from the cafe the other from * emm [shop] before they both meet under the shade of the trees and point the way towards Little Closet. “Trails” is actually probably too strong a term. Looking at the way they wind across the land and under the trees, and considering their raised, cut sides, they look just like dried-up stream beds rather than paths. If that was the intention is laying them, then it’s another clever nod towards Scribbled Hearts’ water-related nature.

Scribbled Hearts (Flickr)

The region  has a custom windlight setting which is absolutely perfect for the landscape, presenting you with a late afternoon, the sun partially hidden by clouds, a slight haze evident through the trees. If you have Firestorm or have installed Vincent Nacon’s clouds, the windlight works really well with the altocumulus clouds. Not that you need be limited to using it; as with the previous designs, this is a place which lends itself to a whole range of lighting options and opportunities, allowing the SL photographer to play to their heart’s content.

There’s a lot worth snapping as well; not only is the landscaping superb, there a lots of lovely touches to be found throughout the region and around the buildings themselves. The cafe is practically a work of art of itself with all the detail put into it, and very photogenic as a result, while Little Closet has a number of nice touches around it, some of which form little vignettes of their own, such as the scene with the taxi and shed.  * emm [shop] offers itself as a part of the rural setting, its barn-like appearance blending will with the open meadow and surrounding trees. And it doesn’t end there – wander around and you’ll come across opportunities to capture a lot of pictures and scenes.

Scribbled Hearts (Flickr)

If walking isn’t particularly your thing, you can pick-up a bicycle from the cafe and use it to get around the islands, although I confess I found the bike a little hard to steer (hardly surprising giving there are no paved surfaces :)).

There is a 3-minute auto return time on the region, so if you are in need of a prop or two for a particular photo, you have a few minutes in which to make use of it.

It is wonderful to see Scribbled Hearts make a return to Second Life, more so given the strong sense of continuity between “new” and “old” for those of us fortunate enough to remember how it looked when hosted on Water Reserve.

Scribbled Hearts (Flickr)

If you’ve never paid a visit to Scribbled Hearts old or new, I cannot recommended it highly enough, whether you’re seeking a new place in which to relax or to explore, or whether you have an itchy camera shutter finger.

For me, the return of Scribbled Hearts came at just the right time. It’s the latter end of the school holidays here, and as per a usual routine, I have a my God-daughter (one of three) for the week. She’s an energetic almost-eight, and it may well be only Monday, but I’m already worn out, so it’s a welcome piece (peace?) of sanity in my world right now :).

Related Links

• Scribbled Hearts (Rated: General)
• My original review from October 2012
• SL Destinations in this blog

I came across Quiet Wilderness, located on the homestead region of Almourol, entirely by chance. Group owned, the About Land tab describes it as “a quiet and peaceful place to relax, sit by the campfire, walk around or take a canoe ride”, and it is quite simply lovely.

You arrive up on a hill – not at the top, but about half-way up – overlooking lowlands on either side, with a river looping lazily through. There are no houses here – not on the ground, at least – and everything other than a fenced crop of wheat is an open wilderness with tall trees, woodlands, open meadows and a number of trails to be followed.

The hill on which you arrive rises to split the region pretty much in two, and  – in keeping with a number of places I’ve visited of late – is itself split by a deep river gorge, this one spanned by a natural stone bridge.

The hill also acts as a natural source for the river, with waterfalls on either side of the rocky hillside tumbling down to feed two small lakes which are in turn connected by the river’s meandering.

To the west is a lush, low-lying woodland, bordering the sea, and which has hints of a wetland area. One branch of the river exits to the sea here, and the shadows between the tall tree trunks provide hiding places for some of the region’s resident wildlife. A cobbled paths wanders into the woods from the north-west shoulder of the hill and branches just under their broad canopy, with one arm leading back out over a wooden bridge to the coastal grasslands, the other winding deeper under the trees and it’s worth following it to find a couple more little landmarks.

Wildlife is very much in evidence across the region, with birds, waterfowl, deer and more – although you might have to again keep your eyes open to see all of it. As well as the wildlife, sheep also graze peacefully, watched over by the resident dogs, Dandy and Chi.

The park-like, natural ambience of the region is enhanced by the placement of a couple of canoe rezzers. These allow you to explore the island from the river, including travelling through the gorge, which has its own waterfalls splashing down from either wall.

If you have music streaming enabled, one thing to watch out for is that the region is split two, parcel-wise, each with it’s own media streaming. Both streams are actually very listenable and suit the environment; they do, however clash a little as you move between the parcels, and it can be a little disconcerting having Johnny Cash telling you his woes where a split second before you were lost in the gentle sounds of a harp.

