A Grand Place to Visit

Text by DULCIE MILLS

Photos by CLARK ABISMO

Originally published in RezLibris Magazine
See Fall 2011 issue for photo slideshow

One only has to check the Destination Guide for a sampling of the incredible sims in Second Life. From roleplaying to Arts, from Education to Fantasy, there’s a category for every interest. The Real Life category usually features depictions of real places. One example that stands out in this category is the SL version of the Grand Canyon. Want to go somewhere that is picturesque? Want to hang glide, be shot out of a cannon, ride a horse through mountainous trails, ice skate? Want to go on a date, find romance, or get married? Want to have fun with friends and play games for prizes? It’s all there and more, scattered among three distinctive sims connected by zip lines, helicopter tours, boats, and convenient teleport boards.

The history of the Grand Canyon began when Lissisme Dubrovna and her brother, TD Tremmor, purchased TDT Estates in Oct. 2009. In January 2010, Dubrovna, an experienced builder, visited a texture store and fell in love with a texture that became the rock for the Grand Canyon that she had recently visited in RL. After having a dream about the texture and the Grand Canyon, she did a search in SL to see if there was already a Grand Canyon, and discovered there wasn’t. She then went to work and created the Grand Canyon in 18 hours.

In March 2010, she began working with her partner, Tiger Zepp. “The whole idea behind these sims is to give residents of SL an opportunity to get away from shopping and sex and pressures in SL,” Dubrovna said. “It also gives new residents a chance to learn valuable skills in a fun recreational way.” She added that the success of the Canyon sims came about after Zepp taught her his “stickiness theory.” Zepp explained, “. . . it’s about engagement with the environment. It’s all well and good just admiring views, etc., but if you, as a visitor, can engage with the terrain . . . say, with skiing, climbing, swimming, fishing, paragliding, horseback riding . . . you see the place again and again from many perspectives and find hidden places. [It] literally would take you a week here solid to find things. We have over 35 destinations over the sims in our board.”

The three sims that currently compose the Grand Canyon area are the Imago sim that contains Lake Tahoe and Crater Lake and is most known for its winter sports and activities; the Grand Canyon sim that features the main attractions and adventure sports; and TDT Estates sim that specializes in romance and weddings. Some of the things you can do at Lake Tahoe and Crater Lake include ice skating, skiing, slalom racing (sleds and snowboards are free), and even white water kayaking. You should beware of crocodiles and the bears that make this area their home, but some persistent explorers have found prizes in the trash bins by the bears.

The Grand Canyon offers a multitude of experiences and activities. The skywalk is noted to give the “same sense of awe and wonder,” as its rl counterpart in Arizona. For thrill seekers, the hang gliders, bungee jump, human cannon, parachuting, and rock slide are just some of the activities offered. For those who like more relaxing past-times, there is a picnic area, mermaid park, and fishing pier. If games are your thing, you might want to spend some time trying your luck at the shooting gallery, horse shoes, and knife throwing area where prizes are awarded to high scorers. There’s also a yacht club and Indian camp. To top it all off, you can even go on a helicopter tour of all three sims with a friend, date, or partner.

TDT Estates offers all you need to plan a romantic date or the perfect wedding – a bridal shop, romance ballroom, hot air balloon rides, a drive-in theater, and a dance club. Throughout all the sims there are campsites, caves and waterfalls, and lots of pose and dance balls. As stated in “The Grand Canyon Magazine” published by Imago Builders, “GC is a place of beauty, health, open air, RL sports, and skill enhancing activities.”

When asked what she personally likes most about the Grand Canyon in SL, Dubrovna replied, “I have to say I love it all - it has been a wonderful project but one thing I truly love is seeing others have fun and relax and the loyalty they show the Canyon.” The Grand Canyon group is free to join, and members are scouts. Events are announced through the group such as the Friday night dances at the Canyon Club. Dubrovna also said that singers and live performers appear often and that, besides weddings, many engagement parties, rez days, and meetings take place at the Canyon. They are also about to launch a series of educational events on the topic of global warming and its effects on the environment. The sims are solely supported by visitor donations, and Dubrovna mentioned that she will soon be seeking sponsorship for a “very amazing build – totally new to SL.” A few new additions are also planned for the Grand Canyon – a Cable car and video documentaries of the real Grand Canyon.

