Tag: Exploring SL Archives

The Lefevre Mansion, March 2014

I’ve been a huge fan of Kaya Angel’s work, and his Angel Manor has long been a favourite of mine; so when I read Quan Lavender’s post about a new build he has completed on behalf of his friend, Marcusgay Lefevre and the Lefevre family, it zapped to the top of my list of must see places.

And it is, in a word, magnificent.

The Lefevre Mansion, March 2014

The Lefevre Mansion and grounds occupy two regions, the mansion and the majority of its outbuildings sitting in a full region, and the adjoining homestead largely given over to gardens and open spaces.

The house itself is (obviously) much smaller than Angel Manor, but this doesn’t mean it is in any way lacking. If anything – and this is not a slight towards Angel Manor – the smaller size makes it somewhat more intimate and personal in feel; two essential elements for anywhere which is intended to function both as a public space and as a private residence.

The Lefevre Mansion, March 2014

There is definitely a feeling of visiting a landed estate when touring The Lefevre Mansion. Both regions are beautifully landscaped, and from the arrival point, the visitor travels past the estate’s art gallery (possibly a coach house complex converted for this purpose?), through the wrought iron gates bearing the estate’s name, and can then follow the drive into the estate, passing the bath house before turning up and round to the front of the house. Or, if you prefer, you can turn off the main drive before reaching the bath house, and cross a well-tended lawn to arrive at a reflecting pool overlooked by the grand facade of the back of the house.

Inside the house, the rooms are lavishly and beautifully appointed, and all focused on the grand ballroom. I confess to being quite in love with the library, and could happily spend hours in there, if only the books could be taken and read! When exploring, do keep in mind that many of the rooms on the upper floor are a part of the family’s private residence.

The Lefevre Mansion, March 2014

This is another build which is not so much seen as experienced; it’s not enough to simply wander around, each room deserves the time take o linger and absorb the ambience; camming needs to be done with care or some detail might be easily missed. Great use is made of baked and scripted light effects, and ALM should be enabled, as there are touches of materials to be found around the house and in the grounds which add further depth to the overall look and feel.

The Lefevre Mansion, March 2014

When you’ve finished admiring the magnificent stately home, why not hop on the teleporter near the main entrance and see what might be going on up at the Partycular Theatre, which also has a home in the region.

Highly recommended.

Related Links

• The Lefevre Mansion SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• The Lefevre Mansio website

Isla Okiddo

In November 2013, I was allowed a sneak peek at Liara Okiddo’s work-in-progress designing and developing her homestead region, Isla Okiddo. It’s been a long road for her, only reaching a point at which she was happy with everything to announce the region as officially open to the public on Wednesday February 25th.

I’ve been a fan of Liara’s work ever since coming across her old home. Garden of Eden, and to be perfectly honest, I’ve been eagerly awaiting getting to see her new place once it was ready for its public debut (I resisted the urge to hurry over prior to the opening, as I wanted to experience the same reaction as a new visitor, rather than seeing any work-in-progress).

Isla Okiddo

And I can say without a doubt that it is a marvel to behold. Already stunning when I saw the early work back in November, the island has been somewhat reworked – particularly the gallery spaces – and the results really are magnificent.  This is another of those regions I love for the attention to detail, the careful placement and design, all of which comes together to present the visitor with something completely awe-inspiring.

From the wooden quay arrival point, the visitor walks under a rocky arch and along flagged stones. Signs point the way to the dome house, the beach – reached by a wooden walkway and with the upper levels of the island beyond – and the Expodome.

Isla Okiddo

The Expodome is Liara’s gallery space. It an incredible tour de force is design and execution, a place that makes wonderful use of space both above and under water, and which presents artwork in a thoroughly creative way.

The first part of the exhibit space is underwater. Do make sure you have your graphics cranked-up as far as you can, particles enabled and Advanced Lighting Model checked to fully appreciate all that has gone into this area of the build. And don’t hurry through too fast, or you’ll miss the art items which are being displayed through the use of particle projectors alongside the footpath. Beyond this, the path winds back up above the waves and takes visitors to the three exhibition domes, each with its own display and theme.

Isla Okiddo

I spent several hours camming and exploring the island; there really is a lot of see – some of it which can be easily missed if you’re not careful, so take your time while wandering, and give yourself time to soak up the environment. You really won’t be disappointed.

Thoroughly recommended.

Related Links

• Isla Okiddo SLurl (Rated: Adult)
• From Scotland to a preview of a tropical paradise

The Pines at Jacobs Pond, End of Time, February 2014 – click any image for the full-size version

The Pines at Jacob’s Pond is a part of the End of Time estate, which I first visited in September 2012 (and which I really should get back to and re-explore). The region gained a lot of exposure over the winter period, when it was covered in snow and was featured  in a number of blogs. While I did drop-in back then, I decided to wait for the snow to melt before paying a “proper” visit.

