Space - A Planetarium

Being, as we are, in the midst of the annual Perseid meteor showers in first life, the night sky is more fascinating than usual to me right now. So I was delighted to discover that only one sim away from the site I blogged most recently, The Unknown Theme Park, is a place called "Space - A Planetarium," owned by Hazelee Haller. Located alongside the Second Life Railroad (SLRR) tracks in Euclida, it is one of the most creative uses of a 512 sqm parcel I've ever seen. 

What's the significance of a 512, you might ask? Those of you who are premium members will know that one perk of membership is either ownership of a Linden home, or, for those of us who own Mainland, the option of being granted a 512 sqm bonus before land use fees are applied. Either option comes with an allowance of 117 prims, although if you chose to own a Linden home, the house that comes with your home does not count against the prim allowance. Used as a stand-alone parcel on the Mainland, 512 sqm is really rather tiny, although you can find homes that size on the marketplace, and the advent of mesh has made the 117 prim allowance quite workable. However, most people who don't take the Linden home option either roll the bonus into their land fees, or put up a skybox or building platform above ground level. 

The ringed globe, pictured above, is one such skybox, but it is much more creative than a simple building platform. When you arrive at the planetarium on ground level (making sure not to get hit by a passing SLRR train on your way in) look around at the tiny but elegant build and admire the sculptures there. (I'm especially fond of "Life Cycles", by Elie Giulia.) Then, follow the footsteps and teleport to the globe high above. Inside the globe, you'll find what Hazelee calls a "stylized view of our galaxy", pictured below.

Level One includes a static display of planets and their moons, and touching each object will open a link to a web page with more information. Level Two shows the planetary orbital of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars around the sun. Following the footsteps through the skybox wall at the base of the ramp between the levels will lead you to the ring outside. This ring can be walked, though the spinning motion might make you a bit dizzy, and I did fall off when trying to re-enter the globe. 

Hazelee commented, "I have had the Planetarium since 2007. I put it up for sale a couple of years ago, with the stipulation that it remain as is. Finding no buyers who would promise me that, I took it off the market and am glad no one took me up on the offer!" All in all, this is a fun find, and one of many hidden gems along the SLRR route in Heterocera. If you enjoyed your visit, there is a tip jar located within the sky globe.

The Phoenix - Rising From The Ashes

High above the sim Gurshi on the continent of Satori spins the impressive five-level Phoenix Space Station, pictured below. The station's levels include dance clubs, living and sleeping quarters, and even a hangar with five different rezzable spaceships (second photo, below), each of which can be flown. Similar to those on the LDPW's Mos Ainsley Space Base, about which I wrote here, the spaceships will autoreturn to the station when you stand.

I wandered around the station for a bit, taking the center elevator to explore each level. This would be a great place for a photo shoot, or to host a space-themed party. Unlike at Mos Ainsley, I didn't spot any aliens, so I think partygoers would be safe. ;) Sim owners Sven Homewood and Sauly Saulio (Saul Winkler) mentioned that anyone wishing to host a party on the station can contact either of them for group membership, which includes rezzing rights. After I was finished looking around, I jumped off the station and tumbled the long way down to earth, curious as to what was below.

With rez dates one month apart in 2007, Sven and Saul have owned the land below the space station for over nine years. "I remember we got the land four weeks after I joined," commented Sven (pictured below). "We were the first people here. We didn't know each other then but we talked a lot and then found out that our plans are pretty similar about how things should look and feel." Sven built the space station and the pub; Saul said "I mostly buy and place things around."

According to Saul, The Phoenix Hangout, comprised of two connected parcels spanning about 16k of land, was created because he and Sven "wanted to make a non-commercial place for folks to kick back and hang out, play games and listen to music." He continued, "We call the place The Phoenix because I basically destroyed it once with the click of a button. Everything poofed off the land. Sven was a little miffed. When we (mostly he) rebuilt it, we renamed it The Phoenix, because it was rising from the ashes."

When I asked them what their favorite parts of the land were, Sven mentioned the pub — The Sleeping Dog — which was named after an ancient dog sleeping by the fireplace inside (pictured above, far left). Saul said his favorite part was the fishing pond outside of the pub (pictured above, far right). There is a 7Seas fishing vendor located right next to the pond.

The Phoenix Hangout is filled with places to, well, hang out. There are hobbit houses to explore (pictured behind our mushroom perch, above), playground-type rides, places to rest or snuggle, and games scattered both inside the pub and throughout the grounds. "People come to play the many free games," remarked Saul. "We welcome all types of avatars here: furry, child, petite, whatever. Just no griefers! There are also free to copy items scattered throughout the parcel. We've been tweaking the place for nine years now, and we like how it has developed." Come on by, hang out a bit, or take a ride on a spaceship and tour the surrounding area. If you enjoy your visit, there is a tip jar located just inside the entrance to the pub.