To visit this lovely and fun place, search for The Grand Canyon in SL Places or take this Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Grand%20Canyon/99/194/111

History Meets Art on Museum Island

Originally published in RezLibris Magazine See Summer 2011 issue for Slideshow

Text by DULCIE MILLS Photos by DULCIE MILLS and CLARK ABISMO     There are so many creative sims in Second Life, but imagine one that is a museum filled with statues, buildings, and other artifacts illustrating historical places and times, all arranged artistically with gardens and other plants, walkways, and paths. Visit ancient Egypt, Rome, Babylon, and Greece by boat or walking tour or just fly through the sim. This is Museum Island, the creation of Carlolello Zapatero, an Italian builder who works with computer graphics in RL. Zapatero joined Second Life three years ago but didn't begin work on Museum Island until last year after some people saw his builds at a sandbox and pushed him to create something inworld. "I built Museum Island to give people the chance who can't travel the world to have an idea of these beautiful ancient sites," he said. Zapatero says the most popular attractions on Museum Island include Petra, Nefertari's Tomb, Babylonia, and the Library of Ephesus, but he believes all the monuments are interesting, especially the tall ancient sundial in Rome which he says "is built seven metres under the modern city in RL." His favorite build is the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii. "I painted all the walls in watercolor after I scanned them for SL," he said. "Many archeological teachers visit this house. All paints are original. I restored this home. In RL it was destroyed." Other sites to see on Museum Island include Ara Pacis (Alter to Peace); Tholos of Apollo, Delphi (Greece); Arch of Septimius Severus; Arch of Constantine; Ishtar Gate (Babylon); Canopo, Villa Ariana (Tivoli); the Acropolis; Hanging Gardens; Colossus of Rhodes; and even a pet memorial called Memory Gardens. After all the sightseeing through ancient times, you can take a nap on a hammock in the relaxing area. Regarding what readers of RezLibris should know about Museum Island, Zapetero replied, "I hope your readers like my land. I built an ideal city with archeological monuments representative of the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean sea." Many signs in both Italian and English describe the various builds on the sim with historical background. Zapetero's next build is the site of Abu-Simbel in Egypt, which is currently under construction.   While no formal events take place on Museum Island, there is a SL group, and art exhibits are displayed there. Zapetero wanted to thank several people who helped him with the Museum Island project: Pille Bikcin, Miky Canning, Alex Sigal, Azyxel, Rigi, Frontrunner, Vonkalbert, Roja, Manuelita, and other friends. For a place to learn about ancient history and art, Museum Island is the place to visit. Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sunny%20Breezes/211/151/22

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Touring Texas SL Style

Text and Photos by DULCIE MILLS
Machinima by CLARK
Originally published in RezLibris Magazine




The Texas Library Association in Second Life is currently sponsoring an exhibit called Virtual Texas. According to Valibrarian Gregg, Texas Librarian, the idea for the exhibit came about after she met Jacon Cortes, co-owner of the Antiquity Texas and Antiquity Tejas sims, at an ISTE (International Society of Technology in Education) conference that had been held both in San Antonio, Texas, and in Second Life. “The Texas Library Association built an exhibit using his (Cortes’) Alamo façade as a backdrop,” Gregg said. The exhibit also includes SL universities that are in Texas, a few virtual books, and other historical and period items.
The Virtual Texas exhibit will run through April on Info Island and will then be featured at the Texas Library Convention in Austin. Gregg, along with Cortes, is conducting tours of the exhibit as well as the Antiquity Texas sim itself. The tours run for two hours and conclude with fireworks and dancing. There have been two tours and possibly a third will be given in April before the exhibit is taken down.
Antiquity Texas is a role-playing sim that is one of around 40 sims that are part of the Kingdom of Antiquity community of Victorian role-play sims, each of which is privately funded. Some other sims in this group include Antiquity Tejas, Antiquity London, Antiquity France, Antiquity New Europe, Antiquity Harbor, and Antiquity Prairie. Western, Victorian, or period dress is recommended for visitors to Antiquity Texas, and free outfits for men and women are available at the landing point where several tours around the sim originate, including an audio walking tour, horse-drawn buggy tour, and hot air balloon ride.

