Category: Reviews

It’s been almost four years since the last time I visited Walsh County, the Homestead region designed by Randonee Noel (see: Walsh County’s changing seasons in Second Life), so when Moon Cloud contacted me to tell me there had been an “incident” there which needed investigating, I decided to don my Dana Mulder disguise (see what I did there? 🙂 ) and head off to take a look.

Walsh County takes its name and inspiration from the North Dakota county of the same name, a place describing itself as “a land of prairies, croplands, river valleys, and rolling hills.” As one might expect from this, the actual Walsh County derives most of its income from farming – crops, together with beef, dairy cattle and swine.

Walsh County (SL) very much reflects the first of these farming influences, presenting a simple but effective setting of rolling croplands around a pair of fields (the region itself) where the crops are either being grown or harvested (at least during my previous visits!). Not much has changed in this respect when arriving in the region – except it’s now night, rather than day. The fields are there, crops growing,  the land apparently peacefully, the familiar tree and water hole sitting within the larger of the two fields as it lay bounded on two sides by unpaved roads (or tracks). But A simple look up with reveal something unusual; whilst the familiar forms of clouds are draped are draped here and there under a canopy of stars, the sense of a serene summer’s night is tilted sideways by the fact the entire sky is – cue that theme music) – casts in an eerie green tint, complete with a faint glow!

Arrive at the right time and whilst looking out across the sky, you might spot an aerial vehicle retreating into the sky (if not, never fear, it will be back soon enough to let you spot it!), having just buzzed one or other of the two fields as if if crop dusting or engaged in aerial topdressing – but who does either at night? More particularly, who does that at night whilst flying a saucer-like vehicle with a domed canopy and sans wings? No, this craft has an altogether different intent than the innocent pursuit of crop=caring. Indeed, one might say that it is patrolling the sky.

As to why it might be patrolling over the fields, well that answer might be the fact that a somewhat larger craft of a similar style is busily helping itself to a sample of the local diary produce – by which I mean it is hauling aloft by way of a tractor beam a poor cow. Nor does this appear to be a singular event; there is much evidence to suggest these craft have been around before. Tables have been set-out with food and drink on the road close by, with bunting strung between tall posts, balloons, and much sign of merry-making. The revellers (whomever they might be) also seem to have come prepared for a potentially length shindig-come-vigil: a pair of  portaloos (as we often call them in the UK) also being present.

Quite where everyone has gone is unclear. Maybe the party ended and they staggered home; or maybe something started them. Whatever the reason, the table and its detritus did fleetingly put me in mind of the scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with the folk up on the Indiana hillside awaiting the return of their strange aerial guests – although in that case, what did turn up wasn’t quite so mysterious or other-worldly as found here.

Nor is that all for the setting. Along the road from the landing point sits a Winnebago-style camper (with room to sit within) and apparently parked for the night. Whether attracted to the spot by the strange goings-on over the field, or as a result of the Cadillac Ranch-like installation of vehicles on the other side of the track, I’ll leave to you to decide.  Those who fancy more than walking around might want to ignore the Road Closed sign next to the landing point and head west to where a go-kart rezzer awaits those wishing to add their own noises (and mayhem?! 🙂 ) to the setting.

With these hints of CE3, The X Files (and doubtless other films / series you could mention), this iteration of Walsh County presents a fun setting in the same easy-to-explore vein of previous iterations of the location, with opportunities for photography and fun.

SLurl Details

• Walsh County (Campton, rated General)

I last visited [REN], the engaging parcel designed and held by Noa (Noa Cloud) in May 2023 (see here for more), so a return visit has been well overdue. At the time I last dropped in, the setting covered a little under 13,000 square metres within a Full Mainland region. Whilst still in the same location, [REN] has expanded to a touch over 19,000 square metres and has gained a further sky setting as well.

One of the things I’ve always enjoyed with Noa’s work is the blending of ideas and influences he brings to [REN], and this was much in evidence when I made my return in August 2024. This is evident from the moment one touches down at the landing point.

