Lauk's Nest

Created in 2005 by resident Laukosargas Svarog (who also designed the beautiful sim, Svarga), Lauk's Nest is located just north of the Snowlands of Sansara, but in much warmer climes. Constructed as Mayan temple ruins surrounded by a rain forest, this impressive, historic build sits on a large island (pictured below) in the wonderful Sea of Fables. While the build has changed hands many times since Lauk created it, it still retains a large portion of her original design, including some interesting attempts to script life. There are flowers which change color when bees land on them, beehives from which bees emerge several times a day to pollinate the flowers, and carnivorous plants and birds which occasionally eat the bees. In Svarga, which was designed in 2006, Lauk took this experiment a step further, creating clouds that rained and essentially a dynamic ecosystem in which plants grew and multiplied. Built in a time before sculpted or flexible prims were available, both Svarga and Lauk's Nest are marvelous examples of the beauty that can be created with the basic SL prim.

Eliana Zaytsev (pictured in front of the island map, below) took ownership in 2010, and has done her best to preserve Lauk's original vision. "I found that i was having a hard time figuring out what was original to Lauk's Nest and what was added after she sold it," remarked Eli. "I cannot believe it has been six years now that i have had it! I rented a home and took part in events here when I was new to Second Life. This will always feel like home." Touching the map at the landing point will provide visitors with a notecard containing information about the build and a listing of landmarks for the area. There are still three rentals on the land; contact Eli for more information if you are interested in living there.

Exploring on foot, there are plenty of things to see on the island. You can circle the entire island on a wooden walkway that hugs the mountain, winding your way up to the top. You can drum at the base of a giant tree, or find your way up above the drums to the original "nest". Investigate the inside of the pyramid, or relax in the hippo pool (pictured below), which is located at the top of the cascading set of waterfalls that flow down the moutainside. At the base of the mountain, you can find a cave, or walk along the water and observe the rumblings of the active volcano in nearby Orwood.

A two-level sunset treehouse overlooks the neighborhood area where you can find rental information as well as a small art gallery. There is a temporary dance floor at the landing point which can be rezzed and rented for small parties. But I think my favorite part of the build, perhaps because it was a place I visited during my first few days in Second Life, is the meditation circle, pictured below. Once an avatar enters the circle, the white particles appear, arching overhead. "I still love this place," exclaimed Eli, "and think it should never go away!" Visitors who are interested in helping to preserve this fascinating and historic build can leave a contribution at the landing point.

Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail

On this Easter morning, let's hop on over to Project Kapor for an egg hunt. Located on the eastern shore of two Sansara sims, Rosedale and Kapor, this sweet little build is covered in Spring flowers, rocky pathways, and, of course, Easter eggs! You can pick up the bunny avatar I'm wearing (pictured below) for free here at COCO. It comes with either grey or cinnamon fur (or grab both!) and a number of free or inexpensive clothing items are located nearby.

A rainbow arches over a waterfall that spans the two sims, and the rocky paths lead you over and through several tiny ponds. Surrounding the ponds, lollypop trees give a variety of flavored lollypops. There are floating balloons one can ride (see last photo, below), or you can catch a ride out into the waters of the Coastal Waterway on an inner tube (photo directly below).

But don't forget the Easter eggs! Most (tho' not all) of the eggs hidden throughout Project Kapor contain prizes: wearable Easter baskets, bunny ear headbands, tiny yellow chicks, and even your own version of the floating balloons. Before you leave, don't miss catching the balloon ride up into the small island lighthouse right offshore, as there are more Easter eggs at the top.

While you are looking around, enjoy this short (3 minute) Peter Cottontail cartoon released by UPA Animation Studios in the early 1950's (directed by Robert Cannon, animated by Robert Cannon and Grim Natwick).

Happy Hunting...and Happy Easter!

"Red Hot Mama, You're The One I Need"

In the center of the Volcanic Island Sims of Sansara sits the towering peak of Mt. G'al, the largest of the many volcanos in the area, and the one I've often heard referred to as the "fickle, palindromic goddess of Second Life". Before visiting, know that this volcano is deadly, and jumping into it will "kill" you and send you home. The landmark I've provided places you high on the outer cone (you can see me standing there in the photo below) but be careful not to lose your footing after you land!

However, for those adventurous sorts among you, there is a way to enter the volcano and not die. Scan down into the lava until you spot the white platform and clear tube pictured below, and port onto the platform. Walk through the tube, and into the opening in the rock wall. Take a deep breath, be brave, and step into the large hole in front of you.