Describing how Antiquity Texas came about, Cortes explained that he, his rl brother, Tocho Cortes, and a business partner, Pixapao Xeno, had not originally planned on creating a historical sim. They initially wanted to expand their business, Los Texanos Beaux Arts, an ornate shop selling jewelry and other items that is the main shop currently on Antiquity. “When it came time to decide for a building to place our new shops in, we thought about what kind of building we wanted and where it would be located,” Cortes said. “We thought about different buildings, different themes, that would add to designs before we decided on the Texas Capitol Building. My brother and I, both being from Texas and very proud of our state and its history, convinced our partner on the Capitol. Pixapao, in turn, had a recommendation for a builder and we set off to recreate the Capitol. Once we had the Capitol built, I placed a rough Alamo next to the central plaza. Thus Antiquity Texas evolved.”

Besides the Capital and the Alamo, there are many places to see and visit on Antiquity Texas, including the Governor’s Mansion, Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loret, and the Port Isabel Lighthouse, to name a few. Cortes described the process of recreating historical details for the buildings: “The majority of buildings were built by Master Builder Powder Pinkenba. Powder has a fantastic eye for detail. He used original blueprints that we found on the Library of Congress website to plan and build the buildings. For the Capitol, my brother, mother, sister, and I drove to Austin to photograph the Capitol to use for the textures. As for the other buildings, we tried to make them as close to possible, in our minds, as the building looked like in the early 1800's. Using images from the Net, Powder would work to create realistic reproductions.”

“I think the reason the librarians got involved in this,” Gregg said, “is because Antiquity Texas is such a wonderful example of an immersive learning environment where one can actually enter an historical era. The TLA SL group is very appreciative of the hospitality shown by Jacon and Tocho Cortes.” Cortes added, “If somebody in real life who could not come to the Texas Capitol building or to the Alamo could come and visit and learn about Texas history in this sort of way, I think it’s good on all different kinds of fronts. It is the goal of Antiquity Texas, and Los Texanos, our group, to continue to build on our historical foundations and be able to offer a fun community of role-play to enjoy it in.”

Slurl to Virtual Texas Exhibit: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/61/94/23
Slurl to Antiquity, Texas: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Antiquity%20Texas/153/38/22

Links for Further Information on Texas and Historical Sites:

Alamo http://thealamo.org/main/index.php
Governor's Mansion and Texas Capitol http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/tspb.htm
Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loret http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=754&ResourceType=Building
Port Isabel Lighthouse http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/port_isabel_lighthouse/

Alirium: a Sim for All Seasons

Written by Dulcie Mills Machinima by Clark Abismo

As most of us say goodbye to summer and welcome the cooler fall months, it’s always interesting to see the changes in Second Life. Halloween sims open, shops begin to sell autumn clothing and decorations, leaves begin to fall from SL autumn trees. But in a few sims, all the seasons are represented year round. One of the most beautiful is the Alirium sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/alirium/132/122/66 . Two members of the RezLibris staff visited there recently and wrote and illustrated a poem that was inspired by its surroundings.     SL SEASONS We met in Winter skating on a virtual ice rink. Afterwards, we shared a hot chocolate drink. We kissed under an animated mistletoe as we walked through a forest of white prim snow. In Spring, we planted a virtual garden on a sim called Honey Creek where we rented a cottage for 500 Lindens a week. A lucky elephant guarded our dell while sweet bunnies perched by the wishing well. We picnicked under a blossoming cherry tree, watched as multi-colored butterflies flapped their wings and pledged our love with golden Xstreet rings. In Summer, we celebrated becoming partners with a wedding at which all our close friends attended in a rezzed fairytale setting. Although the roses didn't smell and the cake was taste- and calorie-free, the sim didn't crash, and everyone teleported safely. The birds sang and the bells rang even a flamingo joined the gang. Everyone toasted our Second Life marriage with champagne. By Fall, we had an island house, boats, planes, and everything so much that real life had yet to bring. For Halloween, we decorated our home with ghosts and pumpkins, went dancing in costumes with new shapes and skins The green leaves in our meadow turned red, gold, and brown We gave thanks for all our searching had found. Now, as the SL seasons change again, we reflect on winter dreams that end the year spring rainbows which suddenly appear, summer rain that feeds the flowers, autumn's leaves that fall in shorter hours What we imagine can be real whether born in fantasy or created on a computer screen The eye of the beholder can still see all forms of virtual beauty, from under the sea or above the air in beautiful sims such as Alirium.