Tag: Exploring SL Archives

DylanShadows presents his Homestead region of Shadowlands Retreat as a “relaxing sim with series of photographic areas. Enjoy a walk around, horseback ride, a dance or cuddle with someone special,” and there is little to argue with in this description. There are number points throughout the region for photography, for spending time with friends and for enjoying that romantic cuddle or dance.

Surrounded by off-region hills that match the autumnal feel of the region, Shadowlands Retreat offers a series of areas within it that are very mixed in their individual attractiveness, from a beach through rocky outcrops with winding paths, to open grasslands offering paddocks and ancient ruins, to hints of fantasy and mysticism and which include woodlands, a high plateau, and more – all of which weave themselves into a landscape rich its attraction for exploration.

The region’s landing point – which is unenforced – can be found on a large deck area built over an artificial water close to the Western side of the island’s central plateau. It sits close to a stone cottage and alongside a tall windmill that points a blunt finger to the sky. A sea of late summer blooms washes across most of the plateau, flowing under the shade of trees to one side and breaking against islands of rock and water in what can only be described as a garden of wild flowers, waterfowl and restful spots, be they on the deck, under the boughs of trees or within the cottage or the gazebo keeping it company.

Below and surrounding this central flat-topped hill are the island’s lowlands that can be reached through several means: by the simple expedient of walking down the steep grassy slopes that vie with rocky cliffs to support the hill, or by finding one of the numerous paths offering a way down. Some of the latter are obvious – such as the worn, winding trails running down either side of the waterfalls to the south side of the hills; others are still rocky, but perhaps not-so-obvious at first glance, like the fern covered path running down the east side of the hill, or the aged blocks of rock close to it that offer more of a switchback route down.

Whichever route you take, there is much to be found between the hill and the water’s edge. To the north, for example, visitors will find a barn, complete with tractor and a small mix of livestock. These add to the suggestion that cottage and windmill above were perhaps once part of a working farm. However, whatever animal husbandry is now performed is perhaps more about self-sufficiency than the setting being a working farm.

Just around to the west, and beyond a stone henge, the farm element continues with a small paddock of horses. As these are Waterhorse rideables, I wondered if they would be set to allow the horse riding described in the region’s description, but it would appear not. As we also didn’t find a horse rezzer in our wanderings (although we could have missed it!), this led me to conclude that riding required ownership of your own wearable horse.

A hint of ancient mysticism is enfolded into the setting as well. The region is bracketed to the south-west and north-east by the stern faces of Moai, for example. Looking inward, they appear to be keeping an eye on all the coming and goings by visitors. More hints of an ancient past are also awaiting discovery: old stone rings, the broken wrist and hand of what must have once been a huge statue (now converted into a cosy cuddle spot), the broken statue of what appears to be a elf maiden at rest… All of these add an air of mysticism to the region, while the numerous little seating spots and dance areas scattered between them present further reasons to tarry within Shadowlands Retreat and explore.

Nor is this all; for those who enjoy beaches and sand, these can be found to the south and east of the region, curving as they do around the island’s high point: a large table of rock rising on vertical cliff faces from the sand.  A path winds its way up this cliffs to the flat summit where can be found a gazebo kept warm by a stone built fireplace, sharing the space with more ruins of different eras, while a crooked promontory thrusts its way across the lower-lying plateau towards the cottage, a further path winding down it.

Ruggedly photogenic, finished with a rich sound scape and – as noted – plenty to see and enjoy, Shadowlands Retreat lends itself to a range of Windlight settings and to time spent in exploration and in enjoying the setting. Those taking photos are invited to share with through the region’s Flickr group.

Slurl Details

• Shadowlands Retreat (Outlaws, rated Moderate)

The Boho Refuge is a homestead region designed by Jaccaranda Jael which recently opened to visitors, offering a mix of public spaces and private rental properties. We were alerted to its presence by Sorcha Tyles, who recommended we hop over and pay a visit.

As I’ve noted before in these pages, writing a review about a region that offers rentals can be difficult; by its nature it is intended to offer people a private home, so providing a write-up that encourages people to drop in and wander around can interfere with the privacy those renting the properties might otherwise want. This can be particularly true if the balance between public spaces and private residences is biased towards the latter.

Fortunately, The Boho Refuge offers a good balance between public and private that makes a visit rewarding for casual visitors whilst keeping private residences reasonably well apart from the public areas. Most of the latter – 11 homes in all – sit around the coastline of the region or along the gorge that splits the region in two.

This gorge runs from west to east, leaving the bulk of the region as two rugged islands linked by a road bridge. The southern island offers the landing point, with the rental office sitting within a pink walled hacienda that looks like it might in another life offer a cosy bar / lounge, and that sits to one side of a dirt road that winds over the island from the bridge and down to a working quayside to the west. This, and the other little public buildings scattered  over the island offer plenty of opportunity for photography, while two of the rental properties lie on the southern coast and one on this side of the gorge splitting the region into its two main islands.

