Tag: Exploring SL Archives

Cherishville, June 2019 – click any image for full size

When reader Miro Collas asked if we’d ever visited Cherishville, I was a little surprised to look back through my SL travelogue and see that the last time I wrote about Lam Erin’s region design had been back in November 2017, when things had been deep in the grip of winter. Snow lay deep on the ground and roof-tops while trees lay frosted in white, and visitors needed to he wrapped up against the cold.

A lot has changed since then. Our return to Cherishville in June 2019 not only took us to a new region design, but a new simulator location as well, that of Villa Baldeney. Sitting beneath a somewhat glowering sky when seen in the default windlight, the setting is as far removed from the winter of my last Cherishville write-up as it is possible to get, the design we visited positively tropical in its presentation.

Cherishville, June 2019

There is no defined  / enforced landing point, so I’m arbitrarily using one to deliver those following it to a stretch of old road lying on the region’s east side. This offers a route from nowhere to nowhere, bordered on one side by a row of commercial properties almost shanty in their shabby looks, and on the other by a bay that cuts deeply into the region via a narrow neck of water. The road ends at this neck, dipping gracefully down to the blue waters to offer a convenient ramp boats might be drawn up to keep them out of the tide that must pass back and forth.

The commercial properties along the road vary between bars and places to buy spirits – that latter a popular draw for vacationers, it would seem – and the odd place to eat. All of them have the look and feel of having once seen better days, albeit perhaps a long time ago; now they look out over the old road, itself little more than a pedestrian thoroughfare, despite the motor vehicles at its southern end, and out over the bay.

Cherishville, June 2019

This southern end of the road offers access to  a broad swath of sand that curves gently west and north to hold the bay within its arm, facing the wash of tide from the south whilst home to undisciplined ranks of palm trees that offer moments of shade cast across the fine sands. A path is staked out along part of this beach, running at right-angles to the old road, but such a formal marking of route is hardly necessary; perhaps some local resident here was trying to offer a little sense of order.

Dropped onto the beach, and facing the open seas to the south are a couple of building which are again perhaps a little way past their prime. One presents a swimming pool beneath its raised wooden roof, the other appears to be a holiday home complete with a pool of its own. Balancing these on the inward curve of the bay is a fishing shack which, together with the small trawler sitting in the shallow waters, suggests some see this island as a place of work and not a vacation destination.

Cherishville, June 2019

Walking the route from street along the sands tends to offer the suggestion that this is a place that, while clearly within the tropics, is perhaps located somewhere in the Caribbean. The western elements just seem to push it in that direction. But then, follow the sand as it turns northwards and passing a strange little A-frame structure sitting out on a small sandy headland along the way, and perceptions are challenged.

To the north, the sand abruptly ends, and rocky slopes rise upwards, cliffs forming around three sides. This is topped by a single-roomed building with an infinity pool alongside looking to the west. With an aged statue of Buddha out on the grass, this aspect of the island presents a strongly Asian feel to it, with thoughts turning away from the Caribbean and perhaps more towards Thailand.

Cherishville, June 2019

There are some rough elements within the build – the odd floating palm tree or boat floating over the water than on it and the lighthouse for the region is oddly canted – but overall, there is plenty here that the visitor can enjoy and photograph within the setting, making time spent their worthwhile. For those so-minded, there are also some poses to be found for photography – a couple leaning against the sea wall above the bay, a walking hand-in-hand pose for those leasing the local bar, while bicycles can be obtained from a couple of rezzer racks for those who fancy taking a ride around the island. As always, photographs are welcome at the Cherishville Flickr group.

SLurl Details

• Cherishville (Villa Bladeney, rated Moderate)

Sweet Paradise, June 2019 – click any image for full size

Update: This parcel is no longer open to public access, and SLurls have therefore been removed from this article.

Sweet Paradise to the Darks sounds a rather unusual name to for a location in Second Life; at least until you realise it references a private home that has been opened to public visits – the Darks in this case being Anita Dark (Anita Khaos) and Kiara Dark (kiaraslet).

Occupying a 8192 sq m parcel, Sweet Paradise is one of those settings I like finding / exploring (although in this case, it’s the latter, as I was pointed to the parcel by reader Morgana Carter); the kind of place that demonstrates you don’t need an entire region in which to create a space that can be both home and somewhere for others to visit.

