Halloween At Calas and Cica Ghost's Epsilon

 

 By Gemma Cleanslate

I had a chance to get to two amazing installations for Halloween fun.The first visit was to Shadowfell. Ty Tenk (Tymus Tenk) and Truck (Truck Meredith) of Calas Galadhon worked their magic to again
bring an elegant yet spooky walk for you through stunning and sometimes shocking wilds and caverns to reach the pavilion where events will be held.

At the entrance watch the warnings and advice to prepare yourself for the experience. Read it carefully to have the best experience on your trip along the way. Torches will guide you on your walk. There are signs along the way. At the entrance you also have the option of a boat ride which is wonderful. I chose to walk but will return for the boat ride later.

Frightful creatures lurk waiting for you to pass hoping to catch you unaware so take care. Follow the path laid out by the torches as well as you can. I became lost several times but was able to get back on track. Pavilion is the ultimate destination so keep that in mind if you do get off course.

Here is the Pavilion in all its glory. Have a spine-tingling journey! Begin here. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/MIST/5/75/23

My next journey took me to Cica Ghost’s Halloween installation. I always love her work. This is a different experience. Her pumpkins have taken over the place along with little ghosties and other amazing little creatures. Haunting eyes follow. Watch the brambles, don’t get stuck on them.

I hope those smiling faces are really friendly. I think so. Dance among them if you like. I wonder what they are thinking.

It is like being in a childhood dream of what Halloween is, but not a nightmare. The windlight is part of Cica’s creations so be sure to use her environment to feel the full experience here. I loved walking up to her critters and feeling safe while having an imaginary conversation with them. I saw a few that I avoided since they were a bit sinister.

Halloween is not my favorite holiday but installations like these are a pleasure to view. Don’t miss it!!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Epsilon/120/192/25

Gemma Cleanslate

 

Halloween at Calas Ghaladon

 
by Gemma Cleanslate

Calas Ghaladon Halloween  is a bit different this year. Due to real life obligations instead of a new installation the owners, Ty Tenk & Truck Meredith, there is a retrospective of the past years builds. It is really charming  to see the past familiar parts of Halloween appear again.

There are the beautiful to the scary pieces of the past . The first stop I always make is to take the boat ride . This ride takes place in  one of the beautiful parts of the Halloween remembrances . You get a view of the hanging islands and the Pavilion . It is a mixture of several years.  2016 NEVERLAND, 2014 DARKWOOD, and the dragon from the 2015 VALYRIA region.

Once on the ground look for portal that will take you to Darkmoon and the Mothership. The water is safe to traverse. If you picked up the friendly notecard there is a choice of using the Portals along the way to move from venue to venue , or taking a teleport directly there. “The first time you enter the Portal you will need to ACCEPT the permissions request in order to pass to walk through.  You will only have to do this ONCE “ is the advice. Music and shared environment are also recommended.

The Dig is from 2019 and is a walk to reach. Oz Noir is also from that year and is so reminiscent of the old Oz of stories . The decor is elegant 20's .Look for the list of events to take place at one of these venues with the dates and times . 

It was fun looking back at my past visits. Calas Halloween is always different from most Second Life Halloweens. Next year we will see what is in store . 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Twilight%20Woods/30/120/1322

Gemma Cleanslate
 

Return to Darkwood

 
By Gemma Cleanslate

Darkwood is one of Truck (Truck Meredith) and Ty Tenk (Tymus Tenk) special regions for a holiday. This one began in 2014 and is perfect for a different sort of Halloween from many others. There are yearly changes but as the owners say, ”We are happy to bring back a part of it this year. Though different, its spirit remains (smile).”  

I picked up my group hat and backpack, set the region windlight, turned on the music,  grabbed a flashlight. and headed in for the new treats, or tricks.

 

The first thing I did was take the Elven Boat Ride .This ride takes one through the swamp which is filled with marvels . It also takes off into the air and high over the mountains and hanging sky islands. It is a long ride so plan time .

Touring Darkwood on foot is easy if you follow the torches places along the way. But, some of the signs are iffy and getting lost is not bad either. There are places to sit by a fire and relax.

The Pavilion where many parties take place is on one of the sky islands and it spectacular as always. There are events there every few days at 7pm SL time  until Halloween and the calendar is there to view. During your tour you will find donation ghouls in the forest, swamp and Pavilion.