Overlooking the western coastline of the setting from the top of a high shoulder of rock, the landing point looks north across a shallow bay to where a castle with a Norman look and feel sits on a high promontory of rock being slowly eaten into by the sea far below, whilst immediately to the south, Torri gates mark the presence of a rope bridge spanning a narrow but deep gorge to reach a neatly laid-out garden area front a Japanese shrine, complete with a little gift shop where actual gifts can be obtained.

The gorge appears to have been cut by a mix of the tide working its way inland against the rock and waterfalls cutting their way towards the sea. Deep and narrow, it contains a little secret spot of its own – although I’m not sure entirely how to reach it directly; while a ladder descends into the gorge at one end, it didn’t appear climbable and I didn’t spot a direct TP or anything (but could’ve missed it!), so just did a double-click TP hop.

Northwards from the landing point (I leave you to wander the little woodland on the landward side of the landing point) stairways descend to the lowlands behind the by, offering a route to the castle up on its high perch and also further inland to the gardens proper. The castle can be reached in one of two ways: via the steps up to the courtyard, or for the keen-eyed, via the entrance to what might otherwise be the entrance to catacombs (the latter may require acceptance of the local teleport experience).

The castle gives an opportunity to explore its rooms, enjoy music and a dance or indulge in a game of Wanderlust (although the drinks trolley might make playing interesting! Music is very much a theme throughout the setting (no pun intended!); opportunities to dance can be found throughout, pianos are to be found throughout, together with other instruments awaiting discovery.

A second stairway provides a way up to the setting’s expansive gardens. These offer a captivating mix of locations, starting with the pavilion-like greenhouse where more the aforementioned music can be heard and dances enjoyed. Walks meander through the gardens and the trees. Following any of these will bring visitors to at least one point of interest – if not more – and the potential to find more semi-hidden teleports.

Some of the points of interest include 3D art elements, delightful waterfalls, a small lake, picnic spots and places to sit and places to sit and pass the time. Also awaiting visitors are the teleport boards (again, requiring acceptance of the local experience, if you haven’t already) waiting to carry visitors to the sky platforms within the setting.

One of these is the Gallery and its courtyard café. As I’ve also mentioned in the past, Noa is a gifted landscape photographer, and the gallery presents people with the opportunity to appreciate his work and collect his his gifts if so minded. Spread across the two floors of the gallery, the art is laid out in such a way as to offer a relaxing walk whilst enjoying it.

The second sky destination is the cinema salon and gardens. Caught under a glowing full Moon, this space offers exactly what its name suggests: a salon-style cinema showing a film recorded within the main gardens and, along side it, a formal garden space laid out around and over water features and with a fine dining area on its far side from the cinema. Also tucked away here, and possibly private given its location is an outdoor photo studio.

One of the many aspects of the setting I like is the way in which Noa has used the rocky curtain around three sides of the garden and cinema. These closely match the rocks and cliffs down on the ground level, helping to give the impression that – night-time ambience aside – the sky platform is still part of the ground-level setting.

[REN] is always a delight to visit, and this iteration is no exception. Whether you wish to capture it in photographs, want a place to enjoy a romantic time with some close, or simply enjoy time exploring all the setting has to offer.

SLurl Details

• [REN] (Strutter rated Moderate)

Winchester Harbor is a magnificent Full region design by Lilly Blackwood with the support of her SL and RL partner William Winchester, who performs the role the region’s Harbour Master. I was fortunate to come across it recently after poking the Destination Guide, and the description there immediately piqued my curiosity.

Winchester Harbour is a mysterious abandoned fishing outpost in the North Atlantic Sea, suspended in time, and cloaked in eternal Autumn. It’s home to lush forests, waterfalls, a river, grass fields, and several haunted places. Enjoy a brew at the Harbour Bar, or sit atop the lighthouse and enjoy the views! There is much to see for those who love to explore.

