It's October in Bay City, and there's plenty of spooky fun to find as you walk along the city streets, whistling The Incredible String Band's October Song. When you first enter the City from the East, crossing the bridge from nearby Nova Albion, you'll spy the Channel Island Asylum sitting on a hill in South Channel. From the Destination Guide: "For years, Channel Island Mental Hospital was the home of the mentally deranged of Bay City and beyond. Now abandoned, the asylum is said to be the home of strange goings-on after dark. Bring a friend — and stay together." Are you brave enough to visit?
Alternatively, you could venture across the street to visit the Haunted Hay Maze, located in the Bay City Fairgrounds on North Channel. According to Bay City's "unofficial Mayori", Marianne McCann, the City has been "doing these since 2011. It is fun for all, not too scary, but still with a few spooks and good things. The LDPW has helped with the set up. I went harder this year with the maze. Last year, folks said it was too easy." The Haunted Hay Maze is always a lot of fun, with places to pose for spooky photos and prizes to find throughout the maze. Come down and give it a try!
On the other side of Bay City, on the island separating Eastside from Westside, sits the crumbling grandeur of Hotel Falmouth. If the fountain of blood outside doesn't scare you away, enter to explore this once-grand hotel, now said to be haunted. Sit down for a drink at the bar with some really creepy teddy bears, or head to the elevators and pick a floor at random. Like at the hay maze, clicking around throughout the hotel may score you some delightfully creepy prizes.
Finally, for those of you who prefer non-spooky October celebrations, the Bay City Brewery is hosting the annual Bay City Oktoberfest party on Sunday, October 23rd, 2016, from 2:00 - 4:00 PM SLT. Grab your lederhosen and come on down to join us for seasonal music with DJ GoSpeed Racer of Kona Stream, and of course, for lots of BEER! Happy October from Bay City!
Ah, how I love October. That crisp Autumn air, that pumpkin flavoring in...well, everything, and things that go bump in the night. But don't be afraid! Take my hand and let's explore together one of the spookier places on the Mainland, DarkDharma HaUnTeD MaNoR and HaUnTeD FoReSt in Benten. As you approach, you are
instructed to turn off your music and turn on sounds, and you are given a warning that
damage is enabled in the graveyard and forest behind the mansion. I found that it was enabled in some
parts of the house too, so just watch out! Let's peek inside, shall we?
Inside the mansion are sixteen rooms decorated with exquisitely ghoulish detail, so make sure to explore every nook and cranny! A notecard obtained at the front gate also mentions prizes: "Click
around everywhere to find the 10 GHOULS who hold the HAUNTED PRIZES.
Ghouls can be found from first floor to top of the house! Be careful!
These ghouls will get pushy and come after you, just click on them and
they will surrender the prize. But BEWARE there are other evil dangers
that lurk all around!" I also found at least one prize hiding in the forest.
Once you make it out alive (and hopefully you will!), return to the road by the front gate and turn right. In front of you, at the end of the road, you'll spy the two flickering eyes of the guardian of the DarkDharma Caverns (pictured below). No visit to Benten is complete without venturing into these caves through the terrifying mouth of their guardian. I spoke with the creator of these spooky marvels, DarkDharma Daguerre, who had this to say: "What
separates DarkDharma Haunted Manor from other similar sites? The total
immersion in the theme, from the specialized sky settings and
specialized outside and inside soundtracks to all the little details
everywhere. When I was new in Second Life back in 2004, I would go to
other attractions of all kinds, and was always disappointed to go inside
the buildings and find empty rooms. When I created my first haunted
manor in '05, I was sure to make it different and fill up the rooms!What are my favorite features of my haunted manor? I love how the soundtrack and the setting I've created all meld together to really pull you into the spooky, haunted mood. I've had many people tell me they were really scared and got goosebumps from going through my house. When I hear that, it makes it all worthwhile! MUWAHAHAHAHA!"
So come visit, if you dare! But before you do, listen to the tale of the "Skeleton In The Closet" by Louis Armstrong. Sure sounds like he's visited someplace similar!
"Boy, don't you go in there Come outta there, boy Don't you know that house is haunted? There's an old deserted mansion on an old forgotten road Where the better ghosts and goblins always hang out One night they threw a party in a manner a la mode And they cordially invited all the gang out"
