Second Life Traveler

Sim Name: Apollo Sim Type: Private (Mature) Location: The Lost Gardens of Apollo Owner: Dane Zander Website: N/A Size: est. 64,000 sq. m Traffic: est. 50390 Events: Wedding Hosting Shops: Misc. Rating:

Hello everyone! I am sorry for the lack of updates, my home ISP was down for over a week leaving me unable to post! I hope this makes up for it!

The Lost Gardens of Apollo, if you have not heard of this place then either you’ve been living under a rock, or you’ve never been around a woman in Second Life. The Lost Gardens are arguably the most romantic sim in the metaverse, from waterfalls, to towers that reach the clouds, not many other places in Second Life have the views and beauty of Apollo.

The Entrance statue.

Like most sims of this nature, we suggest that you walk instead of fly. There are tons of paths and views that you can find, and its too easy to miss them when looking from above. We also suggest you come here with a loved one, being here by yourself can be a bit depressing. The sim is usually jam packed with lovers, and the only thing we could hope for is a second Apollo sim to ease up some of the traffic. However, once you find a cozy spot that’s not taken, it’s a wonderful place to spend a night.

One of the many romantic spots at Apollo.

After your initial tour of Apollo, you may want to take flight. Some places can only be reached by teleporter or flight, and these are places you will not want to miss. In the skys you can find balconys, towers and other hidden wonders.

A balcony overlooking the water.

After you’ve seen the major areas of Apollo you can visit the dock to see some of its many fine stores. Some of these stores include, Creations by Vindi Vindaloo, Men’s Eclectic Unique Jewelry by Mhaijik Guillaume, NEVERMORE by Santana Lumiere, BRAINBOW by treebee Withnail and !SF Designs by swaffete Firefly. These are just a few of the quality shops located at Apollo, and we hope you check them out before you head on home.

The Dock’s of Apollo

We highly suggest Apollo for a romantic evening out with your companion, or even as a get together with good friends. I’ve heard many weddings go on there as well, and I have no doubt that Apollo is the romantic capital of Second Life. But don’t take my word for it, check it out yourself and let us know what you think! I’ll leave you all with proof of the romantic atmosphere of Apollo, I can not say I did not enjoy this review!

Ramus and his beautiful lady, Sara in the Lost Gardens

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Sim Name: The Botanical Guardens Sim Type: Private (PG) Location: The SL Botanical Gardens Owner: Isablan Neva Website: N/A Size: est. 64,000 sq. m Traffic: est. 6449 Events: N/A Shops: Sky Dreams, Spa ~ Licious Rating:

For today’s review, I chose the Second Life Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens was actually one of the first places I had ever visited in Second Life, at that time in late 2005 it was located in the sim Federal on mainland with a little over 7000 sq. m of land. It was a beautiful and relaxing spot, created, owned and managed by Isablan Neva (who also happened to be my Second Life Mentor!). Since then, it has moved to its own sim Botanical Gardens and now spans over 60,000 sq. m of land in a collaboration effort by many artists.

The Welcome Area, beautiful!

The first thing you will notice upon entering this sim, is its beauty. In a collaboration effort with over 12 nature artists, this location is top notch in design. Some of the designers include;

Khamon Fate (trees & plants)
Higbeen Protagonist (trees & plants)
Luna Bliss (waterfall, trees & plants)
Lilith Heart (trees & plants)
Transparent Banshee (glass greenhouse, waterfall, trees)
Laukosarvas Svarog (fountains, plants)
Fallingwater Cellardoor (plants)
Rose Karuna (trees & plants)
Arwen Eusebio (trees)
Smuk Zaftig (Treeline Gardens & Landscaping)
Menubar Memoria (wind chimes & storm system)

An amazing waterfall, a sight to behold.

While you can fly through Botanical Gardens, we highly suggest that you walk. And bring a loved one with you too, this garden sim is full of coves and romantic spots to bring a date for a great night out. There is little to review for a location such as this when it is full of such vibrant spots and beautiful architecture. As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words. So here are a few more!

A small maze-like grass area!

Beautiful Abstract waterfalls

Botanical Gardens is still a work in progress, and although as seen above it is a visual masterpiece, some sections of the sim are still unfinished. The welcome notecard claims that this sim has been in the works for months, and is still a work in progress. The estimated time of completion is June and I can not wait to see the completed project!

An Arabic sitting area

If this isn’t enough to get you to check out the Botanical Gardens, than nothing will be! I highly recommend this location for any couples or for the adventurer who needs to see it all in Second Life. I’ll continue to float along here near the waterfall, I don’t think i’m ever going to leave!

Ramus enjoying his bath time

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Sim Name: Epic Conditions Surf Sim Type: Private (Mature) Location: Moana’Ina Beach Owner: Weather Merlin Website: The Weather Channel Size: est. 65,536 sq. m Traffic: est. 16,000 Events: Surf Competitions Shops: Sebastian’s Surf Shop Rating:

Today’s entry will be a mix of a review, and an event. Recently Namiko Surf hosted its second “Namiko Pro” surf competition, the location of choice was Moana’Ina Beach, home of the Epic Surf Waves by Heather Goodliffe. Moana’Ina Beach was created by The Weather Channel to promote their Epic Conditions Tv Series. The Moana’Ina Beach is one of four different sims on the island, including areas such as extreme Biking and Skiing.

Grandstands designed by RebelTNT Shepherd

When the Weather Channel claims something is epic, you better believe it is. The Epic Waves reach huge heights and speeds giving a great challenge to any Second Life Surfer who dares brave it. The Second Namiko Pro competition tackled these waves with 21 competitors, 5 at a time in 10 minute heats. In the end, Frankie Miles of Surf Chix came out the winner.