"Life's too short, babe, time is flying..."

"...I'm lookin' for baggage that goes with mine." 

Okay, despite me now having those lyrics from Rent in my head, maybe not baggage. More a backpack, to be exact.  A week or so ago, Torley gave me this really cool backpack (see image below) that is actually a random teleporter. It allows the wearer, or anyone in the same region who clicks on it, to be teleported to a completely random spot on the grid. You can set it to find sims that are general/moderate, or general/moderate/adult. I put it on, clicked, a loud alarm went off, and local chat told me, "Random Sim Teleporter. Backpack. [Mod/Trans]: Kinnaird Resident has chosen to teleport. Please prepare for extraction :)" And off I went!

Because the backpack will port you anywhere on the grid, both to Mainland and to private sims, I had a few false starts  - one empty private sim for sale, a group of four private sims containing a planned town, one private house on Sansara with a security orb - before landing at The Haven. Looking up the parcel details, I found this description: "Set in Bordeaux's famed Haut-Medoc, The Haven celebrates the creativity of all who find a haven in SL and is a place to make and renew friendships while you explore its secrets." 

Owned by Sister (sisterbutta), and comprising most of the sim Molson on southeastern edge of Sansara, The Haven at ground level is a rambling expanse of forest, vineyards, and large buildings in the style of 18th century France. The arrival area places you right next to a fire-breathing dragon, which one can ride over the sim, although exploring by foot will let you discover a lot of fun details. Steps to the West lead up to an open-air French pavilion, with an adjacent Artist and Author's Terrace, pictured below. The crystal ball on the center of the table whispered to me, "Crystal Ball: You will partner with someone very wealthy and be given many many Lindens." /me casts a sidelong glance in Ziki's direction and grins.

"The Haven is really a big sandbox where I try things out," commented Sister when I spoke with her. "Most of the ground area I've leveled and am rebuilding. The only structure there now (pretty much) is the large house/salon. A friend in England did the build and then I furnished; it was my very first effort in SL. It is generally historically accurate; nothing is post 1786, in theory. It is not a 'palace', is is the somewhat mysterious 'hideout' for the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) during the years of suppression when the order was dissolved by Papal order." Visitors can explore the Salon here (outside of which is an awfully fun bubble rezzer) or a large exhibit covering the first 200 years of the Jesuits in a skybox here.

Continued Sister, "There are three other builds up in the sky...the Galactic Cantina (pictured below),  a bizarre halloween/day of the dead build that I can't bear to pack up (pictured above), and finally there is Lasata, a fictional small town in southeast Alabama (USA) that is the SL setting for a RL novel. It is probably the most interesting build at the Haven. It is all a hodgepodge, but I love every meter of it."

All in all, The Haven was a lovely find, and a great example of the creative use of Mainland space. Wander around, especially on ground level, where you can find an art exhibit under a canopy of trees, relax in the gardens of the French pavilion, or enjoy an outdoor meal on a small freestanding terrace. Then spend some time exploring the skybox builds, including the otherworldly landscaped area outside of the Cantina. What an impressive venue for a space-themed event! Thank you, random teleporter backpack, and thank you, Torley! 

I wonder where it will take me next? 

"Got A Whale Of A Tale To Tell Ya, Lads"

Jules Verne, often referred to as the father of science fiction, was a French novelist and playwright famous for such wild, imaginative adventures as Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). In Second Life, Veritas Raymaker has created a museum in the Sea of Fables to honor the life and works of Verne called "St. Michel", named after a series of boats that Verne owned during his life. Before visiting, since some of the museum is located on the sea floor, you may want to pick up the free Nautilus diving suit I'm wearing in the photo below. Designed by Aley (Arcadia Asylum), it emits bubbles from the helmet, bounces and kicks up sand from the sea floor when you walk, and is simply full of old-school awesome. Just the thing for a visit to the Jules Verne Museum.

From the landing point, you can either catch a zip line ride down to the water or walk up the hill to the brick building. Inside the building is a simulated moon surface; cam in and sit on one of the floating jet packs for an immersive experience. Outside the building's front door is a small blue cone which will rez a vehicle (pictured on left, below) to take you to various other destinations within the build, including a fanciful floating skybase (pictured on the far right, below). According to Veritas, "the original site of the Museum was featured in the March 2008 issue of Deja Vu International magazine. That site was used from July 2007 to August 2008. The Museum is presently situated in the sim of Lily, and was opened in January 2009. Spread over 0.7 hectares and comprising self-paced informational experiences, it is hoped that the variations in type and scale of the exhibits will convey some sense of the sheer breadth of Verne's genius."

