Christmas Concert - Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Sat Dec 18 at 1 pm SLT

 

Lake Tahoe presents the Trans-Siberian Orchestra this Saturday, December 18, 2021, at 1 pm SLT. Invite your friends and come join us at the Lake Tahoe Ski Resort for this wonderful holiday concert featuring music from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra! Dancing, skiing, and ice skating after the concert! Hope to see you there!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Avgi/177/162/1999

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT- CONTE ALCHEMI

The exact origin of skiing is up for debate but the Sami people of Northern Scandinavia used them to effectively get from one point to another for travel and hunting on the cold harsh snowy landscape about 8,000 years ago. If this is true, skiing would be the oldest sport in existence besides spear chucking. Today it is not used for hunting or transportation unless you are into off-grid living in Alaska or Antarctica. With the invention of modern ski lifts, snow machines, and a nice slope on a mountainside, skiing has become a seasonal pastime for the young and old.

 Many winter sports enthusiasts flock to ski resorts to experience the adrenaline rush of flying down a mountain doing fancy moves, and even going aerial!  Others prefer to take the less aggressive approach by going cross country, Nordic, or telemark skiing. In Second Life you don’t have to worry about breaking an ankle, leg, or a few ribs if you fall off a lift or slam a tree on the way down. 

 The Mountain Resort is a stunning mix of rustic and luxury for Second Life residents who don’t want to brave the harsh elements to have a good time. Guests can enjoy magnificent views of the surrounding snow-covered valleys and foothills. Explorers can also hike on foot and take in the beautiful forest and the great outdoors. The SL Enquirer met up with Conte Alchemi to learn more about this perfect winter vacation spot on the grid.

Interview with Conte Alchemi

SLE:  Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself and how you discovered Second Life?

Conte: I came to SL about 13 years ago. I love this world and the possibilities it gives to everyone to express their creativity. My mentor was a builder and introduced me to that. I loved to build but even more to terraform and landscape. I consider myself to be very lucky! In those years, I had the chance to get to know and to work with very talented people. It was an honor to be employed by some of the most influential and well-known estates in SL. I work as an estate manager in Sailors Cove South and Sailors Cove North Estates. I also work as a sim builder and landscaper for private clients. I thank all of them for always trusting in my work. About 10 years ago, I moved to Sailors Cove and met Fanci Beebe and Patrick Leavitt. They were the founders and the owners of Sailors Cove and Fisher Island Yacht Club. I felt very privileged, to say the least, to work with them. After a little while, I had the opportunity to create a new project with Patrick. We made what we call "The Rainforest" estate.

SLE: That’s what Second Life is all about, using your imagination to create. Now that the winter season is here, It is the perfect time for snow sports to begin.  What inspired you to create Mountain Ski Resort and what can visitors expect to experience?

Conte: During a chat with Patrick, we talked of the good times and pleasurable memories of the years spent in SL. We also spoke about an old estate that left a hole for many people in their Second Life for great places to go. It was called the Wolf Mountain Ski Resort. That estate was one of the very best places to go in Second Life.  It ran for many years before the owner had to close it. I also had the honor of building it and being a co-owner until the end. So, speaking about that, the thought occurred "why don't we do it again!"  Of course, it would not be an exact replica of the original one. I now use mesh and other things that were not available at that time. So, thanks to Patrick, who generously added 7 additional sims to the Sailors Cove Area and then created a new estate called Sailors Cove North. After that, we made the ski resort named "The Mountain." In a certain way, it's sort of a tribute to one of the best ski resorts ever seen in SL. I may be biased, but the current one is substantially more interesting. Plus, it offers a ton of amenities for our guests to enjoy. We have fine-tuned the on-mountain experience where our guests can expect breath-taking scenic views of snow-capped mountains and vistas. Gaze upon awe-inspiring frozen, icy lakes and streams. Watch as deers and other animals play upon the landscape.  Become fully immersed in their memory-making visit, which just leaves them saying WOW! They will hear the call of the trails beckoning them to hike. They will feel themselves turning into an adventurer detective to locate the hidden caves where they can find in the arctic-like ice a bar to relax in luxury. Perhaps our visitors have lost their way and find the tent spot just big enough for two to wait out the night in warmth and comfort. Maybe they will see that perfect rental that draws them into wanting to extend their visit. They can rezz a horse and ride the various freshly snowed trails and paths. Also, there are three ski lifts to the top of the mountain. They can also jump aboard a snowmobile and go to the peak where our always open Coffee Shop is warm and welcoming. There they can restore themselves with a favorite drink or a hot coffee after spending some time in the snow.

