Category: Exploring Second Life

Occupying a Full private region utilising the LI bonus, Cap Thunderbird is held by Buzz Thunderbird (BuzzFlashMcQueen) and offered as a public setting for all who wish to visit. It is a location of two distinct halves, separated by a high curtain of cliffs cutting almost completely across the region from west to east, but each half nevertheless equally accessible to the other, and both fully open to visitors to appreciate and explore.

The main landing point sits within the southern half of the region, which has been designed by Buzz as a wedding venue and parklands. Whlist the wedding setting offers plenty to see, it is northern part of the region on which I wish to focus. This can be reached by teleporting over the cliffs – there is no hard-and-fast landing point – or by crossing the bridge from the main landing point and then heading west, past the wedding pavilion before re-crossing the stream and following the path under the stone arches and around the western feet of the cliffs.

This northern part of the region is presented as a romantic park with something of a water theme. It is rich in detail and – for me at least – somewhat mindful in part of places such as Yorkshire’s Fountains Abbey (even though there is no direct similarity), thanks to the large ruins sitting along the west side of the region. Built using elements from The Chapel Ruins from The Looking Glass (and a personal favourite of mine, having frequently adorned my island home).

Buzz’s build makes good use of elements from the Chapel, allowing an extensive structure to be put togethe without any sense of repetition. It sits before a body of water cutting into the landscape, the drowned pillar and walls of more ruins (also re-uses of the TLG Chapel Ruins) rising above the waves as if gasping for air.

Nor is the abbey the only gathering of ruins; across the waters of the inlet and over the grasslands to the east sits a further ruin. Its thick walls suggest it may have once served a defensive purpose – although the wide window bays say otherwise, as do the buttresses that still support parts of its remaining walls, both speaking to this having also been a religious building. These ruins are abutted by the remnants of a water mill. Of wooden construction, it stands roofless but with wheel intact and steadfastly turning in opposition to the waters of the stream passing below.

Offering a step-by-step description of what to see / where to go isn’t really useful here, given teleports within the region are so open – but there are various points of interest that should be noted. The first is that the main landing point can furbish visitors with a teleport HUD.

Whilst somewhat on the large size, given its functionality, the latter allows visitors to hop to a number of points of interest in the region, including the Hidden Gardens and the Underwater setting, located beneath the waters of the inlet. A further location available via the HUD and also directly via a board at the region’s main landing point, is Desolation, a small diorama sitting in the sky.

Birds and waterfowl have clearly made this park their home and can be found throughout, whilst deer roam the grasslands. Across the landscape lie pools and lakes of flowers adding broad swathes of colour to the setting, some of them caught in the shimmering fall of beams of light.

The latter fall from a sky which (together with some of the wildlife) betray this place as not being a part of England’s northern counties, but somewhere otherworldly. Cloud-like in form, this sky is cut by an arc of brilliant white, whilst beneath the cloudly backdrop hang sparking points of light, perhaps stars set againts the cloudy grey of a nebula, whilst as the time passes, so the arcs of Moons (or other planets) can at time be seen.

Those wishing to explore this land via other means than using their pedal extremities can do so using the teleport HUD already mentioned, or by using the little motorboat to putter around the waters, or partake of a flying bubble available from the rezzer hidden amongst the trees, or via a sedate ride in a hot air balloon. The latter two offer the means to hop up and over the cliffs separating the two sides of the region, thus offering an alternate means of exploring both.

With multiple places to sit and relax, and finished with a suitable soundscape, Cap Thunderbird offers a relaxed and romantic setting with multiple opportunities for photography and – of course- an engaging wedding venue. My thanks (as ever!) to Shawn Shakespeare for the landmark!

SLurl Details

Serena Riviera is rated Moderate

• Cap Thunderland main landing point
• Cap Thunderbird Park (mind the snappy squirrels!)

The Realm of Rosehaven  (operated by SelenaAnansi and Serra Anansi) is one of the oldest fantasy / medieval themed residential and role-play communities in Second Life. Totalling 15 regions, it offers a rich mix of private and public spaces, it is a place with much to see and discover; a place that can be called home by those with a focus on fantasy.

We offer you a place to hang your hat, rest your feet, and let the stress of the outside world fade away in a fantasy British Isles styled setting.  Architecture and themes are inspired by fairy tales, lore, myths, and possibly your dreams.  Medieval and fantasy clothing is welcomed and encouraged; however, there is no set dress code.