Sweet Paradise, June 2019

Embracing a tropical island feel, this is a location that’s easy to explore, and even easier to while away the time within. A large, two-storey houseboat dominates the setting, the little patio to one side of it forming the landing point. The lower deck of the houseboat is filled with bric-a-brac, much of it focused on art, the clutter giving the place something of a bohemian feel.

A short walk along sandy grass, the path marked by large rocks and the fenced-in form of a VW Beetle that’s clearly not going anywhere soon, will bring visitors to a large, cement-sides beach house that continues the arty / bohemian feel, presenting a study-like environment again filled with the kind of cosy clutter that marks a space – be it a single room or an entire building  –  as a home.

Sweet Paradise, June 2019

Oriented north-to south, the parcel has a westward beach looking out over the open sea, the view it provides shared by both the veranda of the beach house and the little patio fronting the houseboat. Nor are these the only places from which to enjoy the view. An old rowing boat vies for the attention of visitors (with singles and couples / friends poses) together with a couple of rattan loungers under the shade of parasols, while to the north end of the parcel sits an old camper trailer. This sits within a curve of beach and might possibly be the home of a surfer, but is currently the abode of a Siamese cat who is enjoying the sunshine and a nap.

A mix of trees are scattered across the landscape help to both break it up and screen the various buildings and locations one from the next, helping to present a sense a privacy along the parcel’s sandy ribbon. Together with the rocks breaking up the shoreline they also help give the parcel more of an island-like feel, on the east side of which lays another beach house, this one shaded by palm trees that also cast their cooling influence over another waterside nook visitors can enjoy as a box kite flies overhead.

Sweet Paradise, June 2019

Small but beautifully landscaped and with a eye for detail, Sweet Paradise makes for an pleasing, homely visit. There are numerous places for people to simply relax, and  / or take photos. It’s the kind of place that can easily fulfil the greeting given in the About Land description: where people can make a lot of happy moments.

Simply perfect!

Iona Shores, June 2019 – click any image for full size

I’m always a little wary of blogging residential regions for a number of reasons. While many are open to the public to visit, for example, I’m uncomfortable in recommending them where there is a risk that visitor trundling in and out could be off-putting / annoying to those trying to live on them.

To this end, I use a (and admittedly very rough-and-ready) rule of thumb, which encompasses looking at the overall ratio of public and private space(s) in the region, the ease with which a region can be navigated without necessarily encroaching on people’s private residences, general public attractions, whether or not parcel ban lines are in force (often – although by no means always – a sign that people are somewhat narked by the idea of passers-by wandering through the gardens / yards), etc.

Iona Shores, June 2019

Iona Shores is a region that sits almost exactly within in the middle ground between “to blog” and “not to blog”.  A homestead region, the landmass is pretty evenly split between public spaces, in which visitors are invited to space time and explore and take photos, and three large rental parcels with, it would seem, room for a potential fourth.

However, there is no doubting the region has been beautifully designed – the work of Adalynne Romano (AdalynneReed), who along with her SL partner, Doc Battitude, is responsible for the delightful Candlewood (see Touring CandleWood in Second Life) and the designs used for Bay of Dream (see The seasons at Bay of Dreams in Second Life and Destiny Gardens (see Destiny Gardens in Second Life). This alone would be enough to bring me to Iona Shores, being an admirer of Adalynne’s work, but the fact it came recommended by Shawn and Max increased my interest; and the rental spaces are clearly enough differentiated from the public spaces to allow for exploration by those not living there.

Iona Shores, June 2019

The landing point sits towards the middle of the region, on a long south-pointing finger that extended itself from the eastern side of the largest of the region’s three islands. A low, cinder-beached promontory rising from calm seas, the headland is dressed as something of an aged garden, completed with greenhouse (the landing point) and paved terrace before it. To the north sits an dry stone wall with tired iron gates marking the way to where the land rises up to a flat crown of fir trees in the midst of which sits one of the three rental properties.

Two bridges sit on the headland, the first forms a double strand of wood and rope reaching across the inlet cutting inland by way of a little nub of rock, to reach a western promontory. Another cinder uprising, it sits a little higher than the landing points and offers the open space that could potentially be used by another house. For now, however, it is topped by trees and a small wooden deck, stone steps leading down to a rough, dark beach on the seaward side.

Iona Shores, June 2019

The second bridge reaches across a sliver of water to where rocks step their way up to a broad plateau where sits the second of the rental homes. The base of this island offers a public path around the south-west of the rocks, passing stepping stones that breach another tongue of water to reach the three of the larger islands, the home to the remaining rental house.