Frankie hitting a huge wave!

Throughout the Epic Surf Sim you can find some great signs with information on how real life Epic Waves form, you can even watch a video on the beach, for previews of the Weather Channels Epic Conditions Tv Series. The only shop on Moana’Ina is the quaint Sebastian’s Surf Shack, where you can pick up some Weather Channel gear, or a surf board to hit the waves with.

Sebastian’s Surf Shack

After almost 3 hours of surfing the big ones, the competition came to an end. If you are interested in the results, here they are!

Congrats to all of the competitors of the Namiko Pro, you did great!

Colour-coded surfboards designed especially for the competition!

Almost the entire sim of Moana’Ina Beach is water and waves, making it a great place to surf in Second Life. If you would like to hit some waves without the lag, this is most definitely a key spot for any serious surfer. After the waves, hit the Bike Trail or go Skiing down a mountain for some great fun. Many companies invest in Second Life, but the Weather Channel has taken it one step further by including the residents, sponsoring events, and building some great action packed sims. My props to them!

Hey everyone, what do you mean “look behind you?”

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Sim Name: Isabel & Wingo Sim Type: Mainland (Mature) Location: the Shelter Owner: Travis Lambert Website: www.secondlifes.com Size: est. 14704 sq. m Traffic: est. 23,676 Events: Second Fortune, Payment Podium Shops: Free Shops for New Second Lifers! Rating:

I always like to believe that it is better to go with what you know. And I certainly know the Shelter. That is why i’ve chosen it for my second review. the Shelter was founded on August 20th, 2004 by Travis Lambert and Lars Bismark. It originally started as a small place for newbies to come and not be harrassed by sexual encounters, bad language, and overall chaos that Second Life breeds. From there, it expanded into what it is today. A dance club, freebie spot, help center, free rent shopping mall, and an over-all newbie friendly location.

the Shelter Entrance, hard to miss and so welcoming!

the Shelter is almost the only reason I did not quit Second Life after my first week. The people here were great to me, and although I moved on to new things. I still stop in to visit, and share my knowledge with the next generation of newcomers.

As soon as you enter the Shelter you notice a few things, first is the huge amount of freebies littering the floor. These are usually very high quality, and even include free detailed skins for new residents. The next thing you will notice (after about 10 friendly Shelter-Inhabitants say hello!) is the dance floor, you can alway’s find people dancing the day away here and helping newcomers get started.

Up the stairs are where some great events are held, such as Second Fortune, Payment Podium and Trivial Obsession. Everyone can join in these games and win cool prizes from L$ to gift packages, and more.

the Shelters Dance Floor, Bar, and Freebies!

Did I mention Pool Parties somewhere? Oh yes, head out back and you’ve got a great spot to swim, dive, and lounge around waiting for the right newbie to come in from help island and sweep you off your prim shoes. Ehem, where was I? Right, pool, check!

Take a relaxing swim in the full size inground pool!

From the pool area, take a short flight straight up. You should come to the little green house perched on the top floor of the building. Here there is a money tree for new residents to get some extra cash, as well as nice little garden and fountain to hang around.

The Money Tree stands ready to fend off hordes of broke newbies!

I personally suggest going to the Shelter on sundays when they hold their Pool Parties and Formal at night. Also I have news that they are about to redo the entire Shelter, and I bet it looks great. So landmark the area and come back in a few weeks, once the upgrade is done ill be sure to review it again!

Young or old, if you are looking for a great place to visit with less sleeze and a big friendly group of people. the Shelter may be the place for you.

I’ll leave you, in closing, with me getting down with my bad self on the Shelter bartop.

Ramus getting jiggy with it at the Shelter.

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Sim Name: Laguna Sim Type: Private (Mature) Location: Laguna Beach Club Owner: Valiant Strangelove Website: N/A Size: 22,848 sq. m Traffic: 23,676 Events: Live Music and Films Weekly Shops: Namiko Surf, H20, Surf Republic Rating:

The first area is the entrance boardwalk, here you can relax on some of the many couches. Get an intimate massage around back, or head to the pools for a swim with some friends! The boardwalk is another example of Valiant’s fine architectural design. Everything is placed well, designed to be easily navigated, and looks great! Check out the nooks and crannies of this area to find all sorts of romantic places and great hangouts.

The Boardwalk Entrance, relax with a loved one in this romantic area.

The second area is the main boardwalk where the majority of Laguna beach club can often be found. This area is famous for its numerous couches, where many groups of friends have taken residence. The dance floor is full of great poseballs for you and a companion to groove the night away to great live music. Or, if you prefer to go solo, you can head over to the bar, grab a tropical drink and engage in conversation with some of the many visitors of Laguna Beach Club.

The main area of the club, dance, drink, or lounge on the many couches!

The third area is of course, the beach! Here you can find the majority of the Beach Clubs hand picked shops.

Namiko Surf has its own store here featuring high quality Swim Suits for men and women, Wet Suits, and Namiko Surf Boards made to surf on Heather Goodliffe’s waves. You can find the water at the end of the beach, throw your board out and hit some waves for a great time!

Surf Republic has a shop here for jet skis, which are also for use with the waves! Last but not least, H20 ocean sells some great aquariums and props!

For others, a beautiful waterfall hides some great hidden romantic caves for you and a loved one, and the Life Guard station always has a friendly staff member available to monitor the beach for any disruptive visitors. If you are looking for a more relaxing time, just hit the sand and pick a lounger to lay back on and enjoy the sun.

Hit the waves at the beach, go shopping, or get a tan!

If you love great live music, a fun beach environment, and a ton of awesome people. Then I highly suggest visiting the Laguna Beach Club. You will not be disappointed.

Ramus relaxing by the ocean after a hard days work.

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