01-19. Honeymoon in Sunset Valley: Part 1

Here are a few screenshots from back in 2015 when the Abbotts went on their honeymoon in Sunset Valley. Unfortunately, the pics are in-game memory shots, so the graphics are poor quality.

Newlyweds Maxwell and Kirby from Bridgeport dine at the Sunset Valley Bistro.

The two guys I recruited as chef and waiter used to be "dancers." The waiter is so funny. He's always winking, doing hand-on-hip poses, cheering, and flirting with the ladies.

I used Ani's Business as Unusal Bistro mod and the NRaas Cupcake mod in my renovated Bistro. I was able to restock a couple of displays right away. Then they restocked perfectly at 5:00 am the next day.

One thing I like about Ani's Bistro mod is that children can order and eat too.

My sims browsed both bakery shelves and bought items.

The shelf in the back of the kitchen contains some jams my sims made.

Here's a shot of the upstairs, with a pro bar and a couple of tea tables.

Just for fun, I added a chicken coop at the back of the Bistro...because bakeries need lots of eggs. The Evil Chicken attacked Max during a fight.

At the bakery plaza before I bulldozed it.

Maxwell introduces himself to big Nick Alto, then tutors him in Social Networking.

Kirby plays Frisbee.

At the Chinese Garden: Snake charming.

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An unexpected thing happened at the Villa Paraíso base camp. I found a stray dog sleeping in the Base Camp. I had sent my sims home to bed and happened to see that someone else was sleeping in another room. I zoomed over and found a dog in the bunk bed! He had apparently gone through the door and up the spiral staircase to get into the bed. I've never had a stray do that before.

A Sunset Valley Tourist Neighborhood: Part 2

Here are more recent screenshots taken of the SV Community Neighborhood venues, a continuation of Part 1.

First, here's a close-up of the Zen Garden a short distance down the road.

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The Sunset Valley community neighborhood offers several premium content venues and items.

I converted the Villa Paraíso into a base camp. It sits across the street from the Center for Life-Long Learning and the renovated Bistro.

I converted the consignment store next to the base camp into a hangout, adding the ITF counter, book register, comic book register, and a food register. I took the consignment register out to put with the Elixir register elsewhere. Then I added arcade machines, ITF clothing stand, ITF chess table, compuer, TV, and bookselves. Outdoors are the trampoline, the basketball court, and the wishing well.

Villa Paraíso base camp showing the Adventure board.

1st floor with stereos, outdoor grill, pool, bookcases, computer, exercise machines, juice bar, dart board, tea table, and areas to visit.

2nd floor with 1 double bed and several bunk beds, children's room, chess table, easel, and food buffet.

Inside the Bistro are also bakery shelves and the Teppanyakii grill.

I also added the wood stove, bakery oven, and the canning station to the kitchen. A bathroom is accessed through the kitchen. The chicken coop is outdoors, and a kid's doll house sits on the porch.

Upstairs contains a pro bar, tea tables, an arcade machine, and 2 all-in-one toilets. There's also a hopscotch outdoors on this side of the building.

Even the food truck showed up in the neighborhood.

Just down the street are a Magic Emporium lot, the junkyard, and the Dance Hall.

The junk yard offers the chemical lab table and the inventing station. An all-in-one shower is nearby. Inside the hut (not shown) is a computer, bookcase, TV, love seat, and desk. The yard also has a grill. There's a grill and tables on the elixir lot as well.

The magic emporium lot offers several magic items, the elixir register and the basic consignment register, cases of wine to taste and purchase, a gem cutter, and alchemy station. Outside are beehives, the harvest cart, jelly bean tree, and the usual elixir shop spawners.

A Sunset Valley Tourist Neighborhood: Part 1

I have played very little in Sunset Valley. So in 2015, I decided it was time to do some exploring there. At that time, I didn't want to start another household, so instead I started a unique save in SV and put down a Base Camp and some other venues to make SV a vacation world--sort of a small town getaway instead of an exotic locale. I have Nraas Traveler and have already used it to make a vacation world in Isla Paradiso. Anyway, I sent my newest married couple from the big city of Bridgeport to Sunset Valley as a honeymoon. 

SV Tourist Community Lots
The Sims 3 Store's Villa Paraiso is the base camp, with a few tweaks and more beds. I cleared out some of the clutter that was causing access issues.

I turned the spa venue into a community center with various things like the toy machine, glass-blowing unit, art room, bot making, science machine, nectary making, presentation board, music instruments, pool bar, etc. 

I placed the bakery plaza, and added the wood fire oven, the Teppanyaki grill, tea tables, and a pro bar. Later, I replaced the bakery with a renovated bistro.

I changed the old consignment store which was already there to a hang out with arcades, slot machine, wishing well and the food, book, comic, and bot registers. Took the consignment register out.

Next door, I added the consignment register to the Elixir store and turned the parking lot into a Mysterium.
Added magic items, some tasteable and buyable wine racks, harvest stand, and community grill.