Don’t let the misty look of some of my shots fool you, either; the region is far from dim or misty. It’s just that the wide open, natural spaces encourage Windlight fiddling rather a lot, and I played around trying to get shots which might evoke and early morning feel (as well as going for late afternoon shots, which I confess in summer / autumn is my favourite time of day).

Once you’re done wandering, there are several places to relax and simply watch the world go by, or the tide ebb and flow. You can float on a raft on one of the lakes, climb up to a tree platform, sit at a campsite or rest at one of several platforms around the hill sides. If the mood takes you, you can sit by the side of the water and play a grand piano. That you’ll be a virtuoso is guaranteed; the piano is from Musical Alchemy, and Persephone Milk includes a superb selection of pieces in her pianos. There are even chairs set out for an appreciative audience…

Whether you travel to Quiet Wilderness on your own or with a friend or two makes no difference, it is a place which can be enjoyed as much shared with others as it can be when on wandering with just your own thoughts for company. And should you want to put the rest of Second Life out of mind for a while and just lose yourself in music and scenery, it could be precisely what the doctor ordered.

Given the nature of the region, rather than simply closing with another photo before the slide show, I’d leave you with a piece by John Schmitt of The Piano Guys, which I think is equally appropriate.

Related Links

• Quiet Wilderness (Rated: Moderate)
• SL Destinations in this blog
• The Piano Guys on YouTube

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I dropped in to Collins Land after coming across shots of it in Cerys Collins’ (aka Cerys Celestalis) Flickr photostream. It is Cerys’ Homestead region, to which she extends a warm invitation for people to visit.

This is a rugged region, with high hills cut in two by water, a large sheltered inlet laying below them which protected from open water on one side by a sweep of low-lying land. There are a couple of houses here, one up on a hill-top and another with an ultra-modern geodesic dome down on the coast. There are also farm outbuildings, cobbled paths, high wooden platforms and more to see.

The arrival point is in an old greenhouse up on the hill to the north-west of the island. From here you can wander up to a high glade where stands a barn and sheep graze. There are places to sit here, as there are on the platform on which the greenhouse sits. For those wanting to explore onwards, there’s a wood-and-rope bridge spanning the deep split in the hills. Crossing this brings you to a small house with outdoor hot tub and a modest vegetable garden.

The region is a curious mix of features – the old-style house and wood-framed buildings on the tops of the hills, the modern stone-and-concrete circular house with its huge glass dome down below; a broken and rusting old van, a sleek yacht… But all of it comes together in a way that is both natural and very pleasing to the eye.

There are also lots of little details which bring the region to life – the picnic laid-out at the side of a track, seagulls wheeling over the water, wildlife ferreting in the underbrush or sitting calmly watching you watching them, and so on. There are one or two touches of humour as well – such as one of the stars of a certain series of animated feature films and his long sought-after object of affection (or is that greed?). In fact, such is the level of detail it’s worthwhile taking time in your explorations or you will miss something along the way.

Getting from the highlands to the lowlands can be done in one of four ways. You can jump (but that’ll probably hurt) or you can fly (but that’s cheating), or you can take the elevator down the wooden tower near the arrival point, or, if you’re feeling daring and want some fun, you can use the rope slide.

This last one can be enjoyed in first or third-person view, and takes you across the inlet on the east side of the island from a platform up near the little house to one on the banks of the inlet, not far from the circular house.

About Land for the region has a kindly invitation: “A quiet and peaceful for those who seek serenity and quiet place. You are welcome :)”, and the island certainly is peaceful, with plenty of places to sit or lie down. This is a place which can be enjoyed on your own or in the company of others, and places like the path-side picnic and a little lodge near the waterfalls certainly invite you to stay.

But … there is also something of a dark secret as well; you’ll need to keep an eye out for it, but in this little piece of paradise there is something that might have its own mysterious story to tell, for those who find it…

But if it does have a story too whisper, then it is something I’m going to leave to your imagination to discover!

Collins Land is a perfect place to visit and relax, and a fun place to explore. Recommended.

Related Links

• Collins Land SLurl (Rated: Adult)
• SL Destinations in this blog

Since coming across Jac Mornington’s work, first with Baja Norte and then with Sol Existence, I’ve been trying to keep an eye out for news on other regions he’s had / having a hand in. At the end of July, Ziki Questi blogged that he’s been working on Black Basalt Beach, Rosy Highwater’s Homestead region of Brandy Wine Island.

Since then, the region has gained the attention of a number of bloggers, and I’ve been trying to resist the temptation to immediately hop over myself and blogging. Trouble is, Jac’s work is to much of a temptation…

As one would expect from a project which includes Jac’s hand, Black Basalt Beach is a stunning landscape; a rocky island with a long, sweeping beach on its west side, a tall lighthouse standing guard over rocky outcrops, and tall waterfalls tumbling from the cliff tops above. Everywhere the attention to detail is amazing – and equal credit should go to Rosy as well for this, as the region is very much a collaborative piece developed by her and Jac.