Throughout all of this, there are places to discover: a little studio space, a rowing boat offering singles and couples seating, horses grazing on the scrub grass, while wolves and deer wander parts of the landscape. All of this is watched over by the revolving eye of a lighthouse as trawlers chug by on the waters below it.

Iona Shores, June 2019

Finished with a gentle sound scape, Iona Shores makes for a photogenic and visually pleasing visit. For those seeking a place to living that offers space and a feel for the wilderness, it come offer the ideal home. For the rest of us, it presents a delightful sense of escape.

SLurl Details

• Iona Shores (Iona Shores, rated: Moderate)

Blaylock Island – click any image for full size

Occupying a Homestead region, Blaylock Island – Where Peaceful Waters Flow is a stunning design by Jaccy (Jaccaranda Jael) with the support of Magenta Silverfall and Tira Langur (Tira Yalin), that has rightfully been getting a lot of attention from bloggers and photographers of late.

The region presents a wonderful feeling of being on a remote, rugged island where the weather is such that it has encouraged the growth of a local rain forest which does much to canopy the islands rocky splendour, whilst the coastline presents a veritable tropical paradise.

Blaylock Island

It is on the coast that a visit commences, the landing point being on a long tongue of land extending into the western sea, rocks and breakers to the north testifying to shallow waters there. further around this curve of sandy coast sits one of a three major dwellings on the region. These do not appear to be private residences, but given they appear to belong to Jaccy, Magenta and Tira, some circumspection when visiting might be in order if they are present during your explorations.

Blaylock Island

This is a place defined by the action of water. The central peak and high cliffs of the island feature great falls of water that tumble into bays and channels that cut through the landscape, forming deep ravines and sand banked waterways that twist their way to more open waters whilst also splitting the land somewhat. These waterways can be navigated using the little motorboat awaiting passengers close to the landing point, and which will periodically re-rez.

For the more adventurous, the island’s cloud-wreathed peak offers a series of wooden platforms linked by steps. These climb around the mountain to a final platform where a zip line can be taken back down to a raft anchored with one of the island’s bays, a short wade / swim from one of the beaches.

Blaylock Island

Amidst the verdant trees and undergrowth sheltering the waterways, visitors can find other points of interest – a houseboat moored among mangroves, tree houses sheltered from the waters falling from above by a great natural arch of rock, and a variety of wildlife from flamingos to seals.

Throughout it all are numerous places to sit an relax and appreciate the setting, as well as those options for exploration, all of which – together with the rich sound scape – add depth to Blaylock Island that encourages the visitor to tarry beyond a brief visit.

Blaylock Island

This is another very different and very engaging region design that offers numerous opportunities for exploration and photography. Beautifully present, it is easy to explore without significant impact on the viewer, and one will worth taking the time to visit and appreciate.

SLurl Details

• Where Peaceful Water Flow (Blaylock Island, rated: Moderate)

The Mill, Lemon Beach – click any image for full size

Lemon Beach has seen many designs from various region holders over the years, some of which have been documented in this blog (see here, and here, and here and here, for example). The region is currently under the care of Sylvana Dench, who follows the tradition in offering it for the enjoyment of visitors as The Mill.

This is a wonderfully provincial setting that has hints of France about it, although to me it could perhaps easily be anywhere along the coasts of Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark or Germany. Low-lying, the region, whilst a island, had an almost headland feel to it; a finger of land tickling the sea, a place where farmlands give way to sands and salt water.

The Mill, Lemon Beach

The landing point sit off to the north-east, close to the edge of the region. A sign bids a warm welcome, framed by a small lighthouse sitting just off the coast. A further welcome is offered by a little café sitting close by, sitting under a thatched roof – although as we walked by, I couldn’t help but wonder if the smell from the fishmonger across the narrow track of a road might not be a little off-putting to patrons should the breeze be in the wrong direction!

A small cottage sits alongside the fishmonger’s barn, perhaps his home, while a larger house sits on a bend in the road, while the titular mill rises from a small rise in the land just behind the café and its little farm shop. Taken together, and with both sheep grazing on the coastal grass not too far away and the large meadow behind the house where horses frolic, this little grouping of mill, café and house all have the feel of being perhaps owned by the one family.

The Mill, Lemon Beach

They, and the fishmonger’s house and barn, are not the only buildings here, however. Scattered across the landscape is a walled farmhouse, an old Tuscan-style villa converted to a place of business and another little cottage daintily fronted by walled flowerbeds, all awaiting discovery.

