Finding Tourist Information (Updated 3-29-22)

I started the Tourist Information Office because I was tired of picking up notecards that said things like "Cool Places to Visit" only to find that the information was outdated and/or didn't contain any of the places that were my favorites.

This information was correct as of 3-29-22 but will probably be obsolete in the future.

On The Viewer:

When you first open your viewer you may see some destinations listed on the splash page. 

Once you are logged in, the next place to look is the list you get when you click the 'Destinations' button. If you don't see it, go to Avatar/Toolbar buttons, and click on it.  Select the icon and drag it to your toolbar.  (You may have to choose "Restore to defaults" if you want it in another location.)



When this button is on your screen, clicking it will show you categories and subcategories of popular places. 

On the web: 

Sometimes overlooked is the Second Life Destinations page https://secondlife.com/destinations, which has a more extensive list. 

The home page for Second Life often showcases a special destination. 

Flickr has a lot of photos from Second Life, but the Second Life Tourist Board group requires that submitted photos include the Slurl, so that you can visit the spot in the photo.

Blogs:  Bloggers like Inara Pey often feature visits to their favorite regions.

Inworld:  

The Community Cultural Hub on Inspiration Island has landmarks displayed by theme in their Welcome Center. For more information see their website.   

Community Cultural Hub on Inspiration Island




















There are destination posters of interest to educators on Library Land (Cookie).

Want to visit a random location?? You can't beat the New Resident Help Area at Firestorm Welcome Island. 



Doors to areas with different themes.




Chilbo: At last visit, 3-29-22, the ground building for Expedition Central in Chilbo was still there, but I could not find the skybox or the teleport to it. For now I will assume that it is no longer operating.
Another great collection of landmarks is in a large can-shaped structure floating above Chilbo. This is Expedition Central which I believe Cyrus Hush helped set up. He used to lead groups of academics through Second Life on educational tours. There are over 100 destinations pictured on the inside walls - click the picture and get an information notecard. Don't miss the the large box labelled "Gateways to Thinking" which, when touched, will unfold another palette of destinations.

Be sure to make a landmark of places you visit, with something in the title to help you find it again. 

Above all, have fun, and don't judge Second Life by just one or two destinations, or one or two encounters with residents.



The Three-Hour Tour - 6th Stop, Pod Tours

Taking a pod tour is a great way to explore the Mainland. There are at least 14 pod stations and a total of over 35 tours. Some of the tours are short (the one around downtown Zindra) or up to four hours long. Private islands can also buy the pod system to set up their own tours.

Here is a place to start. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Monowai/8/141/72
A typical pod station

Outside map of pod tours.
Pod Tour map
Inside the cabin is a lot more information.
Maps of most of the pod tours are inside the cabin.
Here is a picture of the pod tour location in Calleta. You can see that the platform is not fully rezzed, but it is still safe to stand on.  
Pod tour station in Calleta

If you take any of the pod tours, you will get a notecard with a list of the most current locations.


You usually don't have to wait for a pod to arrive at the station. Sometimes you can just click/touch the pod cone to rez a new pod, then click/touch the pod to get the tour to start. You can also click/touch "Ride" on any pod you see passing.

As you ride you may want to keep the Second Life map running on one side so you can see where you are on the map. You can also make landmarks of areas that you want to explore later.

Rarely you may find yourself dumped unceremoniously. Sometimes this is because of a tricky sim crossing, or you could be entering an area that is already full of avatars. There are many places where vehicles can cross, but not avatars! In this case, your best bet is to fly up and look for the pod, and click to ride it again.


Stranded and blue in Tussock. 


Some people don't like the pods, but I love them. They are a great way to explore the Mainland!



The Three-Hour Tour - 5th Stop, The Roads of Second Life

Route 12 Map from the Wiki, don't know why it says "Route Z".
Remember when I suggested you pick up a free bicycle at the last stop? If you didn't, it's OK, I just wanted to show you one of the many roads of Second Life.  I like the hobo bicycle because I like to go slow and enjoy the view. You don't have to look for a spot to rezz it, either, because you wear it.

Route 12 doesn't have any fancy landmarks along the way, but you will see a lot of different things that residents have done with their land. This route is in Pouncival in Nautilus and parts I checked were made in 2009. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pouncival/165/63/44

The dirt road really isnt suitable for large vehicles
There are maps along the route
















There are many different roads. Some are nicely paved, others resemble dirt roads, while still others may just be raised wooden walkways. I think they are a good way to get a feel for a neighborhood if you are thinking to buy land.