Follow the track toward the bridge and you’ll find it forks, one arm turning north to link with the crossing to the north island, the other continuing east. Follow the latter, and it will lead you down to the access points to the rentals, and also to a fourth private home at the eastern end of the region that sits on its own little isle; so do please respect the privacy of anyone renting the houses.

The slightly larger northern island is more rugged, and features seven rentals around its edges, either snuggled against the coast and facing to the north and east, or perched higher up on the cliffs and facing either north or west, a singleton tucked into the gorge rounding them out. A T-junction at the north end of the bridge allows visitors a choice of routes: west to the access point for rentals and a climb up to the island’s peak, or east and a curving route down to where the road becomes unsurfaced once more and splits to provide access to the homes at the eastern end of the island or to a small public beach (with a rental home just off to one side, so again, be careful when visiting).

The upper reaches of this island are open to the public, and accessed by stone steps or a board walk and wooden steps that curl around the highest peak from the western end of the island – although be aware that these were blocked at the time of our visit by a non-phantom tree throwing its physics across the steps. The tops of these hills offer an number of little points of interest: an outdoor spa, a little greenhouse that would make an ideal lovers’ meeting place, the old tower of an abandoned observatory and numerous lookout points.

Packed with plenty of detail, The Boho Refuge offers a fair amount to see, while each of the rental properties sits within its own parcel, making privacy possible for those renting them. They also include a security orb to help warn away straying feet. Finished with a rich sound scape and offering plenty of water fowl and otter to be spotted by keen-eyed visitors, the region could be a cosy home for those seeking somewhere to live – prices available from the rental office.

SLurl Details

• Boho Refuge (Albermarle Cliffs, rated: Moderate)
• Exploring Second Life 2019

Butter is the name of a charming Homestead region that opened to the public in August, and to which we were pointed by Miro Collas. Designed by Mona Molinaxil with a little help from jellomight, it’s a region of subtle contrasts and a welcoming look and feel, with plenty to discover and appreciate.

Described as a “forever a work in progress”, at the time of writing, the region offered a mix of beach front location, little working dock, and green hills dotted with signs of human habitation and with paths and trails winding through and over them.

It is just above the beach that the landing point will deliver you; a broad board walk running west-to-east and sitting atop a wall separating it from the sands below, a stone balustrade guarding. the drop from board walk to beach. This is cut in three places by stairs that descend to the sand, while the western end of the board walk offers a why down to the working quayside.

The beach offers all that you might expect to find in such a place: sands (slightly grassy in looks) slipping gently into an azure sea and dotted with numerous places to sit, sunbathe and relax either out in the open or under the shade of parasols. A wooden deck floats just off shore, inviting people to swim / wade out to it, while for those wishing to stay dry while active, a dance floor sits back towards the sea wall, one of several points scattered around the region where people can partake of a dance or two.

For those who might find all that messing around on a beach and in the Sun a little wearing, thirsts can be slaked and hungers abated up at the Butter Bistro and Bar that sits on the other side of the board walk. Bright yellow in colour, the adobe like walls of the bar, together with the palms of the beach and the odd sombrero or two give this part of Butter a slight Mexican feel – although that could simply be for the benefit of tourists!

A second bar can be found over at the quayside to the west of the region – but I’d been a little wary of the food here; the barman seems insistent that someone ordered a raw fish; although you can at least assume it is fresh, given the trawler sitting alongside. The bar is one of little row of establishments lining the quay, which appears to offer mooring space both in front and behind them.

To the north, beyond the bistro and the docks, the land rises into a backbone of hills, whilst being split by a curving channel that slices the north-west corner of the region into an island of its own, a single bridge connecting it to the rest of the land. To the south-east, the hills form a rugged shoulder standing above bistro and beach, offering a camp site of trailer homes and glamping tents, the detritus of outdoor life – benches, barbecues and coolers for beer and drinks – scattered between them.

To the north, a windmill keeps an eye to the north, standing above cliffs that fall sharply to the sea, and looking past a smaller island. A cabin is perched on the latter, and while it didn’t offer clear signs of being private, it did sit within its own parcel, so perhaps it is best to treat it as not being open to the public.

West of the windmill, the land drops gently down to a small beach at the north end of the channel splitting the land, while the hills themselves – the butterly hills – turn gently south and west. Within them is a rocky hollow, a “secret” place suitable for couples to enjoy. Across the channel, the north-west island offers a small farm, reached by a rough track and home to cattle, goats, geese and bees.

Finished with touches such as a sound scape, a little open market, a further place for music and dancing alongside the bistro bar, Butter offers a charming summer setting well worth exploring. Those taking photos can also submit them to the local Flickr group.

SLurl Details

• Butter (Butter, rated General)

Writing about Fox Road has proven to be a little difficult, even after several visits to the region. Designed by Vertiline Colter, this Homestead region is both open to the public for exploration, and home to her Little Fox brand in-world store.