Rosehaven is a land of magic and dreams – the living embodiment of imagination and creativity, where humans, elves, fae, shapeshifters, and other creatures can peacefully coexist among the mist-covered lands.

– From the Realm of Rosehaven website

I was drawn to the estate after learning about the extensive network of caves, caverns, tunnels and places of mystery and magic which offer the Second Life explorer much to see and – well, explore.

This is a network with many points of entry (and exit!), which exists underground, under the sea and in the air, the various elements linked by an experience which allows for relatively seamless teleport movement between locales. Given the multiple points of entry, how and where a traveller may come by the system is a part of the fun of discovery; it might be a case of noticing a shadowed archway between houses and then walking through it, or finding a ladder leading down into the bowels of the earth from the basement of a public building, or even the ornate doors at the foot of a cliff which open at the touch of a hand rather than the utterance of “Mellon!”

For the purposes of my explorations, I opted to go the easy way – via the entrance below the Temple of the Oracle at Clair View Ruins (designed by designed by Snow Kelley). Step through the stained glass of the portal, and your voyage begins at the Cavern of Inner Wisdom; pay attention to local chat for a clue on how to proceed – but before you do move onwards, take the time to explore the halls built within the cavern. And when you are ready to travel onwards, don’t be fooled when confronted by an apparent blank face of rock after following the Cavern’s whispered instructions.

Beyond this first cavern lies an underground fortification, a place of hewn and shaped stone walls, where broad stairways of wood and stone connect different levels and long halls and shadowed arches hint at further destinations. Designed and built by Talus Ravenheart, it sits as a kind of hub with multiple opportunities of onwards exploration. But again, before stepping through any of the archways, take a moment to explore the passages also offered, because again there are places here to be discovered: catacombs with the memory of one passed, a broken wall leading to natural caves beyond which in turn lead to further secrets and spaces awaiting discovery.

Such is the nature of this “hub” (for want of a better term), that describing what might come next is impossible, thanks to the multiplicity of options for onward travel available. And even if there were a proscribed route, providing a blow-by blow description of what might be found would spoil the experience of exploring the cave and caverns for yourself. Suffice it to say that as you select arches and routes and shaded tunnels, so might you find yourself in the abode of a practitioner of magic or the hideaway of pirates or tunnels adorned with crystals, leading the way to elven halls – or more besides; each one designed by one or more of the residents of Rosehaven, and thus given an individual flavour.

Along the way it is possible to come across interactive elements in various places and rooms as well – so should you find yourself in, say, a cellar where grapes are pressed into wine (to name but one) – be sure to mouse-over anything that looks like it might not actually fit with the rest of the room / cavern. Also, given that any route might lead you to an alley or dungeon or gateway or stairs leading to the world beyond the caves, the tunnels offer a unique means for discovering and exploring public spaces within the broader Realm; just remember that teleports into the network may not always be a portal or hidden in shadow; some might lie behind an innocent-looking door…

Whether used for exploration or for role-lay, the caves of Rosehaven add a further dimension to this engaging community, and are more than worth a visit.

SLurl Details and Links

• Clair View Ruins (The Realm of Rosehaven estate is rated Moderate)
• Realm of Rosehaven website
• Realm of Rosehaven events calendar

On the advice of the Destination Guide – and also to give Firestorm 6.6.3 with the Lab’s Performance Improvements something of an exercise, I hopped over to Sainte Rose sur Mer. This is the 21,000+ square metre parcel designed and held by Dandy Warhlol (terry Fotherington) occupying most of the eastern aspect of a Full private region that has the additional Land Capacity bonus available for use by those renting there, and which I last visited in December 2021.

At the time of that visit I noted that Sainte Rose sur Mer presented “a refreshing break from the current round of winter-themed regions by presenting visitors with a little corner of Mediterranean France with a beach to the southern aspect … and a coastal, almost rustic corner of a town … that offers little walks and corners to explore”.

This is still very much the case with the updated design for the setting, which sits now dressed for the autumnal season. within it, there is much that echoes the look and feel of the former design in terms of architecture and layout, something that gives an overall sense that this is a further, and previously unseen, part of that little town Dandy first revealed to us in late 2021.

The landing point is located towards the south-east corner of the build, at a point where a small cobbled square opens to one side to overlook what might have once been a natural cove, but which has been built up over the years such that it now sits as a home to little wharves and a tiny, trapped shingle beach. Facing this overlook from the opposite side of the cobbles is one of the entrances to the BarDeco club.