SLE: We do remember Wolf Mountain Ski Resort. It sounds like Patrick was a great mentor and friend having shared the idea of making this new and improved Ski Resort! Skiing can be intimidating. Are there different levels for beginners and experts?

Conte: Not really. Skiing is done at your own pace on The Mountain. There is a race system for those who are a little bit more competitive and wish to race themselves or against their friends. 

SLE: What a relief for clumsy avies like me.  Learning how to navigate sports HUDS can be difficult too. Does The Mountain Ski Resort offer lessons with an instructor?

Conte: The skis we offer to our guests are placed in the rezzers around the resort. They do not require a hud to be used, as they are just "wear & go." They offer a limited range of animations compared to those driven by a hud but are so much easier to use. That's why "casual skiers" prefer them;  "pro skiers'' want to use their own skis with huds for racing and acrobatic tricks. Currently, we are not providing lessons with an instructor. In the future, we hope to enlarge our staff. Maybe that will include a ski instructor too!

SLE: Rezzers are even better! After hitting the slopes, it's nice to unwind in the lounge by a nice warm fireplace and just relax. What other amenities does the resort offer guests?

Conte: Located in the main lodge, on the upstairs level, is a state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga mats, and a tanning bed. On the main floor, we have a small spa area where you can sit or take a dip in the Meditation Garden Pool, use the sauna, massage table, and shower. Also located on the main floor, you will find cozy, casual dining, a meet-up piano lounge, game and movie rooms. A hidden surprise is our music venue. Also, on the upstairs level, you will find the Moosehead Bar and S'mores Outdoor Deck. You can also sail, kayak, and take a scenic balloon tour. If you want to take a moment to reflect or plan an intimate wedding, there is a small chapel settled like a beautiful jewel in our forest. 

SLE: Wow there are a lot of things to do here! Besides Skiing, hitting the spa, having dinner, or getting married, what other winter sports can visitors experience at your resort?

Conte: Our guests can partake in a plethora of winter outdoor activities offered year-round. They can enjoy snowboarding, snowmobiling, ice skating, hiking, and sledding. We hope to add fishing for the Lake Area of the estate and a winter horse trail. 

SLE: The winter horse trail sounds like a fun date! We will have to come back and check that out.  Are you currently hiring staff? If so, what are you looking for to help enhance the skiing experience in SL?

Conte: The Mountain staff includes two estate managers, Joy Canadeo and myself. Our focus is on building and helping our guests. For this reason, at this time, we are currently evaluating hiring staff. Primarily we are a Resort Rental with many amenities for our guests to enjoy or participate in. Our intent is to give our guests the very best possible experience at The Mountain. With that in mind, we are looking for an event manager. 

SLE: Do you host Ski tournaments? If so, do you have a calendar of events and instructions on how guests can join?

Conte: The Mountain is still under a bit of design construction. We are about 98% complete. We have hosted a snowboarding tournament. We hope to host more tournaments and contests in the near future. We haven't had our grand opening as of yet. The calendar of events is one of the items that is a work in progress. When it is completed we will post around the estate and within our group, with instructions on how to join in on the fun.

SLE: We look forward to the event announcements. Do you have rentals for those who want to live on the resort?

Conte: All rentals are available for guests, for however short or long they wish to stay. Our cabins for rent cover a wide range of styles and they are available furnished or unfurnished. 

SLE: Thank you for giving us a tour of this beautifully designed resort. We wish you much success. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Conte: Unlike other Winter Resort Sims, The Mountain attracts summer visitors, too, making it a great year-round destination. We have a part of the resort that is seasonal. The Mountain is always in winter, whereas the Lake Region experiences all 4 seasons. We also have 2 other themed rental estates that are Rainforest and Tropical in nature. They will come as visitors and wish to stay as renters. I invite your readers to visit and explore The Mountain or any of our properties.

Thank you, Lanai, for the opportunity to share my passion with your readers!

Additional Information

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Homewood/34/214/33

Group: Sailors Cove Legacy Group: secondlife:///app/group/f820af86-e1de-37ee-a591-474860dbdf8c/about

 Flickr: The Mountain on the Blake Sea | Flickr   Sailors Cove South Rainforest Estate | Flickr

 

Preferred Contact: Conte Alchemi and Joy Canadeo

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Slip Sliding Away: Sledding At Merry Lane! - Stacey Cardalines Reporting

 

There exists a chess/checkers relationship between skiing and sledding. 

