A
little bit of this town goes a very long way.
Hunter
S. Thompson
It’s been
the New Year for a few weeks now and it’s time to put the Holidays behind us
and start thinking about all the new holidays and festivals that Second Life
(SL) has to offer us!
Festivals
are nothing new in SL.
Some are
once offs and celebrated locally inworld while others are recurring and
Grid-wide.
One holiday
that is as much a favorite in SL as it is in Real Life (RL) is Valentine’s
Day. (I won’t get into the debate about
whether or not this is an artificial holiday created by greeting card makers
and candy manufacturers to goose sales.
All I know is that Significant Other prominently marks our calendar for
this event every year and that’s enough for me!
Remember, I only look stupid, even in RL.)
I’ve covered
Valentine’s
Day inworld before.
But this
year, my old friend and impresario extraordinaire not to mention the Mayor of
Mieville, Perry
Peterson told me about his plans to celebrate the day in his usual Over The
Top way and I was hooked. And here’s why…
Perryn will
be celebrating Valentine’s Day with a Las Vegas theme this year.
This meant
three things to me.
First, given
Perryn’s ability to do things on a lavish scale this could only be good.
Second, a Las
Vegas theme can only bright lights and a wild and crazy time.
Finally,
being personally inspired by Hunter S. Thompson,
the father of gonzo
journalism, and the author of the classic road story, Fear
and Loathing in Las Vegas, I had to do this story. (Not sure if Perryn knew what he was in for
in giving me this scoop. Enough to say
that Significant Other winces every time I mention Thompson’s name.)
Valentine’s
Day and Vegas are two suitable themes to commingle.
The holiday’s
ideas of love and romance combined with the freewheeling style, if not outright
hedonism, of Vegas make for a very intriguing and explosive mixture in my mind.
(Significant Other’s head just shakes now.)
My visit to
Valentines in Vegas begins with my arrival at the sim’s
landing zone. Posters for this event
as well as the upcoming STEAM X hunt tower over me. Cyndie Alter did an
outstanding job with the former and Tattoo Lane has done her usual
creative work with the latter. (Perryn
always seems to be able to surround himself with the most creative types
inworld.)
Walking out
onto the Strip, I’m overwhelmed by the glitter and lights of this virtual
Vegas.
Casinos are
everywhere. Although, given SL’s prohibition
against gambling, one armed bandits have been replaced by gacha
machines.
High end
shops are available as well with some of the finest merchandise in SL. Clothing, artwork, you name it, it’s here!
Iconic
illuminated signs dot the cityscape as searchlights play across the night’s
sky. Old travel posters advertising
Vegas are on the walls. Stretch limos
idle curbside.
Perry has
added a few of his own touches.
For those
tired of walking, free cars (“love bugs” created by CaraCali) are available to
use. (Friendly advice, never let Perryn
drive.)
The
Heartbreak Hotel can even be found here.
An amusement
ride called Cupid’s Arrow can induce vertigo in RL. (Don’t ask.)
And yes, images
of Elvis adorn the walls.
Perryn has
successfully married classic and modern Vegas in a pastiche which is true to
the original! Bugsy Siegal would be
proud! I expected the Rat Pack to come around a
corner at any time. The feel of Vegas
has been captured.
Overall, the
spirit and style of Vegas has been captured here.
Mieville
stalwarts like Jalynne Ohmai,
who laid out the streets and the surrounding
vistas (and is a RL artist and
becoming known as a truly innovative builder inworld), and Mike Olbracht, who created
those fascinating fountains, are much in evidence with this sim.
This is a
wonderful place to spend some time inworld with your romantic interest this
Valentine’s Day!
And, maybe
take in the mini-hunt while you’re at it!
Valentines
in Vegas is open from January 24th to February 15th and
can be found here.
Tell them
web sent you!
More
pictures from my visit can be found at this Flickr
page.
Also, check
back here for future details about STEAM X and other Mieville happenings in the
New Year!
I’d like to
thank Perryn once again for taking time out of his busy schedule to show me
around and for being the guiding light behind all the marvelous activities that
happen in Mieville!
As always, I’m grateful to all
inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was
passing through their lives.
I can be found on Google+ as
webspelunker Ghostraven.
On Skype I’m webspelunker
Ghostraven.
I welcome feedback from
readers, please either comment on my blog or
e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com
.
If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.
If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.
Open roads
and kind fires!