Walk along the beach and you’ll come across all kinds of detail – a bicycle rezzer for those wishing to ease their walking while they explore, pelicans patrolling the water near the lighthouse and basking on pier and sand, cormorants watching proceedings from the rocks, and plenty of places to sit alone or with a companion or companions and watch the world go by.

The lighthouse, reached via wooden pier, offers an wonderful view of the island, and there are walks to be followed, both on the beach and via wooden walkways, leading to more delights and treasures to be found.

Follow the wooden walkways around to the south side of the island and you are led through a deep, narrow gorge which cuts-off the south-east corner of the island from the rest. Here stone stairs lead you upwards to precarious-looking wooden bridges which allow you access to the isolated corner of the island and to also reach the top of the island, where there is even more to see.

Up on the top of the island, overlooking the beach, is a Skyline Drive house by Van Auster, perfectly positioned to offer dramatic views to the west, south and north. It is of a cantilevered design which I think it fair to say would have the blessings of Frank Lloyd Wright. The house appears to be open to the public – there are no “keep out” signs of privacy signs outside, and there is a tip jar inside – and it’s worth taking time to go visit; the views from inside are both eye-catching and breathtaking, and the furnishings, etc., complement it perfectly – I particularly like the drafting table with floor plans, which (for me at least) offered a nice little nod to Mr. Lloyd Wright.

Make sure you do take time to explore the rest of the upper reaches of the island; the attention to detail here again makes it well-worth the effort. There are paths to follow, more bridges to cross and touches which will raise a smile (and a camera) wherever they are found.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been envious – I mean really envious of people’s designs and builds in SL (giving up my land holdings was, after all, my own choice), but I have to say that visiting Black Basalt Beach is one of those occasions where I found myself thinking I could really live in a place like this in SL. Liara Okiddo’s Garden of Eden was the last place to get my creative juices flowing as I explored, and Black Basalt Beach did much the same. Not that I’m ever likely to once again take-up a large-scale land holding in SL; but both the design here and Liara’s work have me thinking that it might be fun to once again have a suitable parcel where I can have a little play around.

At the risk of a further deviation away from Black Basalt Beach, one thing I have been doing of late is trying to work through my list of SL destinations (found until the Reviews > Virtual Destinations menu at the top of this blog’s pages) and determine what is still open, what has been revised since my last visit and what has, sadly, vanished for one reason or another. I think it is more-or-less up-to-date, although I know that without regular curation it’s liable to fall behind the times again. I’ll endeavour to keep an eye on it around once a quarter in order to keep things up-to-date.

But that’s the thing with a world as dynamic as Second Life. Things are always changing, and there are always new places to visit as well as old places to return to. All of them can so easily become favourites and entice you back again and again, while other you promise yourself you’ll return to, only to find that when you eventually do, they’ve gone. It can make exploring Second Life hard work, even with a good part of stout boots, and when you’re confronted with a place as beautiful and inviting as Black Basalt Beach, there is a huge temptation just to sit and rest and watch and enjoy.

Which is probably why, should you drop by Rosy’s island, you’ll likely find me idling the hours sitting in one of the hanging chairs in the glass house, or perched with the puffins, watching the tide ebb and flow.

Very thoroughly recommended.

Related Links

• Black Basalt Beach SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Sol Existence review
• Baja Norte review
• SL Destinations in this blog

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A new entry popped-up in the Photogenic Spots of the Destination Guide recently. Bitacora Land is the brainchild of Serenity Goizane, one of the founders of the Spanish SL travelogue, Bitacora Viajera, and the winner of the official SL10B photo contest.

A Homestead region, Bitacora certainly has a lot for the SL traveller to see, all very cleverly presented and offering a range of photo opportunities, as well as featuring a number of very familiar motifs and objects for those who do spend a fair amount of time exploring Second Life.

The arrival point delivers you to a clifftop picnic area with a nearby barn / stables. This overlooks a small village square which in turn overlooks a quayside and some sail boats nestled in a sheltered harbour. An opening in the ground, while somewhat grave-like in appearance, leads to a network of tunnels which can be used to reach various parts of the region, including the village square by means of actually walking under it and then flying / jumping up a set of quayside steps. Or, if you’re feeling energetic, you can scramble down the cliff-side and slide down the roof of one of the buildings :).

The village square offers itself as a place to meet friends and sit and chat. Unusually, none of the buildings are shops or stores (they are all shells backing into the surrounding cliffs). and the square offers an eclectic set of photo opportunities. Gates at one end lead to a little children’s play area.