The Pines at Jacobs Pond, End of Time, February 2014

As with most of the rest of the estate, “The Pines” is open to the public to wander and enjoy – and it is a beautiful place to visit and photograph. Central to the region is the “pond” from the name, although given its size, “lake” would perhaps be a better description! Around this sits a fabulous landscape in places heavily wooded, in others relatively open, with all of it being a haven for deer.

The Pines at Jacobs Pond, End of Time, February 2014

From the arrival point, paths wind around and through the island, offering plenty of opportunities to explore and discover photogenic views and spots as well as one or two hidden secrets.  One the far side of the island from the arrival point sits a small farm, complete with a thatched roof barn, with horses grazing nearby.

The Pines at Jacobs Pond, End of Time, February 2014

Wandering along the paths and up over the hills, the amount of care put into the region is obvious; there is a completely natural feel to the lay of the land and the various elements all roll together to present a genuinely natural environment which feels much larger than the region in which it sits. It is also a place where  not everything may reveal itself to first looks; patience and care will be rewarded the longer you explore and take the time to carefully look around.

This is one of those regions where it would be so easy to wax lyrical about, and in doing so perhaps sound like you’re over-egging it. But the fact is, it really is gorgeously done. Don’t just take my word for it, however, go see for yourself 🙂 .

The Pines at Jacobs Pond, End of Time, February 2014

Related Links

• The Pines at Jacobs Pond SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• End of time Teleport Crow SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• End of Time website

AERO Golf Club, Lavender, February 2014

Golf really isn’t my forte, inasmuch as I’ve always sided with Mark Twain – or at least what he is attributed to have said: that golf is a good walk spoiled. However, Second Life gives us opportunities to try things we can’t or wouldn’t try in real life.  In my case, that means things like taking wing in a Spitfire (which I’d actually love to do in real life), scuba diving, and skydiving. And now, thanks to Jeff Goodnight, I’ve actually tried my keyboard at golf – and I like it.

But, before I wibble on about SL golfing, if you’ve not come across Jeff Goodnight before, you really should check out his Flickr stream and his blog. I did, and had to gather my jaw off the floor after seeing images like this one.

AERO Golf Club, Lavender, February 2014

In his blog, Jeff provides an entry for the AERO Golf Club, a region-wide 18-hole golf course, complete with club house and places to simply sit and relax. Intrigued, I set off to have a look.

Surrounded by the mountains of a sim  extender, the region is beautifully landscaped and very photogenic, so even if you’re not into golf, it’s worth taking the time to visit. Just make sure you keep an eye open for golfers and avoid trundling across the greens and fairways when any are in use!

AERO Golf Club, Lavender, February 2014

If you do fancy a round yourself, you’ll need to join the club, a simple matter of signing-up in the clubhouse by joining the group associated with the region. Once you’ve done that, and with the group active, walk through the back of the clubhouse to the rear terrace, where you can collect your clubs and HUD (which is optional when playing, but cuts-down on using a menu). These are free, but for the keen golfer, a scorecard can be purchased for L$250, which is a lot easier than trying to remember things. There’s also a map showing the best way to play the holes.

The course has been carefully arranged to make full use of the region, with the first tee directly off of the rear terrace of the clubhouse, and the 18th hole to one side of it, making it an easy walk to the 19th for a drink.

Play instructions are clear, concise and easy-to-grasp, so I won’t bore you with those. Suffice it to say, you have a choice of three clubs, have sand traps, water and trees to negotiate and the wind to contend with. One thing I will say is that if you use an over-the-shoulder camera offset (as I do), you might want to centre your camera up when playing a round.

AERO Golf Club, Lavender, February 2014

Along the way there are places to sit down, take a break and enjoy the view. If you prefer to forget the walking bit, there are golf buggies you can use to drive around in, but I found the terrain a little too much for the one I tried. Besides, the scenery is much too pretty to simply roll right past it, and you might even miss seeing the tiger …

If you don’t fancy a slurp at the bar after playing a round, there’s a pool and spa area off to one side of the region as well.

The work of Kaja Ashland / Kaja Lurra, AERO Golf club is beautifully conceived and executed and well worth a visit. If you do, show the little donation buckets a little love along the way. for those who might be interested, I have a few more snaps on my Flickr stream.

AERO Golf Club, Lavender, February 2014

What was that? Oh, my score? Umm… well I ended-up nine over par after things went a bit wonky after the 7th …

Related Links

• AERO Golf Club, Lavender SLurl (Rated: General)