– Winchester Harbor’s Destination Guide entry

I say “magnificent” as Winchester Harbor is a genuine feast for the eyes and camera; the care and love with which it has been put together has to be witnessed first-hand to be fully appreciated. The landscape is marvellous, the detailing both indoors and out sublime, and the blending of elements exquisite, all neatly wrapped within a sense of mystery edged with the occult and presented in (at the time of my visit at least – I’ve honestly no idea if it changes with the seasons) the perfect autumnal feel.

While the Destination Guide description indicates the setting is “in” the North Atlantic, suggesting a group of islands (something perhaps supported by the lack of region surround), to me the Winchester Harbor evoked thoughts of a coastal location, perhaps along the New England coast of the United States – and not because of any thoughts of Winchester, New Hampshire – or across the border in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. Of  course, it could be anywhere, either side of the Atlantic, but it was thought of New England that tickled my imagination at times when I was wandering around and taking-in all that the setting has to offer.

The bulk of the region forms an extensive land mass richly wooded throughout, with four smaller islands bracketing it from three corners (one with a further little island tucked away out-of-sight behind it, and counted separately for reasons I’ll come to in a moment). In fact, given the stream running through the main landmass from from south-west to north-east, connects to open waters at either end, effectively splitting the north-west side of the land (albeit narrowly) from the rest, some might consider this an additional island in is own right.

The landing point sits on a pier jutting out into the waters to the south of the land and within a bay overlooked by two of the smaller islands. It is on one of these islands that the first hints of mystery might be found by those camming. An old church and graveyard are perched on the island’s shoulder, aged and blackened and with a fire burning within the abandoned church. The trees here add their own brooding presence with their darkened trunks as skulls stare at visitors, a cauldron bubbles and strange child-like figures dance spookily among the tombstones.

Also overlooking the landing point from a vantage point on a rocky island is one of the region’s lighthouses. This is open to the public – although to reach it you’ll need a boat, so keep an eye open for the rezzers (not that they are hard to find 🙂 ), and is nicely decorated for the onset of autumn and the coming of Halloween – the latter just adding a touch to the mysterious / ghostly goings-on hereabouts. It is behind this island that the little hideaway island I mentioned earlier might be found, neatly out of sight from the rest of the setting – and with good reason: it is a private home, so if you do pottle across to the lighthouse by boat, please keep that in mind and don’t be tempted to go and have a pike in person.

On the landward side of the landing point the path is marked by a signpost indicating the major points of interest to visit. Chief among these is the harbour itself, located on the east side of the region and watched over by the second the the setting’s lighthouses. The piers along the waterfront offer a variety of places to sit and pass the time – although the apparent imminent arrival of a kraken might give some pause for thought before hanging around! 🙂 .

It is from one of these piers that boats can be rezzed for pootling around on the water. However, they are not the only options for locomotion outside of pure shank’s pony; the harbour bar pier offers both bicycles and Segways for rezzing / riding. A further touch of the occult can also be found here in the form of the fortune teller’s shack, whilst the apothecary adds its air to the place by being the largest building on the harbour front.

Beyond the harbour, the path following the waterfront on to reach the bridge giving  access to the two north-eastern islands (one of which is home to the lighthouse mentioned above, reached by way of the chapel-like witch’s cottage occupying the other little island in the pair. Beyond this, the path curves to to one of my favourite parts of the region – the old ruins.

Making excellent use of the Ruined Walls kits from Marcthur Gossoon (which I’ve used myself on my island home, together with his superb No Cottage Bizar build). Here, Lily has used the kit elements to create a lovely little ruined retreat that is utterly welcoming and cosy, and a sheer delight to spend time within.

And still there is more to explore – be it the little swamp with its slightly run-down cabin or Mystery Mansion atop the north-western hills with its well-appointed décor and ghostly hostess on the veranda. There’s also the local camp sites and the gazebo hidden in the woods, and the high waterfalls. Paths are clear and easy to follow, with lanterns thoughtfully placed to alert travellers at night as to where routes divide.

Rounded-out with places to dance for those of a romantic disposition, a fitting soundscape and ideal EEP setting, Winchester Harbor makes for an engaging, enjoyable visit.