Follow the tunnels to their various destinations and you’ll find a number of beaches, each with its own little theme – such as one featuring a disco and live music stage, another with a beach house standing out over the water, surf boards propped up against it, and so on.

Above ground, things are equally interesting, with high cliffs and mesa connected by wooden bridges (in places), with a church and balloon ride atop one, the aforementioned barn on another and a hot air balloon on another together with some chairs suspended under what I assume to be helium-filled balloons for the daring!

The high lie of the land has echoes of a number of places I’ve visited recently, all of which seem to be taking the land upwards to create gorges and valleys into which the designer then builds, Wendy Xeno’s Hazardous perhaps being the most popular example. Here, the approach is enhanced through the use of Grand Canyon sim surround which works very well with the overall design of the region, and gives a good deal of additional natural depth to the build.

There are echoes of other regions as well; perhaps the most obvious being the name of the region appearing in large stone letters overlooking the village square, which is very mindful of the big SMILE standing on It All Starts with a Smile. Railway tracks leading out into the water also remind one of other popular places the seasoned SL traveller may well have come across.

Which is not to say that Bitacora is merely an ad-hoc series of ideas copied from other regions. Everything here comes together, albeit a little haphazardly, into a complete whole which is unique unto itself. As such, the echoes of other regions and places in SL are, I think it fair to say, intended as little homages rather than attempts to copy. Hence the use of balloons in the stone-carved name, or the positioning of the little trawler at the end of the railway line leading out into one of the region’s bays.

I would perhaps have liked to see more means by which one could get to see all the various parts of the region without the need to resort to flying – there are some cliff-top aspects which appear to be inaccessible unless you do fly – but this is just a quibble on my part, and if you have a look beforehand, any flying can be kept to a minimum and leave you with plenty still to explore using your pedal extremities.

All-in-all an interesting place to visit, with plenty of opportunities for the photographer, and more than a few places for the romantics to sit and enjoy one another’s company, and for the gregarious to meet others.

Related Links

• Bitacora Land main SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Bitacora Land village square
• Bitacora Viajera website
• SL Destinations in this blog

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I have to say up front that the title of this piece sounds like some kind of band; “And here they are for your entertainment! Jasimine Hollow annnnnnnd the Dirty Grind!”. Given that the Dirty Grind is actually a music venue, then perhaps the mental image is not so far out of place.

Located on the region of Fender, Jasmine’s Hollow is in fact a rural environment nestled between surrounding mountains, watched over by steampunk-esque contraptions and sky islands (the latter the home of the Dirty Grind itself).

Created by Lisa Witt (aka (jasmine0alaya), the region is a curious mixture of the photogenic, and is open to visitors and friends alike; “All who love the magic of nature & warmth of friends and loved ones are welcome”, the notes in About Land read in part. I say “curious” not because it looks odd or anything, but rather because there are so many different influences at work here, all of which blend together into a seamless – and pleasing – whole.

The arrival point puts you in what appears to be a little village square, in the midst of which sits a hint of the region’s steampunk leanings. The square offers information boards, places to sit and ivy-covered brick arches to wander through and start your explorations of the surrounding land, which is split into three islands, the one with the village square being the largest.

A set of gates to the south side of the village area take you out onto the grasslands beyond the wall, where more of the steampunk influences can be seen; strange machines float in the air beyond a hill with an oddly scarred top and on which sits the wreck or ruin of a strange metal vehicle or building.

Everywhere there are touches like this, serving as a reminder that this is no ordinary setting. Some are a little threatening, like those strange industrial objects (a third is sitting in the water behind the hill, looking like some other-worldly drilling rig). Others are charming in their beauty, such as Cherry Manga’s lovely Streampunk butterfly sculpture sitting alongside the one of the paths leading from the village square under one of the brick archways.

There are houses here, but I don’t believe any are private residences. One of them is the adorable LAQ Decor cottage I fell in love with a while ago, and may yet end up owning … somewhere. A couple of the others are similarly familiar, one of which graces both Chic Aeon’s Machinima Open Studio Project and The Noble Storybook and is another design I like, this time by Cory Edo.

Explore the landscape with care, there are a lot of lovely touches to find; some of which are surprisingly easy to miss. When you think you’re done, you can hop up to the Dirty Grind, floating over the region. Despite its name, the venue is anything but dirty and looks like a fun place to visit, although there was no entertainment going on when I visited.

Carefully blended with a sim surround of hills and snow-capped mountains, and with off-sim elements carefully placed to add to the overall depth of the experience, this is a region which has been very well put together and which is both picturesque and photogenic.

If you do opt to have a little wander around – do be careful with the balloon ride and be sure to heed the advice it gives you – or wear a parachute of your own :).

Related Links

• Jasmine Hollow SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• SL Destinations in this blog

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