After falling, you will land in a cave filled with curious machinery (see photo below). Are the moles of the Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW) using the volcano as a hidden power source? Crazy Mole seems to have left a few clues behind...

The area surrounding the volcano contains a number of strange and interesting builds, including three iconic floating islands tethered by great chains to the earth, an ancient infohub, a giant Atlas-like figure holding up a palace, a large fairy forest surrounded by waterfalls, a space shuttle crashed into the mountainside, lava goddesses (see photo below), an extremely fun UFO rezzing platform, and the Temple of L'ag ("FOR it is written in the lava, "Lag is Life" and so lag shall we"). Unsurprisingly, the region is very laggy, but still well worth a visit.

Historically, it appears, avatars have been sacrificed to this volcano goddess in order to reduce lag and other grid-wide issues. Some have even taken to sacrificing themselves! So, what do you think? Will you do your part for the health of the Grid? Of course you will. Be brave, stand strong, then take a flying leap into Mt. G'al!

"I've got a girl, a wonderful girl
She's the sweetest one in town
You can search for miles around
But no one can be found like this one

Red Hot Mama, you're the one I need!" 

"Red Hot Mama" by the Brox Sisters, 1924

"Silver Fishes Through My Skin"

In the center of Sansara, near some of the oldest sims on the Grid, sits a small, charming island with underwater caverns beneath it. The Cave Rua Water Gardens, pictured below, were designed by Jemma Flora and are lovely to explore. Cleverly tucked under and around the island, the gardens feature a shipwreck, some picturesque ruins, and schools of colorful fish. Rez is on with a ten minute autoreturn if you wish to use the area with photography props.

Staying beneath the waves and following the path to the Southeast, the underwater gardens continue through some protected land to a large open area filled with jellyfish, brightly colored corals, schools of fish, and poses for mermaids. Here and there, you'll find that parts of the garden are available to purchase; sort of a living store area designed by Abby Dawson. 

While exploring, I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of that mythical creature of land, sea, and sky, Ziki Questi, seen in the picture below wearing Alpha Tribe's "Golden Ammonites". (/me grins) Seriously tho', if you haven't visited Alpha Tribe's amazing store and sim, you should. It isn't Mainland but it's still worth a look. ;) Artist and designer Alpha Auer's creations can either be found inworld or in her marketplace store.

The island above the water gardens (photo below) is also worth a visit. Towering trees and well-placed boulders surround a sun-lit glade filled with dragonflies, flowering weeds and ferns, and provide a sense of privacy in an otherwise busy sim. Worn and weathered statuary are set amidst the trees, and couples can find a salsa dance near the ruins at the island's edge.

Underwater exploration is an awful lot of fun in Second Life, and this is a great place to start exploring. You can pick up a free mermaid tail on the marketplace here, and that same store has free breath bubbles. You can also find some free mole-created diving gear on Poseidon Island in the Sea of Fables. There's fixed landing point, but find your way down to the water's edge to the South to collect your gear.

One of my favorite pirate-girl/mermaids is SJ Tucker, who travels through Second Life as Sooj Foxclaw. This lovely Mainland spot reminded me of her, so as you prepare to explore the underwater mysteries, enjoy her delightful song, "Neptune". Happy diving!

"Years ago I came to you
down beneath your ripples
submitting to the mystery
of life beneath the waves."

The Moth Temple of Iris

At the center of the Inner Delta of Heterocera sits the impressive Moth Temple of Iris. The first telehub on that continent (and still an incredibly busy place today!) the Temple (pictured below) is a delicate but towering wooden structure designed by Xenon Linden. Almost all of the sims in Heterocera are named after species of moths; the continent itself is named for the sub-species of insect by which moths are categorized. You can find these lovely little creatures all over the Moth Temple, including fluttering around the lamps that line the boardwalk surrounding it at dusk.

The area surrounding the temple is owned by Prokofy Neva's Second Life Public Land Preserve, and is a resident-designed infohub modeled on a fishing village, created by builder Jessica Ornitz. The boardwalks of the infohub are lined by charming huts, which, according to Prokofy, contain "freebies, dollarbies, things to explore, meditation, games, etc. There is also a little tutorial about how to start a business in SL. I try to have my sims being sort of 'second tier' tutorials after the basic newbie stuff that they have on Caledon." Wandering around, visitors can find a great deal of information which will be especially helpful to new residents: hints on reducing lag, tips on how to stop animations, even some very cool random LM generators to help you find new places to explore. There is a set of free moth wings hanging from a lamppost (the ones which were used in Osprey Therian's memorial), and if you look for the red moth lanterns hanging from the lampposts near the wings, they are also free.