SLurl Details

• Winchester Harbor (rated Moderate)

Following the lead of Susann DeCuir, I dropped into Xanadu, a quarter Full region held and designed by Xan Dark (Xan Darkheart) and presenting a (primarily, but not exclusively) Sino-Japanese fusion of ideas wrapped within an Adult-rated environment in which adult / sexual activities are allowed; as such, I’ll say up front that the setting may not appeal to everyone in terms of its function, but it is nevertheless visually engaging and photogenic – and during the time of my visit, it was quiet and friendly.

The landing point sits within a Zen garden located more-or-less in the middle of the setting and to which it might said – that in the manner of ancient Rome – all roads (or in this case, paths) lead; or at least depart, given it is the landing point. Watched over by a Zen master, the garden offers visitors a choice of routes to take.

To the north, the path crosses a zig-zagging walkway of modern design as it passes over an oval body of water served by waterfalls, to reach a coastal pavilion; south to where a stone bridge guarded by a Torii gate and a pair of Kirin crosses another body of water before the path climbs up to a temple in which Buddha listens to the prayers and chants of monks; west to pass a bamboo garden with it bed-enclosing tea house and onwards to where a Tibetan structure sits as a bathhouse come personal retreat.

Off to the east, the path skirts the waters crossed by the stone bridge to where a hollowed tree trunk provides the way up to another little house for adult pastimes, and then on to where a sauna hides amidst an enchanted wood before reaching ruins that would not look out of place in Medieval Europe.

And that’s just the start of things. There are in fact two pavilions looing out over the waters to the north and west of the region and the off-region mountains guarding the waters. Both provide a view across the turquoise waters to where a giant octopus ravages the wreck of a sailing ship. Or, if you turn to the right on crossing the zig-zag bridge, the trail will lead you to a wooden bridge as it reaches out to a boat-like island in the middle of the lake. Here, slung below the bough of a Sakura tree is a swing, with other places to sit and cuddle along the bank of the lake nearby. Whilst sitting at any of these, you might get a sense of being watched. If so, look up at the waterfalls that feed the lake here and you might find the reason 🙂  – and another place to have a little fun.

Then there is the lake between the landing point and the temple. Not only is it home to Koi carp and swans and herons and more, it is home to a floating deck reached by crossing a stone dragon bridge. And still this is only scratching the surface of all that might be found within Xanadu. There are dozen of little touches to be found, from the little playground for pandas to the more obvious table-top games – and I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of a ninja-like figure clearly up to nefarious mischief. There’s also the hidden theatre awaiting discovery and the hot tub deck, both of which add their own modern twists to  what might otherwise be a ageless setting.

Nor – outside of the Kirin – had I mentioned the fantasy touches apparent throughout. Fairies await visitors wander the paths, a goblin keeps watch, whilst a wall of giant basalt columns separate the setting from the neighbouring parcels like a rocky version of G.R.R. Martin’s Wall separating Westeros from the North. Not – I hasten to add, having recently been chastised for offering personal impressions in describing another region, that this setting in anyway contains anything to do with Martin’s mythology; it’s simply what comes to mind when exploring.

As might be gathered from all of the above, Xanadu packs a lot into a quarter region – and quite beautifully so; the flora is rich and verdant, the paths set out in such a way as to give the impression one is wandering a location far larger than its 14,368 sq metres. Thus, throughout all of it there is never a sense of being overcrowded, just of being in another land where inspiration come from many sources, those from Asia reaching beyond Japan and China, and the fantasy elements offering a nice twist.

Yes, sexual activities, D/s and BDSM do form part and parcel of the overall setting, so discretion is advised for those not into these particular activities as noted; but also as noted, I didn’t encounter anything off-putting during my visit and found a delight in the overall design and my explorations.

Kudos to Xan for such a richly diverse and detailed location, and my thanks to Susann for the pointer!

SLurl Details

• Xanadu (Angel Bay, rated Adult)