Always a staple of Dandy’s personal builds, BarDeco here retains its open-air look and feel, sitting within a large courtyard area now bounded on all sides by buildings and high walls. It has an attractive, ramshackle look to it which is always instantly engaging – a hallmark of the BarDeco designs over the years -, the broken floors of the upper level suggesting that at least part of the area occupied by the club might have once been roofed over, although what it may have housed if so is entirely a matter for the imagination.

Bracketing the club to either side are two south-north thoroughfares which between them offer routes of exploration. The first of these, which includes the cobbled landing point, connects the southern beach and the tall form of houses, hotels and beachfront places of business overlooking it, with a small “residential” area (not rentals, just a grouping of publicly-accessible houses) at the northern end of the setting. In doing so, it passes through a cosy street of little businesses and tall townhouses, arched gateways and tunnels denoting the limits of their influence.

Along this street are reminders of the prior iteration of Sainte Rose sur Mer I visited in December 2021 – the steps gently connecting the different levels of the town, the gateways, the little stone bridge (now rubbing shoulders with building either side of it) which now takes the street down to the narrow little Rue du Petit Pont. This narrow street runs behind the local hotel and parallel to the beach before opening out into an fountained square which in turn links to the raised waterfront and the beach beyond.

Steps on the far side of this square rise up to another terrace, also with its own fountain.  Backed by local residences, it has clearly been laid claim to by cats, birds and children. Steps on the same side as those leading up to it, but without any gated access, drop back down to provide access to the second of the north-south thoroughfares.

This second route is more informal in nature, being marked not by cobbles but by gravel pools and paths which both sit alongside two further entrances to BarDeco and  also meander northwards past gazebos and trees and over bubbling streams to reach a stone and steel framed greenhouse. Imposing is size and form, this greenhouse carries an air of having once been a proud garden feature, complete with its own clock marking the passage of time; now sits in the midst of a wildling garden, apparently now the house of occasional piano recitals.

Both garden and pond – which has a large deck extending over its southern side from the bank just below the greenhouse – offer a picturesque view over to the gardens of the houses at the northern end of the setting. The latter can actually be reached by means of a little bridge and rock path which skirt around the west side of the water to pass by way of an old gatehouse tower. At the houses, an overgrown alley running between two of them leads visitors back to the cobbled “main” street, thus allowing them to literally circumnavigate the entire setting from landing point back to landing point.

As is the way with Dandy’s build, there is a richness of details to be found here throughout, and there are a lot of nooks and crannies and little side passages and alleys to be exploring I haven’t touched upon in this piece.

Normally, the high level of attention to detail can lead to hits on viewer FPS. While this is still the case in places with this build, thanks to LL’s performance improvements, I found I needed to jiggle with settings a lot less than has often been the case when dropping into Dandy’s builds (although I did have to derender a lot of the mesh rain sheets, as these have always been a bane to my PC).

Picturesque, rich in the use of local sounds and with much to see appreciate and photograph, Sainte Rose sur Mer remains an engaging destination.

SLurl Details

• Sainte Rose sur Mer & BarDeco (Sereno Bay, Moderate)

I think I’ve sort-of hinted at the fact that I’m something of a Tolkien fan once or twice (at least!) in this blog, and with Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power now showing on Amazon Prime as a charting of the Second Age of Middle Earth, I thought I’d bounce my way over to Fellowship Falls, a Full region utilising the private region land capacity bonus to present a setting that offers an engaging mix of elements from Tolkien’s novels with some hidden extras.

Designed by Celerdir (Chappers101), the region is described thus within its About Land description:

An Elven & Tolkien-inspired sim where all free folk are welcome. Rez a horse to ride through the forest and over hills and make your way to Rivendell. Also explore The Labyrinth of Light…an underground maze of lights that leads to the Fantasy Forest.

The landing point sits tucked right into the south-west corner of the region, where information on the design can be found – and it is worth a read. Not only is Celerdir still relatively new to Second Life, having been active for less than 18 months at the time of writing, Fellowship Falls is also his first region build; and it is more than a creditable design, being very well put together for both Second Life explorers and photographers, regardless of any specific knowledge or interest in matters Tolkien.