I say “difficult” in terms of writing about it for a couple of reasons. The first is that I’m not entirely sure it is finished: several details, large and small, have changed as I’ve hopped back and forth between the region and home; the most notable perhaps being further landscaping of the north-eastern arm of the larger of the two islands. The second is, that while Fox Road has a personality of its own, I cannot entirely escape feeling an echo of NevaCrystall’s design for Borneo, Gac Akina’s handsome region (which you can read about in  A trip to Borneo in Second Life).

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the one is intentionally modelled upon the other; as those of us who travel Second Life are only too aware (and as I’ve occasionally noted in these pages), there are certain things – be they houses, bridges, landscaping elements, board walks, animals, cars, décor pieces, furnishings, etc., that tend to suddenly being en vogue for region designs to the point where it can feel you’re constantly tripping over them. Thus, visiting a region can oft put one in mind of another, quite coincidentally.

Here, the sense of familiarity is perhaps down to the way both regions are laid out: both share a very similar orientation and divide between the larger L-shaped island and the smaller; both feature cove-like beaches of grey shingle, and each has a wild, rugged feel. But Fox Road has more than enough about it to offer its own uniqueness of character.

Take, for example the small cluster of buildings just to the south-west of the beach landing point. These have the suggestion that perhaps they was once the location from which fishing boats once put out to sea (something very much enhanced by the presence of two large trawlers in the bay), the old rail lines perhaps used to carry iced catches away to market. However, time areas to have moved on: the main quay where boats may have once come alongside looks to be in a state of disrepair, while the water weed blanketing the surface of the water beneath it suggest any boat attempting a mooring would end up with its propellers fouled.

Meanwhile, the bay formed by the two islands seems to have suffered from at least one land slip that has pushed gravel and shingle out into the water to the point of making it impassable to vessels and leaving the two old trawlers trapped in place – their only other route of escape being blocked by the low-hanging, if also ramshackle, bridge linking the islands. Indeed, one of the trawlers appears to have been here so long, her old hull may have been holed by the rocks of the cliff that plunges into the waters behind her, leaving her waterlogged and listing heavily to one side.

The flat top of the main island is reached via a wooden steps and platforms that climb upwards from a shoreline cottage. Decking has been laid  out across the scrub grass of the hilltop as if it might have been put there at some point in time to give vehicles better traction. Now ageing under the Sun and in places in need of repair, a part of it acts as a path pointing the way along the top of the island, while the rest of it almost suggests an outdoor space for music – or at least for splashing around in an old paddling pool that looks as if it might benefit for a little more air being pumped into its sides.

A greenhouse to one side of this deck area, along with one of the buildings down below, gives the impression these spaces are still being used, both having furnishings within. But who might be using them is up to visitor to decide; is it a hermit or hermits with a bohemian lean, or are the barn and greenhouse used as club meeting spaces? Whatever might be the case, it is clear their use is not sufficient to prevent nature slowly laying claim to them, just as it is with the other buildings to be found here.

No sound scape was evident at the times of my visits, but those wishing to rez props for photography can do so by joining the Fox Road group – note that auto return is active, but do still please pick up your pieces after use should you opt to rez anything. Those who take photos in the region are invited to share them in the Fox Road Flickr group.

SLurl Details

• Fox Road (Meropis, rated Moderate)
• Exploring Second Life 2019

It’s been two years since our first visit to Rosy Highwater’s Gentle Breezes, and while I have a handful of region visits stacking up awaiting write-ups, I’m jumping ahead of some of the newer places we’ve visited (which are either getting a lot of attention right now, or may still be undergoing some further changes) to write about it once again as the colder months start to wrap their fingers around many of us as winter approaches.

A homestead region, Gentle Breezes offers a balmy, semi-tropical location of low lying beaches and palm trees backed by hills and temperate trees. Cut by a channel fed by waters tumbling from high falls, the region offers a restful setting where numerous places to watch the tide and the sea birds await visitors who want to spend time relaxing and enjoying their time together.

Up on the hills are more places to explore: cottages and cabins, outdoor seating areas, picnic spots, and more. Beaches and uplands are linked by a single path, one that passes between two blocks of rock a short distance from the landing point, wooden boards easing the way up the slope. North of these is a smaller beach facing a small island across a neck of water. Home to a cabin, this little island offer a place to get away from it all even while you’re getting away by visiting Gentle Breezes.

Wherever you wander on the region there is something to see or a place to sit and / or cuddle – while for those who fancy, the shallows can be waded and the local wildlife can be observed.

Spending a lot of time writing about Gentle Breezes isn’t really what counts here; the region is easy to visit and explore and offers more than enough to keep visitors engaged while exploring. So if you are missing summer already and want to have a sense of warmth and sunshine and hot sands beneath your feet, Gentle Breezes with all its little beauty spots and touches of detail, could be just the ticket.

SLurl Details

• Gentle Breezes (Seaside Shores)