Kicking Back and enjoying the sweet life here at Beyond Vanilla

As I landed at Beyond Vanilla for the first time I was surprised to be greeted by a peacock and military flags. As I took my first look around the full sim, I came upon a bear rowing a boat, a quaint 1950’s diner, and all sorts of wildlife. There is even an otter pond with the most adorable otter family called Fred, Wilma, Bambam and Pebbles, The beautiful harbor is the stage for dolphins and seals and a boat driven by a bear.

As I explored this “BD/SM” sim I came upon many things. There was the sim’s night club, The Whips End (the name is the only nod I saw to BD/SM), a beautiful relaxing beach, a rustic cabin ready for a cuddle and a cup of hot chocolate, an old fashioned paddle wheel boat full of games of all sorts, as well as relaxing gardens and gaming tables.

What I did not find was anything other than a list of the strict rules to indicate that this was a BD/SM sim. This place was wholesome and homey and certainly not what you expect when you hear “BD/SM” sim. I was excited to meet the people who had created this adult Disney World.

Beyond Vanilla’s staff is a tight team composed of Karlee, Davis Delong, and KT Danvers. Davis is Karlee’s go-to guy. He is the gatekeeper and liaison between Karlee and the day-to-day running of the Sim. Karlee says, “anything and everything falls on his shoulders.” KT is the manager of The Whip’s End, Beyond Vanilla’s premier nightclub. He comes from the entertainment world and has invaluable experience in what makes a club work.

When I met the owner, builder, and creator of Beyond Vanilla, Karlee Heartsong, and her manager Davis, she explained her vision for Beyond Vanilla. She knew she wanted to build a place where other members of the BD/SM community could find a home where they were loved and respected. As she started to build, it became obvious to her that SL did not need another sim devoted exclusively to BD/SM. So she listened to heart and soul and built an amalgam of her life. She decided to focus on the four aspects of her life that are most dear to her.

The main focus is all about adult fun. There are cuddle areas and dancing balls, a beach perfect for a picnic, and a heart-shaped hot tub that looks out over the mesmerizing sea below. Karlee included many secluded romantic, PG spots for date nights. And yes, there are two dungeons for the rated R play.

Up in the garden on top of Dungeon Hill is an ethereal garden with a strip poker table and on the paddle boat there all sorts of games such as Greedy, Cards Against Humanity, and Texas Hold’em.

The Whip’s End, Beyond Vanilla’s premier nightclub is a mixture of biker, rock & roll, and Americana. The grand opening was held there recently as well as Valentine’s Day party. DJ Star is spinning tunes every Friday from 4 pm-6 pm SLT. The Whip’s End is currently looking for DJs and host/hostesses so they can open on more nights. They have three types of dancing at the club; the spot on mover, the quark, and the intan. I decided to give it a try.

In the sky, there is an off-road course, a hostage rescue game, an archery game, and a rock-climbing wall ( which I attempted but was an epic failure at it). Karlee and Davis are currently planning on doing archery tournaments, poker and game nights as well as competitive racing.

The second aspect of Beyond Vanilla honors The Armed Forces of The United States, as well as their allies. Karlee and Davis are US Veteran. They both take pride in their service to our country. There are military vehicles parked in front of Whips End. There are flags representing all branches of the armed forces, as well as POWs at the landing point. You immediately see them. They make a poignant impact. There are plans in the works for a Memorial Day charity event to benefit wounded warriors.

The third part focuses on the MC world, as Karlee said, “I grew up on the back of a bike”. There are all types of motorcycles in front of the club and many people in MCs are a daily part of Beyond Vanilla. As Karlee said, “The biker community is still a large part of my life to this day”. So my heart is full of love for the biker community.”She further explained many family and friends live in the MC world both in SL & RL.

The fourth and final part of Karlee’s vision focuses on the D/s lifestyle of Male Dominants and female subs/slaves. Karlee and her manager Davis had to show me where the Dungeons were. They are very private and secluded. So much so, I could not discover them on my own. Karlee explained there is no nudity anywhere on the main portion of the sim other than on Dungeon Hill and at special events. Nudity is also permitted in the sky where they hunt zombies in the buff. There are two dungeons carved into Dungeon Hill. One is devoted to Shibari, adult play with ropes, and one is devoted to the pleasure of pain. Inside are various apparatuses used in the BD/SM lifestyle. Ironically Karlee is a self-confessed “prude” and doesn't want people walking around showing their bits and pieces to the world. There is no activity unless there is consent on both sides. No means NO! Karlee believes that “every single person needs to feel comfortable in my home. I am trying to ensure that is possible."

Karlee stresses that the BD/SM part of the sim is only ¼ of the focus of the sim. After the tour and the experiences I had, I am in total agreement with her.

Everything I saw at Beyond Vanilla was top tier, no expense has been spared. As Karlee said, “I want to make a place where people do not want to leave.” I think she has succeeded and then some. I truly enjoyed a wonderful day of adult fun. I rode a dirt bike, climbed a rock wall, raced on a track, and danced. As Karlee wished, Beyond Vanilla is a place I did not want to leave.

As I said goodbye to Karlee and Davis, I realized I had not just added friends, but had made friends. I definitely want to go back and maybe this time I will try nude zombie hunting.