When I say “Bunny Hill Of DOOM” I keep picturing a typical bunny hill only it just makes you ski past trees on fire while someone laughs all evil like.

Bunny Hill Of DOOM sounds awesome!

Winter is almost upon us in the real world, The same goes for Second Life. Snow is starting to fall. Festive holiday lights are being put up. With this it’s time to grab a virtually steamy cup of hot chocolate & check out some places to do a bit of winter skiing. Here are just a few of the many skiing places you can find around the grid.

1. Skate & Date (M)

When I rezzed in the first thing that I noticed was this wonderful sign the owners had put up. It says that everyone should be free to be unique. Everyone is welcome no matter what your skin or fur color is. This is a WONDERFUL thing to see because it is a problem on our fair grid. Kudos to your sign & positive message!

There is a LOT of various things to do at the ol’ Skate & Date. Roller skating, snowmobiling, & ice skating are just some of the options you have on your visit. Since we are here for the skiing I have to say that the hill is a nice skiing hill. Nothing too fancy with a small ski lift to take you back up the mountain. (or a teleport if you don’t feel like taking the ride). You can either just go straight down or take the slalom to test your skills. I came in 2nd place out of those that had tried it.

Can You Do It?

If you don’t have skates or skis they do provide some there (both free & nicer paid versions). It is worth a visit if you’re just looking for a place that isn’t very fancy & offers a few activities. It’s also good for an actual “skate & date” if you have someone in mind & a need for a place to go.

2. AW Christmas (M)

If you are in the mood for a simple, old-fashioned Christmas then I highly recommend checking out AW Christmas. This was a pleasant surprise type of visit. No shopping. No decorations that felt they should have been left in 2007. It’s a very well put together construction that is simple yet a treat to explore.

When you first teleport in you find yourself on some sort of old Victorian street at Christmastime. Carolers are singing. Decorations are being put up. Non threatening hobos warm themselves in an alley by a barrel fire. (nice touch). It feels like you’ve walked into a Christmas card.

Singing Christmas Carols.

Things are pretty spread out so it will take some time for you to go off of the street & find a few things to look at & do on your visit. Like ice skating or skiing. I did, however, wander around for a bit & found a ski lodge which I have conveniently grabbed a SLurl for. The skiing is very simple with a nice large hill to go down as well as a ski lift to take you back up to the top. Since there is a lot of space between some things it is fun to take your skis off the mountain & do a bit of cross-country. Lacking ski equipment? Not a problem as you can find a free pair at the top of the ski lift.

I Think I Can Do It.

3. Alpine Byway Route 1 (G)

You can’t exactly go wrong with an EXTREMELY large area that involves multiple sims when it comes to looking for a place to ski. All Linden owned there is Alpine Byway Route 1 & there is also an Alpine Byway Route 2. Today I’m just talking about Route 1.

Today we are starting out at the Voss Lakeside Rez Zone. The ski lift next to this rez zone decided that it didn’t want to work at all for me. (Might have been just me or maybe it was having a bad lift day…or something.) Because of this I ended up skiing over the frozen lake, past Chalet Linden to a different ski lift. This ski lift worked perfectly for me.

As I reached the top of the mountain you’ll notice that there are so many different ways you can get back down this mountain. I could ski, sled, or even tube it if I felt like it. All of which are completely free options.

Well That’s Just Comforting!

Now this is where the story goes a little weird my friends. Winterfest 2008 just happened to occur at the Alpine Byway. I know this because I went in 2008. I also know this because there are signs EVERYWHERE telling me that Winterfest 2008 is here. There was even a sign at the top of the mountain that talked to me & told me to check out the guide on the fest. (No…the page just takes you to the destination guide of what’s hot now.) This is not a complaint or a bitch. It’s just…I don’t know…weird. You would have thought someone would have taken the time, after all of these years, to take down the signs telling me about a festival that happened in 2008.

Despite that bit of strange time warp action it’s still worth skiing around the Alpine Byway Route 1. The whole time I was there no one showed up anywhere so it’s not very crowded. The mountains are huge & the paths are long. Falling off a cliff is a possibility & who doesn’t love a bit of prim danger.

Coming up at the end of the week we’re going to discuss how Winterfest  is here & how Wootmas is around the corner with a great review about everything from Mt. Waffle To Winter Sports.

Warming By The Fire.

Happy Virtual Skiing Everyone!

“Tipsy” Cerulean