Second Expedition

You walk down the long country road, old wooden fences and fields stretching out, the sun in your face, and you feel at peace. The simultaneous thickness of the silence and vast emptiness of it leave you to ponder as you walk, and although you may never have even had a country childhood, it feels like home.

The Refuge, another sim AM Radio created in the nostalgic time of the 40’s, is exactly that. Simple, but intricate, walk around and see some of the buildings and machinery in detail, there’s been a lot of work put in to make a calming and welcoming place to remind us of a time past.

Inspect the barn for some free aviator goggles, and why not pop next door to Welsh Springs as well.

Visit the Refuge

Cheers,

Eyva

While I was just inworld for a few hours the other day, I popped around to revisit some old favourites and to discover some new ones.

Romantic sepia tones and sprawling fields of wheat, the Far Away is a simple, beautiful place that seems like a love song to the 1940’s country life. A particularly good spot for some amateur photography, AM Radio ha created a nostalgic small wonder, and if you’d like to see what other amazing endeavours he’s been up to, make sure to check his flickr for his intricate creations and wonderful photographs.

While trawling for new places to visit I came across Amorio Isle. While I’ve not yet fully explored it, the colours and little things to find when you look closer have made me determined to return when I can. Thanks to Lem Skall, who has a neverending list of places to start your discovery of Second Life, you can go to Amorio Isle direct.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to enquire! I’m more than happy to send out slurls as required and requests will be welcomed.

Cheers,

Eyva

Continuing on in my Rezzable journeys, I came across the creepy Carnival of Doom. Situated in some isolated country backwater in between fields and abandoned houses, this fairground was shut down long ago before recent attempts to revive it, the previous owners neglecting to care for the rides and leaving town mysteriously. If you’re looking for somewhere to get goosebumps, this may be it.

Upon entry you’ll need to get yourself a ticket. This will come in handy in case you get flung off the snake ride, crushed by a falling Ferris Wheel car, or accidentally stabbed. Beware, when you do get hurt, you will actually be sent to Hell.

Once you recover, though, you’ll be back on land to try some games, eat some candy, and check out the freak show. Some truly disturbing things are in that building, some things I’m sure nature never intended.

While the Carnival is still under construction, there are a whole variety of activites up and running, so bring a date and see what horrors you can unearth.

Eyva

Step into art. Second Life is like any other creative platform, be it canvas, cloth or computer. To truly appreciate what Second Life can do you need to test the boundaries, attempt the impossible and see what this pixel world can do. Black Swan is one such sim where Light Waves, formerly known as Starax, has challenged the prim and put his artistry in action to see what can be possible.

Centred around one of Light’s megaprim sculptures are a circle of small art pieces, all placed in the middle of the ocean.

Even if, like me, you don’t know the first thing about art in the technical sense, you can see and appreciate what Light has made. The whole lagoon-like feel of the place is gorgeous, and if you have Windlight, it’s breathtaking.

His work seems a little mythical, with silver textures and the Flaming Imp(above), so if you’re looking for a magical place, Black Swan is it. All of the sculptures are available for sale, just make sure you have enough room to show it off. Rezzable were also behind this, and they have plenty more quirky and fun sims to see, so if you’re curious check out the website, it’s added to the blogroll.

Eyva.

For those newer to Second Life, there are plenty of places where residents have created spectacular areas to visit and explore, just for the fun of it. Take a moment, and imagine what you would create if you had only your own imagination as your limit. Well, there are quite a few who have put their wildest thoughts into pixels, and we’ll be exploring some of the most creative and unique spots all over the grid.

Toxic Garden is the first stop on our journey. Created by Rezzable, the team behind the Greenies sim, this is a surreal forest of mutated flora and fauna gone wild.

Being an unhospitable environment, you will find you need some gear, and handily enough you can pick up an AntiToxic Pack. Now out into the garden. You won’t find stores here, in fact this is purely a look-see kind of place. Wander around and see what you find.

There is a fair amount to see, so this is a good place if you have the time to walk around and take a good look at it all. This place feels like a 50’s Sci Fi movie with the mutant plants taking over civilization. Not only is the air dangerous, but there are various creatures that will come after you if you stay still too long, and after the 3rd orbit, I learned to steer clear.

Still in development, Toxic Garden has opened itself up for resident suggestions, ideas, and submissions,so if you have a knack for creating trees and plants or just have a great idea drop into the sim and see how you can contact them. Slurl’s are down for me at the moment, so go to Search and enter ‘Toxic Garden’ or IM me inworld and I’ll send the landmark.

Eyva.

Have you wandered through the fantastical forests of Straylight, felt goosebumps as you walked through the cemetary at October Country? Have you enjoyed the silly brightness of Ben & Jerry’s, or marvelled at the crazy genius at Tableau? There are so many intriguing places to see and experience, and if you’ll join me, I’d like to share some of my travels with you.

If you know a place so special you can’t resist sharing it, please feel free to email me at eyva.matova@hotmail.com, with a Slurl and even a snapshot if you like. I’m open to your suggested destinations, and would love to hear from you.

Happy Exploring!

Eyva.