Parachuting Over Paris

I recently visited Paris 1900 with a friend, SL's equivalent of it, anyway.  Upon teleporting in, there is an area where small statues of the Eiffel Tower can be purchased as souvenirs and free gowns are available.  Out on the street, a tour car can be rezzed for sightseeing, or one can buy a free bicycle to pedal around the city.  Models of Parisienne folks in period dress line the street to add atmosphere.

The main attraction, besides the Moulin Rouge which is there, too, is, of course, the Eiffel Tower.  You can't miss this pink structure.  If you tp to the top, you can also pick up a parachute and take the plunge.  Mine actually opened, but I landed on another rooftop and had to jump again.  Luckily, my gown had long pants underneath - lol.

For a fun place to visit (and there are romantic spots, too), Paris is the Place in SL.

Paris 1900 Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Paris%20Eiffel/23/106/22

A Dream of a Rez Day

I wanted to do something special for my 5th Rez Day this year.  After all, rez days only come once a year -- right?  I was looking for a nice place to dance with a friend.  I had already spent way too much on a beautiful dress I bought after a fashion show that I planned to wear that night.  I called up an old friend who suggested the Dreams Dance club.  I had never been there before, but I was happily surprised.  The place was beautiful and fit its name.  With its pretty pink and purple decor and vine-covered flowers, it certainly is a place one would dream about. 

I didn't explore the rest of the sim, but there's a beach area where you land.  The formal club is to the right.  Also, I picked up a really nice blue freebie gown (they probably have something for men there, too). 

Slurl to Dreams Dance Club http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vivendo/41/69/22

Jazz Palace - a Taste of New Orleans SL Style

Okay, so I'm a day late, but I was in a Mardi Gras mood, so I visited the Jazz Palace, a replica of old New Orleans.  When I teleported, I landed in the Crescent Moon, a pub with some nice posters, comfortable tables, a game table, bar, and a pretty fountain. 

After leaving the pub, I entered a square with several shops, a theater, another fountain, and wrought-iron benches, and bunches of flowers.  Overhead, a Mardi Gras balloon floated.  The sights and music of  New Oreleans was everywhere.

I waited for the timer by the stage door of the Kitchen Kabaret to time down, and then they opened.  I entered the theater and took a seat on one of the red-velvet chairs.  Unfortunately, I must've been missing a program because I couldn't view the video, but I think it features singing food.  I  will be sure to update my settings and visit again.

I'm not sure I got to see everything on my first visit, but the town is charming and worth seeing any time of year, not only in Carnival season. 

Amorosa Ballroom

Although the landing point for the Amorosa Ballroom http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amorosa/201/128/21/ is in the middle of shops, it still manages to keep a romantic atmosphere.  The main ballroom, which is the focal point of the sim, can't be missed.  With many winding staircases, fountains, and romantic alcoves, as well as a large ballroom, couples have many choices on where to dance.  But, the ballroom isn't the only place for romantic dancing on the sim.  Selecting any of the choices from the teleport board by the front steps, one can tp to dancing areas by the sea, by gardens, or even in a lighthouse (where there is a great view through a telescope).

Although the teleport board is handy, walking around the sim can be just as enchanting.  One particular area that is pretty is by the black swans.  You can even feed them by touching on the sign.  A campfire area is a perfect place to snuggle with a buddy, lover, or even by yourself. 

For Valentine's Day or any special occasion, or just for a nice night out, the Amorosa Ballroom might be just the ticket. 

Exploring Virtually

On top of the world, Venice @ Prada

A Second Life friend of mine found a beautiful sim and invited me to join him to explore it. The sim is Venice @ Prada http://secondlife.com/destination/venice-prada.
The scenery here is lovely and is enhanced in sunset setting. From the waterfront to the quaint village shops and buildings, there is lots to see and do here with an emphasis on "see", as the appeal of this place is truly visual.

Of course, any virtual rendering of Venice would be incomplete without a Gondola ride, and my friend proved to be a good Gondolier aside from getting stuck in some dead ends. The full moon over the water and the sim's music stream added to a delightful and relaxing ride.

Before and during exploring the village, we stopped and chatted at the numerous waterside cafe tables. I felt like an Italian tourist and had tried to dress the part with my white Stole and designer SL jeans but made a quick change into a dress for dancing.

The TP sign by the dock took us to the New York Jazz Club (yes, even in Italy, I could feel at home). The warm wood textures and varnished floors of this dance venue along with its wonderful skyline windows were charming and atmospheric. The only drawback was that the return TP to Venice was either missing or well hidden, so keep the LM handy if you want to continue your exploration.

All in all, virtually exploring Prada @ Venice was fun and immersive. I felt like I'd traveled to Italy for a few hours with no jet lag to recover from

Originally posted in "Rainbow Notes" blog

CVL Travelogue #3 Roleplays in 1920's Berlin

As I've written in two other articles, the CVL Travelogue group continues its tours with #3 on September 18 to 1920's Berlin. The 1920's Berlin Project tour was conducted by Rosemary Thyme who met our group and visitors at the Berlin Teleportplatz where freebie period clothing was available for those who needed them. Although we were told that the Berlin Project is not a strict role-play sim, it's best to look and act the part as much as possible. 

The train ride into Berlin was fast.

The group's favorite spot, the library

Outside the Club Eldorado

From the Teleportplatz, we took the train into Berlin. After disembarking, Rosemary gave us the history of the sim and some interesting tidbits of information as we visited such places as Der Keller (a backstreet where you can dance and listen to 1920's music); Alexanderplatz (where the municipal building, stores, and residential areas are found); Club Eldorado (open every Saturday for Cabaret/burlesque shows and concerts); Magdalenenkirche (the church where services are held each week); the library (our favorite spot); the museum (which is closed now but offers exhibits occasionally); the Odeon theater (that features concerts and performances regularly); the Unter den Linden (famous square in Berlin); Adlon (a luxury hotel that is almost always booked to capacity and where the second anniversary ball recently took place); the school Hindenburg schule (the only place on the sim that allows voice chatting and where language classes are given); the police station; and the final stop, the night club der Keller, where Rosemary told us there is a "happy hour" every night.

The Church

The luxurious Adlon Hotel

The language school

The Unter den Linden with blimp above

Originally posted in "Rainbow Notes" blog

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