Ty and Truck do not have any commercial activities on their Calas Galadhon regions. Their main objective in Second Life is to provide enjoyment and entertainment for their members and visitors. You are invited to join the group . 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Enchanted%20Rock/90/30/23

Gemma Cleanslate

New Santorini

by Gemma Cleanslate

 “Our much loved 'little Greek village' on the hill ,,. lost since 2014  rises once again from the sea as Calas Galadhon's NEW SANTORINI along with The Lost Gardens of Thera and a new live music venue 'PHOENIX"!’

Calas Galadhon Park is a group of enjoyable sims open to all visitors. The collection of sims used to be more extensive than it is now even though there were never any commercial interests in any of the sims. The two owners, Ty Tenk (Tymus Tenk) and Truck (Truck Meredith) never charged or even asked for lindens for many years. Finally when some sims had to disappear they allowed donations kiosks to appear to keep as many as they could.  If you have never visited their sims you are missing a wonderful Second Life experience. The activities are numerous. My favorite has always been riding my horse since one can move from sim to sim so easily and the venues are delightful. There are horse rezzers on some of the sims if you don’t have one of your own. Check out their website for information , videos and activities.  https://calasgaladhon.com/

“The original Santorini village stood on the hill above the Armenelos region of the Calas Galadhon Park from early 2011 until Dec 2014.”

Right now there is an opportunity to visit one of the lost sims, New Santorini. For views It was always one of my favorite to visit.It is absolutely gorgeous. It is back for a time so don’t miss the chance to take a boat ride on the bay . Climb the high hill and visit the quaint homes along  the winding walkways. Sit on a patio at a Greek bar, have some wine and enjoy the view looking down on the waters in the sunset.

Then descend beneath the waters to discover the magic of the scenery below. in The Lost Gardens of Thera. An underwater walk or swim in the stunning venue only adds to the charm.

I found a couple taking advantage of the dance floor  dancing to the enchanting music, There are dances there almost every night for members and visitors. Everyone is always welcome at Calas.

It is such a charming setting for lovers and friends to explore . Go visit before it sinks again into the sea It will be there through July at least. ‘Be sure to turn on Advanced Lighting Model, Music and Sounds to experience the build the way we designed it for you” the owners caution.

Enter  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ERIADOR/233/105/21

Gemma Cleanslate

The Calas Galadhon Haunted Maze

By Gemma Cleanslate

"Decades ago a group of explorers woke to find themselves in the middle of a large, seemingly impenetrable MAZE (Actually not that difficult *grin*).

They set up a base camp with supplies that had been left for them. (Left for them...hmm...)  In time, a group set out to explore what lay beyond and find a way out.

They never returned."

And so it begins....

Every year at this time I look for Calas Galadhon special sims for Halloween with anticipation.
Not because I really love this particular holiday celebration but because I know that Truck and Tymus always prepare their builds by creation of something that is going to be different and enticing to people from all over the world whether they understand Halloween or not. I am never disappointed.

n
I began my tour by arriving at the entrance where one is instructed to use the windlight (which I have to turn off to take pictures or you would never see them!), turn on your music and take the elevator to 2. As I stepped off the elevator I saw Alicia Underby and Truck greeting new arrivals and handing out supplies for the trek. I picked up my backpack, helmet , and torch and set out to look first for the boat ride that takes one around the sim  This gives an overview of the foliage and animals and some strange creatures, including zombies, found in these jungles .

When I landed after the ride I set out for the Maze, the beginning of the real adventure. from the entrance I took a right turn and started moving along the openings in the walls and turning back from dead ends . There are torches on the ground in some of the corridors

I finally got to the right pathway that lead to a barn like build behind a door, filled with dangerous rooms occupied by clowns, frightening creatures , giggly children that I got a bad feeling about as I looked into each one. After climbing to the second floor I found a room where one could look out the window and see the boat riders passing by. I made my way back to the entrance of the maze.

Here I found Alicia again and we tackled the left turn into the maze together passing more creatures ready to pounce. This way was not as successfully conquered and Alicia and I went around and around for a while, seeing the same creatures ,  until finally we came to an opening in the wall.Alicia went off to be guide elsewhere and I wandered out into lovely peaceful green tree lined path  to make my way to the Druid Circle and search for the portal to other part of the installation. I found it with little trouble and jumped in!

I emerged into the caverns and took a path into another type of Maze with even more frightening creatures and experiences. Make sure you “Pack a lunch!”  and carry water into your bag to spend some time in the Caverns.That was Alicia’s last admonition as I left the Maze. Make time to stay a while because The Caverns are Not Easy!