I prefer sledding to skiing, which is odd because I grew up in a wealthy Massachusetts suburb and really should be on the skiing side of the question. You only have to drive to a local hill for sledding, as opposed to driving through half of New Hampshire and spending $1000 for the family to go skiing. Skiing is a very skill-driven sport, and you will hit a tree if you don't know what you're doing. You can hit a tree while sledding, too... but you don't have to waste all that time with Skill Acquisition. You'll be as skilled as you're going to get at sledding after your first ride.

Skiing is the more sophisticated sport, and a good skier is viewed as a superhero in some Alpine countries. Skiing is a snobby way to spend a day. Price some skis/boots/resort vacations and tell me that it isn't a rich man's sport. That's not a problem with sledding. You can spend $10 at Target and be all good and ready to go get Sleddy. 

I'd like to see NASCAR guys race with sleds on a really steep and long hill. They'd be a bit disadvantaged as Southerners who aren't used to snow, but their racing skill would be a fun thing to see flexed on Mount Washington in a blizzard. I bet that Dale Earnhardt Sr. would have been a good sledder if he applied himself to it.

The people who run Merry Lane: A Winter Wonderland understand the appeal of sledding. I know this because I was at their sim and they have sledding. Lanai lets me write about whatever I want, but I am a Sportswriter at heart and I walked by numerous interesting things as I bee-lined to the Sledding hill. Did you really have any doubt?

It's very easy to go Sledding at Merry Lane. You hoof it up to the top of the hill (I saved you that walk by landmarking the sim at the top of the Sledding hill), where you will find a sled. Click on it, and a second sled appears. The sled is bigger than every bed I had before I was married. Hop on that second sled, and off you go. 

The hill is admittedly short, and it would disappoint even a scared 4 year old in real life. However, a clever sledder can use the Arrows keys to keep the sled going forward. You can even go into reverse, an option not available to RL sledders. I made a few runs and was able to tour much of the sim by just powering forward until I hit a hill that my sled momentum couldn't surmount.

Don't go sledding in a dress, like I did. There is no modest way for a girl in a dress to sit on a sled without giving anyone nearby a the view that a girl should only share with her husband and her gynecologist. I was able to work around it because I had the sim to myself when I went, and because I was the one aiming the camera.

The sim is also fun for a walk. Most of it is set up for this purpose and this article is focused on sledding because the reporter who visited the sim is really a very curvy 9-year-old, at least mentally. 

They have a hot cocoa stand, a carousel with reindeer and polar bears, a sort of Christmas village with various trees and toys, a snow globe that you can hop inside of, and a bunch of other seasonal stuff. If you enjoy strolling through a winter landscape, this is the place for you. It's very large, and you can kill a lot of time strolling the acreage.

Like many winter sims, they are only open seasonally. This one closes in early February. By February, most people are sick of Winter and are looking forward to Spring. It just doesn't pay to keep winter sims open too late into winter. So hurry :)

Merry Lane: A Winter Wonderland = http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Breton%20Cove/64/156/2014

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You can be part of the magic and the art! FACES OF SECOND LIFE

WINTER 2016

An Exhibition By Skiing Powder

FACES OF SECOND LIFE a photography exhibition by Skiing Powder showcases her art with close up photographs of avatars of the Second Life Adult Community running through Feburary 28th 2016 at SKIING POWDER BEACH RESORT.

SKIING POWDER BEACH RESORT is an adult sim for couples and singles open to all Second Life Adult community. Best photography studios, Beaches, Hot Air Balloon, Romance, 4 Lovers Playground Beds, Adult fun all over the resort.

Location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Trinacria/31/90/22

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Skiing Powder Tropical Luxury Sim Open Now to Adult Community Now Open

The Artistic Tropical Beach Resort and Spa Skiing Powder Tropical is now open to adults in second life  ‘ fall in love at ‘  ~  Skiing Powder Tropical ~ all SL community welcome

Two great photo studios, Memories Studio and Meshstudio

Swim or walk miles of artistic oceans, beaches and dunes with adult fun all over adult; piers, gazebos, canopy, rafts, hammocks outdoor showers, couples hearts dance/sex hearts are some of the amenities found at this resort. We also offer the best rezzers for  boat, hot air balloon, jet ski and glider in second life. Flying is always allowed and  rezzing  is allowed everywhere.