From the landing point, the region is set out in a manner to encourage exploration either on foot or horseback. Trails run from the landing point into the setting at large, while those pressed for time might make use of the stone teleport discs to hop to the major locations – although I’d recommend against this, as it risks missing  a lot of the region’s beauty.

The north side of the region is given over to Rivendell (aka Imladris aka the Last Homely House, the seat of Elrond half-elven during the Third Age). Whilst surrounded by off-region mountains, it sits atop a rocky table of land separated from the rest of the region by a deep valley.

This might give some Tolkien purists cause to frown, given Tolkien states Rivendell sits within a hidden valley – but this is a region inspired by Tolkien, not representative necessarily of his world as encountered in book and film. As it is Rivendell has a suitably elven feel to it, with a richness of character strongly suggestive of an elven enclave.

The trail climbing up through the hills to reach Rivendell passes over a couple of bridges, one of which sits below a hilltop marked by ruins which look to have been built by the hands of men rather than elves. A broad stone causeway, this bridge is guarded at one end by the presence of the Argonath, the Pillars of the Kings. Again, for Tolkien purists, this might seem anachronistic, but here the scaled-down figures of Isildur and Anárion (I’m sticking with the books here, rather than the films) work.

The reason for Rivendell being set so high is provided in the region’s description – the Labyrinth of Night. I’ll leave to you to find the entrance, but will suggest you should take time exploring the tunnels of the labyrinth, as there is more than the forest awaiting discovery, including a further Tolkien echo, this one from The Hobbit, this one a reminder of what lay deep in the halls of Erebor and gave rise to Thorin Oakenshield’s Quest.

This is where my one small quibble with the setting lay – not in what is presented, but in the fact that the tunnels of the labyrinth are best experienced with the viewer set to Midnight – but given the layout of this part of the region, it could have been parcelled and set so that the tunnels have their own low-level EEP, making them a little more immersive. But this is a very, very minor quibble.

It is clear that throughout the region considerable love and consideration have been poured into is creation, with many small touches awaiting discovery; there are also many places offering visitors a chance to sit and pass the time. Finished with a local sound scape (one that can be a little interrupted by the surprise in the labyrinth!) and sitting beneath a rich sky (not seen in the images here), Fellowship Falls offers a richness of exploration and photography waiting to be appreciated – so be sure to visit soon!

SLurl Details

• Fellowship Falls (Aspire, rated Moderate)

Shawn Shakespeare recently pointed me towards Lavender Bay, a Homestead region designed by Clifton Howlett, working with Camilla Lupono.

Cliff is formerly one of the creative hands that brought us the likes of Hidden Lake (more here), Hidden Bottle (which I wrote about here and here)  and the celebrations of the Zamonia series of books by German comic creator and author, Walter Moers, The Empire of Dreaming Books (see here and here for more). Given this heritage, I was keen to see what might be found at Lavender Bay.

Perhaps the easiest way to convey the setting is is quote from the About Land description / introductory note card available at the Lavender Bay Landing Point:

Welcome to Lavender Bay.

A SIM inspired by the Italian Tuscany. Make yourself at home and find your new favourite photo spot.

– From the introductory note card for Lavender Bay

From this, it’s easy to guess that Lavender Bay is a place that is easy on the eye and engaging to the camera lens.

Located on the west side of the region on a small sandy headland, the landing point provides a keen senses of the region’s core theme – as a place of relaxation : several places to sit and takes things easy lay within in a few short paces away. Also close by is a boardwalk that climbs over the rocky south extent of the the headland and the bridge spanning a narrow gorge separating the headland from the rest of the region.

The main part of the region offers exactly what its name suggests: a richness of lavender;  some of which is being cultivated within a large field rolling away from a hilltop farm villa, some of which is growing wild lavender which climbs the remaining hills of the island, mixing its colours with wild flowers.

The easiest way to explore the region is to take the track that winds up to the villa from the bridge, and the path running down the hill from the villa, paralleling the lavender field before climbing the hill to the ruins of what might have once been the original farmhouse, from whence an old, broken cobbled path climbs the tallest hill on the island to the local windmill.

Throughout all of this there is much to see, all of which is easy on the eye and presents multiple places to sit, relax and appreciate the region’s natural looks and beauty – and one or two places that offer the more unusual ways to sit (keep an eye out for the wooden chair being held aloft just off the coast by a single balloon.

Finished with a subtle soundscape, Lavender Bay is another place that requires little in the way of description and it speaks loudly for itself – so do be sure to hop over and appreciate it first-hand.

