Santorini and Mykonos Beach

I've never been to the Greek Isles, but I can imagine that the Santorini and Mykonos Beach of Greece sim does them justice. I first heard of this sim when one of my favorite stores, Paris Metro, opened a new branch there. I assumed the place was just full of commercial shops, but I was wrong. Upon landing at the teleport point, one is assuaged by the colorful flowers and vibrant art surrounding the Greek village as well as the beautiful blue of the SL Aegean Sea. There are numerous places to sit, dance, eat and drink, including those on the beach. There's also a windmill, statues and other Greek art, pottery, and numerous waterfalls, and pools.

Windmill

Of course, there are shops, including Paris Metro, but these are tasteful and fit in with the architecture. There are other buildings there, too, including a church and a dungeon in addition to the windmill which can be toured (and one can even sit outside it and sip wine at a table for two).

One of two outdoor dance areas

The flowers are gorgeous and cheerful, from those in pots, on vines, and growing on the land. The courtyard is bright and welcoming with tables and chairs and assorted dance balls. Statues, paintings, mosaics, and murals abound, and there are two temple-like outdoor dance floors, one in the courtyard and one on the beach.

Dulcie by one of the many potted plants on the islands

For a taste of the Greek Isles to warm your SL soul, I would recommend taking a short trip to the Santorini and Mykonos Beach of Greece.

Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lagoona/112/194/26

Chicago Roaring Twenties

The Roaring 20's has always seemed like a fun period of history to me -- the flappers, Speakeasies, bootlegging era that was portrayed in the famous novel, "The Great Gatsby." This period comes alive in Second Life in the Chicago Roaring 20's sim.

One of the hottest crazes of this time was jazz dancing, and The Flume is the jazz club on the sim. It is an attractive place that hosts a variety of entertainment (you can join the subscribe-o group for information without having to take up a group slot).

One of the 20's clothing shops on the streets of Chicago

Upon exiting The Flume, you can stroll the sidewalks of downtown Chicago passing many clothing shops offering period attire (and quite a few freebies). While the Chiciago Roaring 20's features roleplay only in part of the sim, period dress is expected throughout. The Welcome Center has Guys and Dolls dressing lockers that will give you a folder of freebies for your visit. The Welcome Center also contains the sim rules, an event calenar, and a map of the city.

One of many teleport phone booths on the sim

There's a variety of transportation available throughout the sim. Red phone booths scattered around offer teleports to various locations. There is also a taxi tour that seats four and is conducted by a driver who can tell you the ins and outs of the city including info on where all the Speakeasies are located.

Headquarters of the Chicagoan newspaper

City Park

Some popular spots, beside The Flume jazz club, include a pool hall, Theater, the headquarters of the Chicagoan newspaper, and city park. There are also a few burlesque parlors and Speakeasies around. The boxing center allows you to enter the ring and throw your own punches with a provided HUD. The whole place is quite authentic down to manholes and garbage cans with flies buzzing around them and has some audio clips playing as you wander the streets. So, come along and grab your flapper outfits or Bugsy Malone suits and have some fun in 1920's Chicago, just be careful not to cross the river into the seedier part of town where the gangsters hang.

Slurl to Chicago 1920's: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rich%20Island/196/178/21
Originally posted in the blog, "Eye on the Grind"