I hope you are not afraid of spiders... especially big ones! I am going to leave you here in the bowels of the earth with all the Halloween experiences that are to come.There are three more portals to go .  I really need to go back and make my way out of this horror, what ever may come.. I have other places to visit !

Ultimately I did get to see The Dig. This is the final destination and the place where all the parities will be held .   Begin here . http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ERIADOR/221/76/1

Gemma Cleanslate

Christmas at Calas

By Gemma Cleanslate

The special winter holiday sim that is a yearly favorite spot is lively with visitors. Every year Ty Tenk and Truck Meredith of Calas Galadhon fill another region, and sometimes two, with a venue where people go to spend a lot of time. The parties are daily and lots of fun with different DJs performing. This year it is titled “Home for Christmas."

The sim is so beautiful that it takes a while to explore everything and interact with all the goodies. To see the whole arrangement take the balloon ride over the scenery. The sleigh ride through the country side is most romantic. 

This year rezz a reindeer and ride along the roads and through the woods . It is so much fun to ride! Alicia Underby spent a lot of time roaming the sims on that reindeer as did that ranger.  

The massive pond gives skaters a wonderful place to show off their best pirouette and jumps. Along the edge of the pond hot chocolate is available and places to stop and rest and cuddle.  

The crowning glory is the spectacular  Christmas Pavilion . Here there are gifts for all members , and where you always find friends sitting and chatting. There is a massive hall with presents for the Calas members  and of course, the special Christmas tree room. Tall impressive nutcrackers guard the door and  Santa sits here and waits for all the visitors amid boxes and ornaments. Turn on your music , switch to the windlight setting and experience the wonder of ' Home for Christmas’. This will put you at the sleigh ride or balloon tour entrance.   http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ERIADOR/82/23/23

Gemma Cleanslate 

Calas Galadhon's Dark Moon

By Bixyl Shuftan

One place in Second Life noted for it's fine design and coming up with new things every year is the Calas region, owned by Ty Tenk and Truck Meredith. Usually Gemma Cleanslate is the Newser writer who takes care of articles there. But with their new Halloween area this year, she thought it was about time for a fresh pair of eyes. So I went ahead and headed to Erebor for "Dark Moon."

When one thinks of the moon on Halloween, it's usually the bright moon shinning over a dark and spooky forest. That wasn't the case here. Appearing in a purplish sky and shallow water on some crystal hexagons, over one were the words "The Portal." So I clicked on that. The next thing I knew, I was on some baren landscape with some circular structure ahead of me, and some figures around it. Getting closer, they were a mix of aliens and human astronauts. But looking closer, the astronauts were dead. All but one of the aliens appeared lifeless as well, except for one with a sign: "Dive in."

Going in, I found myself in a cavern with metallic space-age structures built into it, with water flowing on the ground in places. The detail, as usual for Calas, was very good. I had my headphones on, and it had detailed sounds of the water trickling nearby, and appropriate theme music such as that of the "Alien" prequel movie "Prometheus." Looking around however, there were some mixed signals about the aliens. While some were helping to point out the way for you to go, others were not so friendly to other humans.

Flares help cue you on which direction to go, You will encounter things such as light bridges, and you will encounter monsters. Unfortunately in this sci-fi adventure with horror tones, the reason they're not going after you is that they've sated themselves on various NPC humans ... or have they? At one point, you'll find yourself in an Earth library. The end of your journey? Nope, you'll still have further to go. Finding the right path may mean occasionally searching around a bit. You'll get an opportunity to float around weightless, though with some limited control. Eventually, you'll see some human kids walking your way from a flying saucer. But as they come closer, you'll see they're not exactly wanting to be friends.

The last cavern was very dark in places with few flares, so it took me a while to find the way out. Once I did, I was transported back to the purplish world. Looking around and noticing a spaceship ahead of me, I decided to walk over, wading through the water, to check it out. I saw a few creatures going just over the water. There were some stairs to the ship, and climbing on, I was greeting by the message, "Welcome to Calas Galadhon's "DARK MOON'S MOTHERSHIP... thank you and enjoy your visit." I found a schedule of some live music acts appearing here at times across the month.

I forget how long my journey took me, probably over an hour. With the monsters and blood, and inhuman cold aliens, the place isn't for everyone. But in my opinion, Ty and Truck have done a first class job in this sci-fi horror theme adventure.