Build is on in part of the infohub, so I capitalized on the moth theme and rezzed one of my very favorite vehicles, the Lepidoptera, pictured above and below.This fabulous flying machine, modeled after a James Gurney illustration and created by resident bunnys Fride, is free on the marketplace here. It can handle a pilot and 11 passengers, and is incredibly easy to fly. A wonderful way to take in the sights around the Moth Temple...and on the Moth Continent of Heterocera!

Bay City - Hairy Hippo Fun Land

On the westside of Bay City, on the shores of the Davis gulf, sits Hairy Hippo Fun Land. This amusement park, built in 2012,  spans two entire sims, Oaks Bluffs and Weston — three if you add in the aquarium on the northwest corner of the park. And so let's start there, at the gates to the aquarium. Enter through the gates, go down a short walk, then venture into the watery tunnel in front of you (pictured below). Through the glass walls of the tunnel you may be able to spot a mermole or two, those curious creatures native to Mainland SL, including the waters surrounding Bay City.

After you exit the tunnel, walk straight up the hill to the aquarium. You'll spy an old steampunk submarine on display and a small, round building. Inside the building are several unusual sea creatures on exhibit, all of which you can feed. There is one other building on the grounds, and in between the two are wooden platforms from which you can look down into various holding ponds. If you prefer, a second glass tunnel at the bottom of the hill lets you observe the aquarium's inhabitants more closely.

Once you're finished exploring the aquarium, go back down the hill to find a path that leads to the Lollercoaster. Click on the sign to call a car, and don't forget to go into mouselook for a realistic ride!

At the main entrance to the amusement park, you will see two of the park's namesake hippos, plus a bright pink sign announcing "The Hippo Food Challenge." Click on the sign, and you'll receive a HUD and instructions to "Explore Hairy Hippo Fun Land, snacking on anything and everything that crosses your path! Enjoy the scariest rides with a full belly! Try not to get sick too often!" Apparently those who survive this challenge win a prize, but I have to confess that I didn't attempt it. I did, however, play some of the many carnival games located around the park, and won a stuffed mole! (See picture below.)

The park contains several fun rides besides the Lollercoaster, including a bouncy castle, a ferris wheel, a merry go round, bumper cars, a parachute jump and a teacup ride. There is a small penny arcade with fortune telling machines and two very cool mutoscopes: "The Box" and "Le Train". Visitors can enjoy 7Seas fishing with custom prizes from any of the piers, or grab a free balloon from the booths that line Rte. 66. Along the shore of the Davis Gulf there are inner tubes you can float in, and maybe you'll even spot Jonah the whale in the water!

So what's with the hippos, anyway? Apparently, hippos are the unofficial mascot of Second Life, and can be found in many places all over the Grid. There is a giant underwater hippo statue in the Mare Secundus, a much smaller statue in the Second Life Historical Museum, and there is even a hippo easter egg in SL browsers (press CTRL, ALT, SHIFT then hit the H key). Apparently, to see a group of hippopotamuses in your dream suggests that you need to escape from the daily grind and relax. (Shouldn't that be "hippopotami"?) So escape your daily grind, bring along a friend or two, and relax at Hairy Hippo Fun Land!

"Bay City Brew - It's Something In The Water"

As happens every year near St. Patrick's Day, the waters in and around Daley Bay have been dyed a brilliant green by the water treatment plant technicians of the Linden Department of Public Works in Bay City. 

This is a nod to a first life tradition during which the Chicago River has been dyed green for that city's St. Patrick's Day parade for over 50 years. David Matthews of DNAInfo reported today that "...the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers since 1961 have poured a secret solution, that's actually orange, into the city's main tributary to give it a glowing emerald hue. The river-dyeing tradition began after parade chairman Stephen Bailey noticed a special dye city officials used to detect waste in the river changed the water to a perfect emerald green, according to Chicago magazine." So the green dye was originally poured into the river to detect crap! Did I mention that the source of the green water in Bay City is the Bay City Department of Sanitation's Pumping Station Number 1?

The pumping station in Daley Bay (pictured below, yellow and blue building, center) is directly across the street from the Bay City Brewery, and is the source of the brewing water supply. No stranger to bright green water, us! You can even float in a large beer tub of the stuff inside the Brewery. Founded by Ever Dreamscape in 2012 and designed by Ivan Suen, the Brewery is Bay City's "original questionably safe adult beverage and industrial process". We supply beer (and root beer for the kids!) throughout the City, and serve as the site of the annual Oktoberfest celebration.
 
So come on down, grab a beer, and take a gander at the green waters of Daley Bay. After all, as our logo states, "Bay City Brew - It's Something In The Water!"