Varg's Tavern was already by the Elixir store. I still need to make changes there. I want to add pro bars, make it a dance club I think.

The junkyard was also already placed on the same street, so I added the inventing table and chemistry lab. I always fix the junkyards up a little, adding outhouse, a fridge, etc. Sims show up there all the time.. 

The last lot I placed was a Chinese Garden venue (next to Performance Park). I downloaded this one a long time ago and did some modifications. It has World Adventure insect and fish spawners, martial arts equipment, snake charming baskets, WA trees and plants.

 Zen Garden Lot at MTS

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Since these modifications were first made in 2015, I have since made a few more changes to this neighborhood. I've also changed computers, and my graphics have improved a lot! First, here are some pics of my renovated Serenity Retreat, now a big park venue called The Center for Life-Long Learning.

I didn't make too many changes to the building structure, mainly just cleared out furnishings and added what I wanted. You can see pet objects outside here, a bench on a side balcony.

Changes to the back include a music stage, a nectar machine with grapevines nearby, pool waterfall, pool bar, dive board and pool slide.

I moved the massage table so the covered platform could be used for music.

The hot tube and outdoor showers are pretty much the same. I added that trash can and the wall to give the massage table a little privacy.

Here's a closer view of the pool bar with mixologist, the waterfall and nectary setup. I also placed a couple of small stereo's outside. I took out a row of wedding benches and made more room for the bar and nectar machine.

Instead of more lounge chairs, I made this balcony into a small snack area with a small fridge and tables. I also placed the glass blowing machine here too.

Hot beverages and ice cream on the counters. But other things could go here.

Rocking chairs and room to dance.

These two rooms contain the toy making machine and the science lab station. Beyond that is a small area with 2 all-in-one toilets and doors leading to a balcony.

On the top balcony, are 3 ITF items: the bot building station, a bot purchasing stand, and the laser harp instrument on a small stage.

The main room contains added toys, speaking podium, presentation board, computer, TV, bookcases, rockers, and a Bonehilda coffin.

The side room has a drafting table, sculpting station, and 3 different styles of painting easels. The small bathroom contains 2 more all-in-one toilets.

Overview of the 1st floor.

Overview of the 2nd floor.

Overhead of the small 3rd level.

I didn't try to put all the special skills items on this one lot because I have other lots that I placed nearby that offer premium content items as well. My idea was to create a neighborhood where sims (actives and townies alike) could access skills items. See Part 2 of A Sunset Valley Tourist Neighborhood.

01-06. Jungle Ruins: Part 2

The second dungeon level down tested Keaunu's and Maria's strength and courage over and over again. While they rejoiced in all the amazing treasure troves they discovered, each new gain unleashed more terror. Three more mummies rose from their sarcophagi to fight with the adventurers!

Whatever god this ancient statue represented was serious about defending his bounty! Keaunu believed the rock god looked like a dwarf from that long-lost race. Personally, Maria thought it was just a run of the mill gnome.

Dwarf, gnome, or ancient alien, he meant business! His mummy henchmen were tough warriors.

Maria lost her second battle with one mummy who wasn't so kind to her. She fell into a deep sleep.

After each victory, the mummies returned to their own slumber.

Keaunu lost fights with two mummies. One was a thin, wiry fellow.

And the other was a hefty strongman!

Keaunu also collapsed in unconsciousness after each lost battle.

There was a second hallway leading off from the lowest level's rock god chamber. Maria had been wanting to investigate this last crypt room from the first moment she entered the ruins.

Now with the crypt's treasures pillaged, both Maria and Keaunu spent a few moments trying their luck with the magic well they found there. Never one prospered!

The well just wasn't going to give up its mysteries for them. They'd have to test the waters another day.

Maria did manage to catch a couple of fish from the well though.

She donated a tuna to the well's display stand nearby--in memory of the Romantic Mummy.

By then, Keaunu and Maria discovered that small excavation sites had materialized inside the tomb. They dug through the muck to find more treasure!

And excavation mounds had appeared outside the crypt as well. The two were really racking in the loot!

Exhausted, Maria and Keaunu took a moment to sit by the fire pit and roast marshmallows. They talked about their adventures and what they should do with the treasure they'd found.

They happened to see a few pieces of ore lying near the ruins and decided they should collect the stones before they left the area.

Content with all their prizes, they bicycled home.

Keaunu: We didn't get anything marked off on our Bucket Lists, but I think we made a good start on them.
Maria: It was a valuable experience ... and a lot of fun too!

That night, they arranged for another addition to their house. Keaunu needed a room to house his relics, and they would need space for their Bucket List projects too.

One more floor was added above the main area of the house with stairs leading up from the utility room.

Keaunu set out all their treasures. He had enough relics to put him half-way to his Lifetime Wish goal of §20,000!

They also added two decks to the new upstairs level. One in front ...

... and one in back. After a few more trips abroad, they would add more luxuries.

Footnote: Neither Keaunu or Maria got cursed by the mummies! So all's well that ends well.