Road Trip Through Richfield

Forgive me, dear readers, for it's been a long time since my last blog post. Both my First and Second Lives have been way too busy, so I figured it was high time to grab my girl, pack a quick bag or two, and go on a ROAD TRIP! Today, travel with us to Satori, also called Maebaleia, or the Japanese Continent. The main road is Route 8 (pictured below with its interesting topiary-styled trees) which breaks off onto 8A, 8B, and 8C. There is also a very small stretch of road in the middle of the continent called the Old Wagon Road. There are rez zones (listed here) all along the road where you can rez a vehicle; Ziki and I started near the southern end of Satori, in Richfield.

Venturing south, we found ourselves at a small carnival, pictured below, and got out to explore.The owner of the carnival, Gracie Dotterkelch, was nearby, and stopped to speak to us as we peered into the haunted house and tried out the carnival games. When we mentioned that we'd arrived by car, she said, "I'm on a new exploration; the mainland is a whole new adventure for me. Roads and water that actually go somewhere! I'm learning to drive after all these years and seeing if I can find my way home!" She laughed and continued, "I think in that regard, I'm a noob again. I didn't ever before really experience the mainland and its charm."

Gracie showed us the haunted forest next to the carnival (pictured below), which is a great find for spooky October adventures! But visit soon, because Gracie mentioned that after Halloween, she will "dabble with making it a winter park." Ziki and I waved goodbye, then headed back north on Route 8 to investigate some woodlands we had passed.

At the junction of Routes 8 and 8A, we found a lovely, wooded parcel called "The Back 40." We wandered in the lane, past two garden gnomes with strong opinions, and discovered a peaceful oasis filled with wildlife, a rocky waterfall, a pond, a camping area, and a beautiful carpet of bluebells. Owner Dick Spad welcomed us, and mentioned that he had tried to make the parcel into a little roadside park. "Since then," he commented, "I was inspired to create a full sim that looked like this, and I called it Countryside. But I still love this, my very first parcel of land, and I hope people will visit, relax and enjoy themselves here."

Ziki and I took advantage of that invitation to camp out under the stars, enjoying the crisp Fall air, the smell of wood smoke and the sounds of the forest. In the morning, we drove northeast to the other end of Route 8A and stopped for breakfast at the Dead End Diner, pictured below. The dead ends of Satori (and how the LDPW moles worked around them!) are worth a post of their own, and we also spotted an interesting sim behind the diner, so our travels through Satori will continue! Until next time, my friends!