SLurl Details

• Lavender Bay (MissLaura, rated: Adult)

Now open once more in Second Life is Storybook, held and designed by Natalie Starlight and Nessa Nova. It is a setting, alongside of their Lost Unicorn I have long loved because I have always found both to be personally appealing with each visit I’ve made over the years, and because they are so visually rich and imaginative. Hence the multiple appearances of both within these pages, together with the Lost Unicorn Gallery.

The region started life in 2018 as Storybook Forest, and was immediately captivating in the manner in which it embraced the universe of fairy tales (as I wrote about in September 2018); and it set its tone with a quote that perfectly defined all that awaited visitors as they set out to explore its many paths:

If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.

– Albert Einstein

After also two years of continuous life, Storybook endured a brief closure in mid-2020 before re-emerging in a new form a few months later, only to remain conspicuous by its absence when Lost Unicorn itself was rebuilt and re-opened in March 2022. I was therefore overjoyed to receive a personal invitation from Nessa to drop in and see the new Storybook design as it was being prepared for its official Grand (Re)-Opening.

It took a while to rebuild Storybook after our two previous versions, but we promise you it’s better than ever! All your favourite fairy tales are represented in a gorgeous forest. Picture perfect spots around every corner, loads to explore, both on land and underwater. Come prepared to take pictures, we will be introducing a Photo Contest as well!

– Nessa Nova in her invitation to visit the new Storybook

Sharing its Full Region home with the Lost Unicorn Gallery – which, in celebration of its Grand Opening is playing host to a special exhibition of art by Jeanette StellaMarina (LoredanaStMa) within its first floor display area – Storybook is a rich re-imagining of the original, brining back many of the popular fairy tale vignettes from that 2018 and 2020 builds, as well as ordering new touches of its own.

The landing point is located on an octagonal terrace sitting at the foot of the grand staircase leading up the great halls of the Lost Unicorn Gallery. The latter is located on its own island around which the rest of the region curls protective arms, a broad bridge spanning the waters between the gallery and the land,  connecting the landing point (which can also be used to host open-air events) with a town square those who remember the original Storybook will likely find familiar.

Here the shops are packed with detail, and the townsfolk are invariably cuddly – although as most are going about their daily business, permission might best besought before any grabbing and cuddling goes on! The town is also where details of the Grand Opening photo contest can be obtained by those wishing to participate, whilst Mary Poppins keep an eye on things from overhead.

Within the wider setting are paths and trails leading to little scenes some might find familiar – such as a certain Tea Party or a rowing boat occupied by an infamous one-handed Captain (and followed by a certain crocodile, clock held in its jaws!). Elsewhere visitors might come across Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood (looking oddly friendly with the BIG wolf), or Cinderella, the Queen of Hearts, Sleeping Beauty, the Darling Family, Snow White (in repose and surrounded by friends) and more.

Also awaiting discovery is the storybook circle, where visitors can relax around a campfire and enjoy a good book or two  – although not necessarily by reading them! Not far away, within a little cove, people can also enjoy a ride on a whale’s back, or drop under water to a little mer-retreat – one of several under the waves, and which are connected one to the next along the channels that run through the region and also separate it from Lost Unicorn to the north.

When exploring, do keep an eye out for the interactive elements. Not just the places to sit – mouseover objects carefully, as you never know where you might find a waiting pose, be it peeking around a line of giant books or floating serenely above an oyster under the sea, or something else. Travel far enough, and you might get to find yourself on a yellow brick road or have the opportunity to “borrow” Prince Charming’s horse.

And also in your explorations, keep an eye out for the signage along the way, as many will provide you with a wealth of information on the tales by which they reside – information which may be familiar, but which also may make for new reading for you are not familiar with the full richness of European folk tales.

Obviously, given all that has been packed within the region, some viewer adjustments might be necessary (I personally switched my viewer down to a draw distance of 70 metres – given the forested nature of the region, this lost me little in the way of the detail but did help me boost FPS quite comfortably), and some things might require a little time for their textures to render. But these are minor points of niggle, easily put aside in the face of the sheer beauty and charm of the setting.

Once again completed with its own EEP settings and bearing a custom sounds cape, Storybook is a place heart both young and old can visit and appreciate, and find much that will being a smile to the lips and  – perhaps – a song or two to mind!

SLurl Details

• Storybook (Lost Unicorn Gallery, rated Moderate)