Winter Trace

Winter Trace

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Springfield%20Wood/21/190/21

https://www.flickr.com/groups/thetrace/pool/

     I love winter!  I suppose it could be because I grew up in the east coast of Canada, right near the ocean, where winters were cold, but filled with snow and fun.  I mean think of it for two seconds, Its the season with the best holiday, it contains two holidays (Christmas and Thanksgiving) that are about gluttony..........hello Turkey, and has the best sports ever created, Hello Hockey, lol.

     Since I was a child I've loved that feeling of coming into a warm house after spending an afternoon sledding or skating,  Warming your feet and hands up in front of a wood stove, snow days where you just stay in bed with an amazing book.  Winter believe it or not has always represented warmth and comfort to me, from its toasty hot chocolate cups to its big sweaters and cuddles to keep warm.

     Why am I telling you all this?  So that you can understand that when I heard about Winter Trace I already had the expectation that I was going to enjoy it.  It promised that feeling of winter comfort that I've loved since my childhood.  I will admit though that I was taken completely off guard by what I did find.

    

 Landing in Winter Trace with my comfy winter clothes

      Now when you land in trace do yourself a favorite and take their advise.  Use the region settings, set your sky the way they tell you and simply walk through and enjoy the experience.  Trust me, the creature of this sim knows what she's doing.   Beginning in 2013 Kylie Jaxxon began show casing her seasonal sims (yes there is more folks that will be reviewed as well.  In 2014 she was joined by Elvira Kytor who is the owner and creator of White Dunes Estate Rentals.  Together these woman have created a photographic sim that , for lack of better words, is simply breathtaking.  In 2016 Kyle decided to step away from the project she began with Elvira and Elvira because to come up with some new ideas.  What had begun as Summer Trace blossomed into two other sims.  Fall Trace and Winter Trace.  So the concept is that there are 3 seasonal sims, each will stay as is for one year before changing for a new season.

     Ok, so, enough of the facts, lets talk about what I saw.  With a lot of sims they try desperately to pay attention to little details and end up filling the space with so many pointless knickknacks that the place looks cluttered and messy (example read the previous post and its bike problem).  With Winter Trace there was a dedication to detail but also a real effort to keep everything very realistic.

 The architecture is simple, well designed, and furnished just enough to add to a picture and not enough that your eye doesn't know where to look.  Everything from the inside of the homes, to the foliage on the sim, to even the animals out and about keep with the theme of the sim. 

The whole sim is surrounded by a sea of Ice that is perfect for skating and by using the regions wind light settings you get the most perfect reflective look that really makes you think you are on ice.  Stroll through the sim by following the lake's icy path or walk through the trails in the forest.

There are some great activities.  Fire pits, an area for sledding, and with its Mature rating its the perfect place to cuddle up with a loved one, take the family or spend the day taking photos.

This is how a professional decorates a sim.  By far The BEST winter sim I have ever been to, and certainly on my favorite list.  I was even reluctant to share it at first because I wanted to keep the location just to myself.  10 out of 5, my favorite Sim to date.  I will most definitely be back and encourage all of you, new photographers, old photographers and just people who like the beauty of second life, to visit.  Don't forget to donate, this sim is a MUST to keep open.