They are all easily reached by following the track that leads southwards away from the landing point. Meanwhile, and further westward, sit a couple of properties that might be holiday homes for those fortunate enough to be able to have a getaway sitting on the coast. One of these sits just off-shore to the south-west, and given it is within its own parcel, it might be intended for private ownership in the future – although at the time of our visit it was open to the public.

The Mill, Lemon Beach

The second house sits above the western beach and is clearly set for private occupancy, as demonstrated by the ban lines that become visible should you stray too close. However, it shares a stretch of beach with plenty of room for wandering or sitting, and which also features a bar and what might be a cosy surfer’s shack. Surf boards (traditional and wind) sit on the shore, but aren’t open for public use.

With it sheep and cows grazing peacefully, horses enjoying the freedom of their meadow and with a delightful sound scape, The Mill offers an inviting visit with enough to see and appreciate without it feeling overcrowded or putting undue load on the viewer. Yes, there are a few details that could be tidied a little, notably some of the floating bric-a-brac around the antiques store (or perhaps that’s the influence of the slightly creepy doll sitting on one of the benches outside! 🙂 ), but these are small enough so as not to unduly spoil things.

The Mill, Lemon Beach

And while the surf boards might not be available for use by visitors, this is an excellent place to for horse riding, if you have a wearable Animesh horse; while those who might be disappointed he surf boards can’t be used might want to keep an eye out for the little boat with an outboard motor, as it can be used for pootling around the coast; just keep an eye out for the odd Orca and bather!

Our thanks to Shawn Shakespeare for the LM!

SLurl Details

• The Mill (Lemon Beach, rated: Moderate)

Atonement – click any image for full size

Update, August 20th: Atonement has closed and the region cleared. SLurls in this article have therefore been removed.

Occupying the full private island aptly named Canyon Creek, and making use of the additional full region land capacity bonus, Atonement is a relatively new – and utterly stunning – rental / public region.

We were pointed towards it by a number of friends, including MorganaCarter, Miro Collas and Shawn Shakespeare – and our thanks to everyone who did so.

Atonement

Designed by Aiden Caudron and Zomborg Vollmar, the region comes with an intriguing description:

An overgrown forest sim that has been abandoned overtime leaving homes buried between thick brush and twisted vines. You can find residential properties scattered around the sim with enhanced privacy provided by mother nature. Hidden caves leading to special destinations within the sim. Blogger friendly.

Atonement

This is a region that is perhaps best not described as experienced. Represented a mountainous region, far off in the wilds, it’s easy to imagine coming across Atonement in the Rockies of North America, and its elevated setting is given an added sense of depth through the careful positioning of region landscaping and sim surround, such that from most viewing angles within the region, the two appear to blend seamlessly together in to whole as the mountains rise beyond the tree line.

Falling from east to west in a series of tiers, a single narrow gorge, feed by tumbling falls and fast-flowing waters, the region is as the description states: richly forested and with a feeling of abandonment. The road winding through it is unpaved, footpaths are bare rock, the grass tall and wild where trees aren’t casting their shadows. Throughout all this are houses and buildings that have all seen better days, the bridges offering links between roads and paths looking as though they could perhaps benefit from a little TLC.

Atonement

Many of the houses are available for rent – so exploring with care is advised to avoid accidental trespass should any be occupied at the time of a visit. Elsewhere – such as the local pub – which most certainly has seen better days – there are twists of whimsy and humour that when discovered, are an unexpected delight.

Perfectly photogenic, the region’s mystique is given further depth by the question of why it should be here. Why locate a small town so deep in the rocky wilds? Perhaps the answer lies within the network of tunnels and caverns awaiting discovery  – be sure to accept your torch at the landing point. While appearing entirely natural, there is a hint that perhaps they might have once been worked, perhaps for mining gold or silver or something else equally enticing to the hands and pockets of humans.

Atonement

Although to be found throughout the region are places t be enjoyed when visiting, such as the rusting metal carcass of an old observatory far up at what is effectively the region’s peak: a table of rock that the old conservatory shares with a radio mast. Within the old frame can be found a cosy setting that is both at odd with, yet complimentary to, the overgrown interior of the old building. Elsewhere, those who explore far enough might find a games room / clubhouse, and there’s also the aforementioned pub.

Beautifully conceived and executed, Atonement can be a little taxing on systems if you’re running with a lot of the viewer’s bells and whistles active. however, it more than counters for this with its detail, unique approach and highly photogenic nature.

Atonement