Since it’s very unlikely that I will visit Egypt in real life, I did a search for it in Second Life and chose 2 sims to explore. The first one, Little Egypt, included the traditional Egyptian monuments such as the Sphinx and the great pyramids.

Once inside the pyramid, I discovered the beautiful treasures that had been buried with the pharaoh.

The walls were lined with hieroglyphics.

Of course there was a throne that I just had to try on for size.

Then I came across the tomb, as well as some bones…ugg. I bet there’s story behind them!

The second sim I visited was a present day replica of the Sinai Peninsula.

There were delightful restaurants, shops, and even an ice cream stand.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to visit Venice in real life, you know what a beautiful island the main island is. The creators of Venice Island in Second Life have done a nice job of replicating many of Venice’s lovely features, including the unique bridges that span the canals.

You can rez your own gondola and float through the canals, although I found it easier to just stroll along the canals and enjoy the sights.

Or just find a sidewalk cafe and sit and people watch.

Enjoy your visit to virtual Venice!

Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty, Pebbles, and Bambam….These were among my favorite cartoon characters for many years, and some creative genius has recreated Bedrock in Second Life. Of course, I was compelled to pay it a visit.

The streets are lined with colorful trees and buildings and cobblestone streets.

You can visit Fred’s house and share his popcorn and Fruity Pebbles cereal.

There’s a ferris wheel ride in the middle of Bedrock.

You can take a ride on Dino’s back or stroll around in the famous man-powered automobile.

Pay Fred and Barney a visit in SL Bedrock, and tell them Penguin sent you!

On my first trip to Galveston, I visited 3 pyramids and tried to enter a nearby amusement park, but it wouldn’t let me in. I was so disappointed, because I could see it and just needed to be there! Being determined to make the best of a bad situation, I spent my time exploring the town and checking out those pyramids. There was a Rain Forest Pyramid, an Aquarium Pyramid, and a Science Discovery Pyramid complete with its own Imax Theater.

Not being one to give up easily, I returned to Galveston the next day and had no trouble at all entering the inviting amusement park. Woohoo! And, I had the entire park all to myself! Life just doesn’t get much better than that!

There were 3 different water rides, and of course, my favorite was the log flume. The track actually went around most of the perimeter of the park, so I definitely got my money’s worth. There was also a water tube ride that was gravity driven, but I kept getting stuck about half way through and had to swim out. The innertube ride was fun but I needed more of it!

There were also several typical amusement park rides and games. I enjoyed the duck shoot, and almost won a prize! There was a skeeball game, but I never got it to work. It kept telling me that I had an animation override, but I didn’t. At least I didn’t think I did. Oh well, guess I’ll have to go back and try that again. The fortune teller looked rather ominous. I actually sat in the dunking booth, but there was nobody around to dunk me. Hee hee! Good timing!

I love amusement park rides of any kind, but one of my favorites at this park had to be the pirates ride. It was actually underground, very much like the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride at Disney. There were surprises around every turn, so if you dare ride it, just be forewarned!

I also rode a ferris wheel, a very dangerous swaying boat, and giant swings. If you’ve put in a long day at work and just need to kick back and play like a kid, give the amusement park at Galveston a visit.

Renaissance Island is a popular gathering place for those interested in the Renaissance Period of history. I’m not much of a history buff, but I did enjoy walking around the island and ducking into all of the authentic looking buildings. There are shops that sell appropriate clothing and other items from that time period, taverns, homes for rent…. you name it.

Once again, I can see a genuine educational benefit for simulations such as this. If I had been exposed to virtual worlds in high school and could have actually “lived” in whatever setting we were studying, maybe I would have a greater appreciation for history than I have now.

Ah, Australia! That has been my dream destination for several years, and I’m hoping to go there someday when I retire. After all, who goes to Australia in the summer when it’s winter down there?

