Real Life in SL

Some people like to recreate parts of the physical world (that place where we keep our computers) in the virtual world of SL. One of my favourite places to visit are recreations of real-world cities.

The picture shows a view of Barcelona, and someone who's been to the RL city told me that the sim is quite accurate. This is the view down Las Ramblas. That column you can see in the distance is the monument to Christopher Columbus.

Other accurate city sims that I've found in SL are London, Paris, Dublin, Istanbul, and New York.

There's no way to get Search to simply list all the RL city sims, so you just have to think of a name and type it in to see whether it's present in SL. If you use the region name search field on the Map, sometimes you'll get a negative result even when a sim does exist. For example, the region that hosts New Orleans is called "Big Easy".

If you find a good RL city simulation somewhere, leave me a blog comment so I can go visit!

Down on the farm

Here's a great sim for any former farm brats who are feeling nostalgic! You can wander through the barns and stables, inspect the wagons and carriages, as well as more modern farm machinery, and make friends with the animals. But beware of Black Bart! He's always in a foul mood. And watch out for the beehives nearby. However, the chickens are in a pen, so you can wear your good shoes.

There's also a church, a big country fair with rides, and a large shopping area with western-style clothing and other items for sale. I also saw a neon sign saying "Live Music", so there may be a dance floor around somewhere. (Does anyone do square dancing anymore?) Definitely worth a visit!

Delacroix Meadow Preserve

This lovely mountain meadow in the Teslin mainland region is the original Linden wilderness landscape, carefully preserved in its natural state by the owner. Very little of this kind of terrain is left on the mainland, and a parcel as large as this is definitely worth a visit. As you wander downhill towards the water, take the time to stop and admire the wide variety of wildflowers that grow on the slopes. Under the water at the foot of the hill you'll find a coral garden, and even an underwater cafe! Follow the signs and visit the lighthouse too.

That's me at the bottom centre of the picture, so you can get an idea of the grand size of this beautiful and peaceful natural preserve. Please don't pick the flowers!

In the Outback

Here's a stunning view of Ayer's Rock, deep in the Australian outback. But imagine my disappointment when I tried to get closer and found it was surrounded on all sides by one of those red no-entry barriers!

You can get there by first locating the Billabong Bar in Search. It's an authentic-looking outback tavern, where there always seems to be a party going on! If you can still walk after your friendly reception, head out the back door and keep going west. You can't miss Ayer's Rock. On the way, see if you can find the didgeridoos hidden in the bush... follow the sound! There's also a lovely oasis out there somewhere. But I didn't see a single kangaroo!