I was looking for places to ice skate and I wound up riding around on the Okemo Nakiska & Southern Railway through a giant swath of snow regions in SL’s Southern Mainland area. Riding through region after region of frozen tundra brought up different feelings and ideas: The Ice Fortress at the end of Inception; Being in Hong Kong and riding the KCR – the Kowloon-Canton Railway.
Nevermelts Lodge
It all started when I dropped in on Jenny Bello Foxclaw’s lovely 2048 parcel, The Nevermelts Lodge.
Jenny opened her guestbook in Dec 2018 and in these 3 years there have been 32 guest postings, counting the one I left today. Here are a few samples:
I’m new to second life and found your place while wandering this snow city. can I come back to visit? It’s just so nice and relaxing. and oh yeah your backyard is magical!
PruRose
Thank you for making such a pretty place open to the public. It is beautiful.
Alabama String
This place is so freaking perfect. I wish I had a place like this to relax in. Amazing 10 out of 10!
TheLadyAudrey
A beautiful winter lodge you have and its beauty made more by you welcoming strangers in. The winter gardens are stunning, truly magical. Best wishes from England to you and your loved ones xx
Elllie Snowbear
Okemo Nakiska & Southern Railway
After enjoying the Nevermelts Lodge I walked a short distance on a paved road that ended shortly. Parallel to the road was a train track that seemed to go on forever. I walked the tracks from the Nevermelts Lodge in Benham to the next station in Okemo Canyon.
At Okemo Canyon there were shops and information boards and the bridge over the tracks was dedicated in the memory of Tommy & Mary Makem. After reading Tommy & Mary’s story, I waited for the train and hopped on. The train carries on heading toward the southern end of the SL mainland continent.
Land’s End @ Klaw
The railway doesn’t quite make it to land’s end at Klaw, instead the last stop is just a kilometer shy of that with the last station at Smithers Bluff.
Northern End @ Wengen
After exploring the southern end of the line I hopped back on the train and rode north. I passed a number of stations, passed the Nevermelts Lodge, and rode on to the northern end of the ONSR line at Wengen.
There’s a ski lift and a free skis & poles giver right by the train station at Wengen, so I geared up and rode up the mountain.
Emily Wand’s AR Books & Coffee
- http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Eagan/161/54/93
- https://www.youtube.com/c/emilywand
- https://www.emilywand.com/
In addition to hosting her own cool AR Books & Coffee shop, EmilyWand also blogs & vlogs about other great shops, and other things. Check out her website!
Second Life WIki
The Second Life wiki has some info on the Okemo Nakisku & Southern Railway:
ONSR was initially a private build, mostly by Veronica Quackenbush. She acquired the right of way through several sims over several years. Kitto Flora scripted the cars and and switches in Smithers Sim for her.
Later Kitto Flora was temporarily commissioned by Linden Lab to build the extension of the ONSR to the Wengen Sim. The ONSR now runs across 13 sims and serves 10 stations. A round-trip takes about 22 minutes.
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/ONSR
I’m an Urbanist! I’m into bikes, transit, and walkable cities. I’ll walk instead of TP if I can. Is that possible in SL? Not entirely! Ban lines, security orbs, curtain walls & “fake” sculpted land that traps you between it and the actual ground all make it hard. But I try! If I can walk I will. I blog about my adventures on the railway systems of SL. Jane Jacobs’ book The Death and Life of Great American Cities is a bible for me. I try to live my avatar life consistent with her ideas.
I love Guest books! It’s so great that you can wander by someone’s small, cozy parcel and leave a little note that you were there. And read notes from others who have made this similar discovery at some earlier time. I love SL memorials and cemeteries. They’re bittersweet to be sure. But a world that appreciates lives lost, also appreciates lives being lived. It’s an incredible virtual world!
