The Bayou, April 2014

The Bayou first opened its doors – albeit it briefly – in September 2013. Designed by BuTToNs (pecandeluxe), it was a beautiful recreation of a bayou environment. At the time, it didn’t remain open long, although I did get to take a quick peek.

The doors re-opened to public access around the end of February, retaining all of its original beauty (with some small additions). As I’ve made several quick hops back since then, I thought it about time I actually blogged about it.

The Bayou, April 2014

Those who love really natural-looking environments in SL should love The Bayou. The signs of habitation are minimal: there’s a ramshackle cabin and a tree platform, plus a seating area to one side of the region. but beyond these and a couple of other scattered indications, the majority of the region is given over to trees, undergrowth, dark, flowing water and wooden walkways over what might otherwise be waterlogged ground.

The wooden board walks lead the visitor around the region, little wooden bridges providing the means to cross the water – and avoid the alligators. You might want to take a brolly with you, as it is raining heavily in one place. Along the way you’ll pass a fair number of InTan dance systems – so those of a romantic inclination will find a welcome in The Bayou (and don’t forget the couples’ pose systems near the landing point, which allow you to explore hand-in-hand).

The Bayou, April 2014

Wander inland, and you’ll eventually find your way to a couple of wooden stairways leading upwards. One will take you up into the hills on the far side of the region to the arrival point, where a path winds up to the start of the waterfalls. The other provides access to a grassy plateau where couples can again enjoy a dance.

There are some open areas down at ground level as well, but one of the things that makes The Bayou so attractive is that in places you can look around yourself and see nothing but trees and meandering water; with the ambient sounds, it really gives a feeling of being in the bayou.

The Bayou, April 2014

Several of the trees found in the region are the work of Serenah Raynier, who has a store and rezzing platform in the sky overhead. These can be reached via the teleport near the region’s landing point. The store offers the trees and other items for sale, while the rezzing platform offers the ability to view / purchase prefab packs up to a full region in size.

Now, given this is a post about The Bayou, there is really only one way to sign-off, and that’s with a song.

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