Here are some more interesting roads: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Koleamoku/184/179/33 This is in Koleamoku in Sansara and someone has placed a bicycle rezzer right next to the road. Nice!

Another road, Route 7, is on Gaeta V. Apparently it was intended to circle the island, but now there are many gaps along the way. Worth a try. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Warbunton/172/3/25

To see many more vehicle routes (including water routes) check the Second Life Wiki at
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Second_Life_Road_Network_Directory#Corsica

You may meet a pod traveling along the road - don't worry about collisions, the vehicles are phantom. I'll talk more about them at the next stop.

The Three-Hour Tour - 4th Stop, Up Up and Away to D-Lab (Updated May 13, 2021)




This information is from 6/5/2016 - see information on new location on 5-13-2021 Post)

This information is now obsolete. Only the small train station is still there.

------------------------------------------------History--------------------------------------------------------------------
Map of D-Lab on Mainland



The panda is so big you can see him on the map
Walk or fly up the hill and click the green rocket

D-Lab offers the ultimate in kawaii, or terminally cute, objects, that are much prized by collectors. Be sure to check out the little animated figures in the enclosure to the left of the rocket ship.  I always enjoy visiting and seeing what is new, but sometimes it is hard for me to resist buying something!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Poecila/184/220/64 was the ground entrance, the store proper was actually at 4005 feet. Have you ever wondered why sometimes it seems as if there is no one in Second Life? Part of the reason is that many people prefer to build in the sky. If D-Lab hadn't thought to add this colorful entrance on the ground, you could go by and never know.

The Three-Hour Tour - 3rd Stop, Under the Sea in Mieville Pond

Map of Mieville Sim Cluster -  Again, it is in the middle of the Void Ocean, so  don't lose the teleport coordinates.
Resting on one of Nemo's domes while a sea serpent swims by
Although much of what appears to be 'ocean' on the map is actually Void, there are still many underwater places you can explore. One of them is in Mieville Pond (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mieville%20Pond/79/145/27 - this is a SLURL, or Second Life Uniform Resource Locator. It works like a URL, but you will have to download a viewer in order to use it.)

As you look around, be aware that most of the structures, vehicles and sea creatures were made by former resident Arcadia Asylum, and you can find many more of her other creations in a building to the south. All of them are free.
Arcadia Asylum Living Library
While you are there, why not pick up a free bicycle from the vendor on the right as you enter?

A free bicycle is just one of many kinds of vehicles.



The Three-Hour Tour - 2nd Stop, Buckingham Palace in Antiquity - Example of A Modern Build

Antiquity is located in a sim cluster away from the Mainland. Surrounded by the Void Ocean*, the only way you can get to it is by teleporting. Antiquity consists of at least a dozen sims, with many activities available for residents and visitors.

View from Far Off

Close-up view

Buckingham Palace
This building is a careful reproduction of Buckingham Palace in the Regency Period. Be sure to pick up a notecard and a map before you enter, or you may become royally lost.

I love this build, and I hope you will, too. 

*Void Ocean is also called "Infinite Ocean." I call it "The Big Nothing."

The Three-Hour Tour - 1st Stop, The Governor's Mansion - Example of An Early Build

The red circle shows its location on the Mainland.
Governor Linden's Mansion

Visting Governor Linden's Mansion might seem boring at first, unless you realize its place in Second Life History. It was built in 2002 before Second Life was even called "Second Life". Back then Second Life was called Linden World, and was still in early Alpha testing. According to legend, a resident named Stellar Sunshine built the Mansion in one all-night session. Later, when Beta testing started the Mansion was given to the Lindens by Stellar to preserve it, and it was moved to Clementina.

To the basement
To get to the basement, which has some (mostly unexplained) historical artifacts, the easiest way is through the hole in the bottom of the swimming pool.

Remember that this was built when all they had was prims, but it was before Second Life switched over to Version 2.1 and the "Prim Allotment Via Land Amount" system replaced the old "tax-based system".

To me the Mansion is a reminder that most of the great (and not so great) builds in Second Life were made by ordinary people, not by a big corporation. A sign at the edge of the property will direct you to the Ivory Tower of Prims, a good place to learn how to build with prims. After visiting the tower you will be ready to go to the nearby public sandbox and bang a few prims together. Welcome to Second Life, where it is truly "Your World, Your Imagination." You may be on your way to becoming a builder!

Nostalgia by Cica Ghost in Second Life

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mysterious%20Isle/112/113/27 At the exhibit you can get a free ventilator hat almost like Cica's B...