Fortunately, my avatar was able to visit Australia recently in world. This is a large sim and I only saw parts of it, but those parts were absolute delights! There is a replica of the Sydney Opera House which contains an art museum on the lower level. The views from the walkways were lovely as the sun began to set.

There is a long motorcycle track that takes you all around the island…well, that is, if you can drive your cycle better than I did! Maybe I need a joystick to really enjoy all of these vehicles in SL! There is also a great jetski ride near a campfire area. Each time I’ve been there, this has been a very busy place. It appears to be a popular hangout for a group of avatars. Actually, I teleported into the middle of their little group and was too embarrassed to hang around and chat. Then I made every effort to control the jetski until I got out of site to avoid further embarrassment. Fortunately, they didn’t see me crash and have to desert my sinking jetski. I think I need lessons!

Oh, and there’s a cool cannon. Not sure of the significance, but it’s fun. I sat on the cannonball and rode it across the bay when the cannon fired. What a relief to be able to stand up and find myself still all in one piece after that little adventure!

I read someplace that Amsterdam in SL was only interesting to those looking for…shall we say….not exactly PG rated accommodations, so it was with a bit of trepidation that I teleported to this very beautiful city in RL. Upon arrival, I was impressed with the apparent normalcy of it all. Thank goodness! I spent some time just wandering up and down the streets. I even found a lovely area behind some of the shops that was set up for an outdoor wedding. But I’m not really sure why one would need a wedding in a virtual world? Oh well, to each his own…

There was a canal with houseboats on it, just like in the RL city. I found an interesting looking palace, but when I ventured too close, I got a message saying it belonged to the government of The Hague or something similar, and then it kicked me right out of there….actually sent me to my SL home. How rude! I sure would like to know what they’re hiding in that palace!

Across the canal, I found a more rural setting with lovely flowers and animals. There was even a cow, and when I clicked on him, one of my choices was Ride Me. So, of course, I clicked on it. Not a good idea! I got a message saying I wasn’t the cow’s owner, and it bucked me about 500 meters into the air. Hmmm, I don’t know what I was doing wrong, but I wasn’t feeling very welcome in this lovely city. Maybe I’ll give it another try someday, but I’ll have my guard up!

Altstadt is a lovely little village comprised mostly of shops. I was able to rez a free cart for driving through the village too, nice for carrying lots of packages after a long day of shopping. It’s a delight to just walk (or drive) up and down the streets, ducking into buildings just to see what they have in them. For example, one of the buildings happened to be a nice pool hall, so I grabbed a cue stick and was soon racking balls. I played much better in SL than I do in RL!

On one end of the island is a small amusement park. Most of the venues appeared to be for rent, so this should be a happening place in a few weeks. There is a great gocart track there now though. Unfortunately, my driving skills have not yet improved, but maybe I’ll return to get in some more practice.

One of my favorite cities in the whole world is New York, so I had to pay the Second Life version a visit as soon as I found out it existed. I teleported right into a dark subway station and had to walk through tunnels and turnstiles to get out into the daylight, just like in RL. Once outside, I found myself walking down a street lined with skyscrapers. There even appeared to be an altercation of some sort going on in front of the library between a policeman avatar and some other guys. Just like in RL, I crossed the street and didn’t make eye contact.

There is a replica of the World Trade Center Building with a very moving memorial inside with the names of the 9-11 victims.

This is well thought out sim and well worth the visit. Now they need to find a way to bring virtual Broadway shows into Second Life!

School is almost over for the year, so I’m decided to take an early vacation and check out Bryggen in Norway. Bryggen is actually the old wharf of the lovely town of Bergen, and as you can see, the creators did a nice job of replicating the real village. After strolling around the streets, I sat down on the edge of the wharf watching the fish swim around as the waves crashed nearby.

Upon leaving the village shops, I found myself in the countryside overlooking a fjord complete with with waterfalls. This was a lovely area to explore and a terrific place to relax after a challenging day in RL.