One of the destinations within the build is a large submarine (interior control room pictured below) which sits on the surface of the Sea of Fables. Under the sub, a series of interconnected underwater rooms allows visitors to observe the sea life while remaining comfortably dry. At each destination, a set of slideshows gives visitors information about the builds and the books on which they are based. Like Leonardo da Vinci, Jules Verne imagined creations which became reality hundreds of years later. See this National Geographic photo-essay about ten of his inventions which actually exist today.

States Veritas, "I am very happy to have been able to keep the museum open at Lily these many years. The affordances of Second Life align so well with Verne's imagination. The doors of the museum will continue to remain open and all are very welcome :-)" The tales imagined and written down by Verne are still capturing the imagination of readers today, and this museum is a good introduction — and homage to — his works. Come visit, dive in and explore the grand adventures for yourself, and perhaps take home some inspiration for your own adventures. Let's follow the advice of Jules Verne, who said, "Ah! Young people, travel if you can, and if you cannot, travel just the same!"

"Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads

A whale of a tale or two'

Bout the flappin' fish and the girls I've loved

On nights like this with the moon above

A whale of a tale and it's all true

I swear by my tattoo"

Kirk Douglas in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"

"And there's something bright, travelling fast..."

Jeogeot, also known as the Korean continent, was third to be created after Sansara and Heterocera. It sits isolated in the southwest of the grid, not connected to any other continents. Off the Northeasternmost corner of Jeogeot is a small island known as the Mos Ainsley Space Base, sometimes referred to as Jeogeot's moon. It's this moon which we shall be exploring today.

The sim is composed of one large land mass in the shape of a moon crater (see photo above). Wandering around the base, there are several areas where you can grab a space suit and coveralls - look for the large vaults, third photo, center. They are for system avatars only, but this is vintage SL, don't be so fussy! ;) Or, you can certainly wear your own suit, as I am doing in the large greenhouse in the photo below. 

The base is sparsely furnished, but a great backdrop for taking photos. Rez is on with a five-minute autoreturn for either photo props (Ziki and I hung out in a cryo-chamber I rezzed while I blogged this) or if you'd like to rez your own spacecraft. But before you get suited up and journey off the moon base, see if you can find the captured alien hidden there. (That alien is not quite as cute as the one in my hand in the photo, below right, but it's worth seeing).

If you don't happen to own your own spacecraft, you're still in luck, because hovering over the Space Base is a shuttlecraft (photo below). Click on the "Recall Shuttle" button here, and wait as the large craft descends in front of you. After you sit, you can choose to open the hangar doors by clicking on the shuttle controls, then press "page up", and you're off! You can even bring passengers along for a unique way of exploring Jeogeot. (The shuttle will auto return when you stand.)

There is even a travel video encouraging visitors to come to the Space Base. So what are you waiting for? Explore the base, then grab a shuttle to explore the continent. I'll play you some Kate Bush while you do. 

Stardancing in Shinda

On Sansara, just north of the Mare Secundus (a fascinating place that deserves its own blog post) is a collection of parcels with a cosmic flair. Here one can stop for a bite to eat at Papa Primbee's Diner (photo below), explore the beach "filled with spaced out nature", then click on the floating moon to port up to Inspire Space Park.

But before you head up, take a look around at ground level. Shinda is a unique sim in that all of the parcels have a similar theme...one which even spills over to surrounding sims. Visit an art gallery, climb up the inside of a giant tree, maze your way through a labyrinth, or meditate high above the earth on one of Sharni Azalee's wonderful floating islands. When you are finished exploring, you can click on one of the many floating moons in the area to port high above to the truly magical Space Park.

When you arrive at the Space Park, make sure your WL is set to midnight, and that you have particles enabled. The Space Park has two levels: level one is where most people hang out, and DJs and particle artists regularly perform there, creating a dreamy atmosphere with "the latest in spacey downtempo and mid energy music." A quieter second level is full of places to read, cuddle, or dance with a partner. (Make sure you walk out onto the asteroid path on the second level and into the large planet at the end.)

In addition to the particle shows, visitors will find places to meditate, do tai chi, dance, gaze at the stars, or float into space alone (see photo below) or with a friend. Floating across the Milky Way, I couldn't help but think that Stardance author Jeanne Robinson would've loved it.

There are always people at Inspire, at any given time of day or night, and for a place that was created in 2006 that's really saying something. Occasionally visitors might feel like they've been transported back to 2006 as well, since while at the Park you are always sure to spot facelights, wings, horse avatars, flexi hair, and even bling! Inspire Space Park is kind of a quintessential SL experience, but rather than feeling tacky or outdated, it's actually quite charming.

Owner Earth Primbee calls the Space Park and Nature Preserve below "a cosmic dream that I dream with my co-creators Grafx Newbold and Raphael Cremorne. Together we create a place that inspires beauty, peace, and love to make the universe a better place." In this, I think they've succeeded.