The Black Hills Forest, located at Le Dome (36, 111, 21), is
a beautiful and fun place that celebrates many of the best sights found in
America. Set in a beautiful park-like
setting, it features statutes, photographs, and memorials from places found all
across America, from the Atlantic coast to the Black Hills of South
Dakota. There’s even a zoo with animals
from around the world.
The first amazing thing I learned about
Black Hills Forest is that its creator is French. Benoit
Lednev lives in Paris in real-life. Because of
time and language issues, we were only able to talk for a few minutes. I wasn’t able to learn what motivated him to
create such a beautiful tribute to America. But
It's a great site, and Benoit said that he plans to expand the zoo even
more.
It is fitting
that one of the most visible landmarks on the sim is a replica of the Statute
of Liberty, which was a gift from France to the United States in 1886. The real-life statute, which is located in the New
York Harbor, was designed by Frédéric Bartholdi. In SL the Statute is located at Le Dome (34,
26, 21). Benoit Lednev has displayed a
number of photographs of the real statute in a building next to the replica. Nearby you can pick up a free souvenir
t-shirt, too. As soon as I put it on, I
felt like a tourist on vacation.
The sea’s edge
is the main landing spot for the Black Hills Forest when you teleport to Le
Dome (36, 111, 21). There is a replica
of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Memorial at the landing point. The RL memorial was built in 1925 at the
Stacy Esplanade in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The SL replica includes memorial plaques that
contain information and the famous inscriptions found at the real-life statute.
From this point you can go northwest to
the zoo or walk straight ahead to the gazebo.
Inside the gazebo are pictures of the site’s attractions. Click on the one that interests you to be
teleported there.
The zoo is a
great place to relax and have fun.
There are animals from all over the world, including a Red Panda from China, polar bears and
penguins from the ice caps, parrots and monkey from the jungle, giraffes, lions
and tigers from Africa, and my favorites, a wolf pack from the wilderness. There’s
a small aquarium, too. Unlike their RL
counterparts, the SL animals don’t have to be kept behind bars. The
toucans and parrots fly, and the monkeys scurry around and get into
things. You’ll even find one or two species that are
extinct in RL but living here in SL.
On one of my visits, a woman and a little
girl were visiting the zoo. Ray Ray
(rayleigh.toxx) had brought 11-year-old Teresa Amulet (keira.amulet) to see the
animals. They seemed to be having a
great time.
At one end of
the zoo is a beautiful cafe where I was able to have some breakfast. The setting is quiet, and the tables are set
with beautiful dishes and a rose. Orange trees grow here, too, so their juice is
the freshest in SL.
After breakfast I left the zoo area and
continued to explore. I came across a
replica of Mr. and Mrs. Frog Fishing. The real-life statute was created by David Phillips in 2003 and is located at
Boston Common Frog Pond. Another interesting piece of art is the
replica of the statute, “Menotomy Indian Hunter,” by Cyrus E. Dallin. The original was created in 1911 and is
located in a park near Arlington, Massachusetts. Since the majority of us will never be able
to visit these real-life statutes, the replicas are the next best way to experience
them.
There are a few reminders of the worst times
in America, too. There is a memorial to
the Salem Witch Trials, including a long row of headstones of men and women who
were killed there. The date was circa
1692. In another area, photographs of
Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights workers are located
in the building at the Black Hills display, locate near Le Dome (213, 165,
60).
As in real-life, the SL Black Hills has Mount
Rushmore. To get to this spot, you don’t
have to travel for days to North Dakota either. It’s located at Le Dome 213, 165, 60. If you don't want to teleport, there's a
chair lift you can ride to the Mount Rushmore site. Catch the lift at Le Dome 246, 121, 21.
Inside the building at Mount Rushmore are
photographs of many great Americans, from Alexander Graham Bell to Amelia
Earhart. Inventors, scientists,
writers, and astronauts are featured, as well as a section that includes Rosa
Parks, Martin Luther King, and other civil rights leaders.
On
the plaza there are benches where you can relax as you gaze at the four famous presidents,
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. There are picnic tables nearby, too, but watch
out for the mountain goats.
Many other treats are waiting to be
explored in this beautiful park. A tea
house sits near a small pond that you can float in. Trails meander through trees and over
streams. The sim has places for couples, too. Among them are a campfire near the lighthouse
and a nearby beach cottage. The best couple’s
spot, however, is the eerily beautiful Dark Romance section, located at Le Dome
(229,49,21). Best to visit it with
someone you love.
Like his fellow Frenchmen so long ago, Benoit
Lednev has given a beautiful gift to SL residents to enjoy.
Grey Lupindo