Erebor (8, 51, 2)

Bixyl Shuftan

Calas Skate-O-Rama

By Gemma Cleanslate

What a treat ! Those who love skating, ice or roller, have an opportunity to enjoy a rink for the month of March. You can grab a friend and go skating or get to a party.  The owners of Calas Galadhon, Ty Tenk and Truck Meredith have a marvelous build that is reminiscent of the days when roller skating was most popular in a setting that brings many thoughts  of those days.

I arrived at the bus stop on Route 66 in the middle of the desert surrounded by high mountains. A river flowed around the land. In front of me stood a majestic  pale blue Art Deco structure with lights beaming up into the sky and a sign that read Calas Skate-O-Rama. To the right I saw a truck moving along the road  and to the left, far down the road, a Stuckey’s sign and past that a lighted sign for the infamous Bates Motel. I headed straight to the Skating rink.

Before I reached the doors I had to stop in the parking lot to admire all the gorgeous cars of the era. I think this is the largest collection of  vintage cars I have seen in one place in Second Life .The picture only captures half of them. I also  spied some side car motorcycles near the door .  Once through the doors I found myself again in the open air.  I picked up a free pair of skates as I  passed.

My first stop was at the Skate In Diner where I ordered a burger and cola that was  delivered to me by Alicia Underby. My mother used to tell me of the fun she had skating at the local rinks when she was a kid. I have been to a few at the beach myself. The rink is a massive wooden floor with sync skating if you like. It is fun to skate in the open air. 

 

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/206174193" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/206174193">Calas presents Skate-O-Rama!</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user41744273">Calas Galadhon</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

 

(Click here if the video fails to play)

             

 A nearby board showed me there will be skate parties all during the month at night and on weekends. A stage is all set up for the djs. 

 

 

I was sorry to have missed the wild opening but Romie Vella shared photos with me. You can see the opening party at this link. 
https://vimeo.com/206639840

 

 <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/206639840" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/206639840">Savannah Rain Opening Night at Skate-O-Rama!</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user41744273">Calas Galadhon</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

 

(Click here if the video fails to play)

 

Here is the bus stop to start your own skating party or get to one of the events listed. I hope to get to at least one of them.  Maybe I will see you there!
 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EREBOR/252/120/2325

 

Gemma Cleanslate

Calas at Christmas

By Gemma Cleanslate

This year the entrance to the Calas winter sim is very different and made us all look for the portal . It is a craggy stark icy place at the start. I skated across across the ice to the cave entrance, passing dropped toys on the way and down the crystal adorned path into the room with the portal that takes you to the glorious ‘A Christmas Poem’.  The sound of joyous giggling elves  fills the air along with the lovely music. I made my way up the stairs and through the portal where  you will enter into a magnificent land of wonder. 

The Pavilion is there on the hill above the skating pond in all its regal glory, guarded by the giant Nutcrackers.In the great hall there are gifts on the tables for Calas members. Parties take place often in this great hall 
  

The tree room to the right is packed with wrapped presents under the tree and all around the walls. Santa is in his chair ready to take requests.  .Across from the tree room is the sitting room with a crackling fire where friends gather for food and drinks and talk. I often find at least one of my friends there. Outside the pond usually has skaters gliding around or hanging out by the fires  . 

 I saw Chatty Kathy, A long time member of Calas Galadhon group hanging out by the refreshment stand having coffee. There is a wonderful balloon tour up the hill that gives you an overview of the entire region. A sleigh ride will take you  down the snowy lanes  through the snow laden trees.

 OR ....“Comet: Comfy now? Welcome to this years Flying Reindeer Tour! Santa doesn't call me 'Comet' for nothing.  I've hit 5 balloons so far and counting. Oh, I forgot  .. Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer .... um Now Cupid, no Blitzen. Oh Now dash away!Dash away! Dash away all!  Hold on” . ...Take the Reindeer ride! I learned that Comet and the others got their names in 1823. 

 There are wonderful photo opportunities for couples and singles and you can pick up a notecard near the sleigh rides that will guide you to all of them. The owners of Calas Galadhon Ty Tenk and Truck Meredith make this special Christmas region every year for our enjoyment so if you pass a donations box try to put a few lindens in. The events list is on the website    https://calasgaladhon.com/tag/a-christmas-poem/

Begin your travels to the wonderous site here . Head for the caves. The music will keep you company on your way and the windlight will  aid you and enhance your experience.( I cheated a bit to get pictures for you )
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EREBOR/189/146/3591

Gemma Cleanslate