There are three open houses with hot tubs and top of the grid beds (lovers playground). Walk the famous picturesque swaying bridge to the tree house.  Explore the most romantic villa mansion from Venice Italy on the water.  The Tiki house on mountain also has incredible 360 degree views with romantic water fountains throughout.

This sim is Adult themed so you must be 21 and older due to mature content.

Join group free today and experience live concerts and beach parties for group members and guests. It is  a safe beach hangout for mature audiences only. Everything adult is allowed no rules or signs on sim. We only ask that you be respectful of others privacy on the sim.

Teleport

Http://maps.Secondlife.Com/secondlife/trinacria/52/95/23/

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ITS WINTER SPORTS SEASON - Glossom Resident Reporting…

The air smells like snow. Do you know that smell?  Waking up to a frosty morning, a cold, crisp day, the frost breath on our mouth, these are reminiscences of how this 7^th natural wonder of the world smells like. Winter wears its beautiful white coat landscapingon every path and making Second Life even more beautiful.

The next few weeks are perfect for practicing Winter Sports. Thousands of Ski and Snowboard fans seek the best places to slide on the snow. With breathtaking scenery as a backdrop and with unique landscapes, winter sports provide so much fun and entertainment to children and grown-ups of all ages who enjoy the snow.

Winter sports are a fantastic way to experience nature. Some residents love the white flat surfaces, while others prefer to burst down the slope at high speed. The keywords here are snow, play and fun. From ice skating to skiing, building a snowman and challenging friends to a snowball fight, whatever the sport or activity, the opportunities are endless.

The SL Enquirer went around SL and found six wonderful trails for the best winter sports. Here are some reasons why you should not fear to adventure into the virtual snow.

Armadon East - "The Boom Winterland Wonderland"

Start your journey with a sleigh tour around the venue, revolutionize the sport of ice dancing with an original choreography; take a lift up to the mountain's peak where you can start exploring the site with a snowmobile, or test your bravery by snowboarding downhill at high speed. And after a well spent day in the snow, there is nothing more comforting than nice cup of hot chocolate.

Landing point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amardon%20East/207/66/73

 Holland Paradise - "Rib & Caycee's Winter Paradise"

Virtual Fishing, snowmobile rides, couples ice skating, carriage rides, horseback riding and sledding are some of the Winter Sports available in this beautiful venue. Here residents coexist with wildlife but no conflict has ever been reported.

Landing point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Holland%20Paradise/131/132/23

Aero Pines Park - "Winter Festival at Aero Pines Park"

The famous Aero Pines Park is celebrating its 8th Annual Winter Festival. Among many other attractions, Winter Sports are a highlight on the calendar of events. Horse Sleighs, Sleds, Snowmobiles, Ice Skating on a beautiful Ice Rink and Cross Country Skiing are some of the offers on this multi-sim venue.

Landing Point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aero%20Pines%20Park/29/36/23

Grand Canyon North - "Lake Tahoe Ski Resort"

Grand Canyon plus Snow is equal to magic. Lake Tahoe Ski Resort offers a wide range of snow sports, like sledding, snowboarding, slalom skiing, snow tubing and snowmobile riding. On a beautiful setting, it inspires couples to romantic sportive adventures.

Landing point:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Grand%20Canyon%20North/36/210/22

StarRiderII  - "Christmas and Winter Holiday Village - Ice Skating!"

At this typical Christmas Village you will find a beautiful frozen lake with all the facilities for ice skating. After a nice ride up on the ski lift you will reach the mountain slope where a wide open area is available for other sports like skiing and sledding. Fishing on ice holes is also available for those who prefer less active activities.

Landing point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/StarRider%20II/71/148/23

REBEL YELL CONCERTS - "WINTER ICE ROCK FESTIVAL 2014@CELEBRITIES HANGOUT"

As you arrive at the Winter Ice Rock Festival venue your eyes will rest on magnificent mountains reachable by sky-rail and full of opportunities such as skiing and sledding.  At the mountain base, an ice skating rink awaits you, among so many other offers.

Landing point:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/REBEL%20YELL%20CONCERTS/195/66/31

Grab your warmest clothes, depart on an adventure, climb snowy mountains and have a wonderful time.

Happy Holidays,

Glossom

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How Adventurous can you get in Second life?- Nene Dreadlow Reporting…

Looking for something adventurous to do in Second life? I spent the day exploring to give you some ideas.

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