[Note, Matthewsburg is a fairly advanced urban high density city, a lot of the housing is big ecogreen blocks of units, several stories high. There are a few theme neighborhoods, mostly for the preservation of some things, and for the feel and being able to visit such without leaving ‘home’. Matthewsburg proper is about three million people. There is a zone around the city that has further developments as well as supplies most of the food for the city and traffic through it.
As you get off the Antillan train at the station, there is a security zone similar to an airport. To leave the zone you must go through an arch. If something trips the arch you will be stopped by security. However, things are set for ‘Family’ and most of those can walk right through.
Once you leave the secure zone there is a sort of open strip close by of all sorts of shops (think a major airport again) then you emerge into Matthewsburg. Once in the City, you can pass into the rest of the zone. Past that, you need one of the local Royals to get you through the barriers into the rest of Belize.
So Zone 1 is the rail station itself and those arriving and departing. Zone 2 is the outer rail terminal area. Zone 3 is Matthewsburg. Zone 4 is the Port Zone. Zone 5 is the rest of Belize.]
As mentioned, there is arch for Zone 1 to 2, and 2 to 3. Family can walk through armed, though no meresha. Small amounts of kregora and blue crystal are allowed. No C4 or equivalent, no thermite, and no pink gunpowder. Coming back there is an arch for Zone 3 to 2, and more traditional TSA type for Zone 2 to 1 (arch and have to put luggage and bags through a conveyer scanner).
Tech works, magic works, pattern works, logrus is a longer distance call that you don’t want to pay the toll on, and trump works. No transporting or pulling someone through in Zone 1 though. Lightsabers work. It’s said Prince Ryan really wanted one, Prince Patrick got him one, and liked it so much he got himself one…
Take Note: security, law enforcement, EMT, fire department, are around and will respond. They tend to be low-key until needed. Response time in Zone 1 or 2 may be almost instant to a few minutes. Zone 3 is usually within five minutes and citizens aren’t afraid to call. There are patrols but they are pretty low key. Family is treated with some respect and politeness and most authorities are trained to recognize major royals (PC’s and some major NPC’s).
Lodging and Entertainment in the Matthewsburg Strip
Alton Ski Slopes
Artificial and in a building, but very popular. Also has an attached ice skating rink. Has a lot of tourist traffic.
Has a lovely lodge complex (Alton Lodge) attached to the installation and is a very nice place to stay (between 3 and 4 stars) The lodge has nearly five hundred rooms and can hold about 2000-2200 at rated capacity.
Beaverly’s Rest Stop
Located fairly close to the Rail terminal.
Full service type truck stop. Has five restaurants and very good food, places to park travel trailers with hookups, and has basic lodging.
No nonsense small rooms out of the 1950’s and 60’s but have their own small bath. Can house about 400.
Sleep line can deal with more than a thousand rigs and trailers. This is the major nexus for OTR traffic into the rest of Belize. Trucks and truck freight are vetted before reaching this area or leaving this area. Not everything goes by air-car.
Dew Drop Inn
Actually a nice set of towers in midtown, rental of apartment units in three housing blocks. Modernistic and green. Can house about 3,500. Nice center area with facilities.
They rent by the day or the week. They do not rent for more than six weeks at a time or eighteen weeks per year.
Some of the facilities are open to the public during the day and early evening for an enterance fee, those staying at the inn get free access and more hours to enjoy. Outdoor pool, skatepark; indoor hot tubs, small ice skating rink, small roller rink; bowling alley, six lanes.
Grenville Lodge
[note, the Edgefield is reference is for what I’m basing this picture novella on. It will not be the McMenamins Edgefield… the parallel McMenamins Edgefield is underwater, lots of it. Matthewsburg is a created-built city from scratch somewhere between Iowa City, Iowa and Chicago, Illinois.]
The Grenville Lodge is the Edgefield like certain Ancient Earth visitors could wish for, with much better rooms, more of them, having the soaking pool much closer; screens on the windows and decent power available.
Plus the heat/ac works quietly and efficiently and a lot of rooms have heated floors.
Almost every room has a bathroom. Also have small microwaves, fridges, and coffee makers. They believe in real world lighting, no dim glowering murk.
There are no TV’s in the rooms though. There are no TV’s on the premises. They have seriously decent wifi so if one wants to set up and stream their own, they are welcome to do so. They have free and fee wifi, if you desire a more secure connection, a modest charge per 24 hours gets you a password to a more secure private connection.
They have tabby orange rabbits… Someone’s daughter in the past had her pet Rex bunnies escape and they crossed with the locals and a lot of orange rabbits are seen around the place. Usually after dark or just at dawn they tend to be out.
They do the passport thing-as well as-if you stay for 7 nights, they will give you a plush stuffie. They do not charge for the passport as long as you stay one night. They do not have as many other locations for you to visit, but there are plenty of on-site things to do to get stamps for. The Grenville is the only site operated unlike the Ancient Earth/E1 McMenamin’s cluster.
Every where you can purchase something they offer a stamp. So there are plenty of ways to get enough stamps to earn a plushie. Yes you can stay for 7 nights plus fill a passport and get two in one visit. No more than two plushies earned per visit however.
You can save your passport as it does not ever expire, and cash it later. It also has some sub awards involving food and drinks, as you work your way to the orange hare prize.
{There are several restaurants, pubs, and shops on the premises.}
Yes they brew and vint on premises, and are a working winery, brewery and distillery. They give free tours and it is strongly suggested you make a reservation so there is room. Free tasting on some of the tours (they pour not you, though they will sell you more later if you wish)
They have a better version of ancient Earth Ruby Pale Ale they call Blonde Lucky Lady Pale Ale. It is their signature brew and on tap all over the resort. Ask for a Lucky and they will gladly fix you up.
It is only sold by the pint and if it is drawn from the tap it is served in a proper pint glass. Else it is packaged in amber glass bottles. The gift shop in the main building is a licensed offsale and offers cardboard sleeves of four bottles for sale to take with you.
They have an assortment of wines, most notably their ‘Spring Forward’ White and a lovely Merlot called ‘Kiss’em Back’. Though they make several shades of rose, and a few good reds as well. Their lighter wines are their best. The gift shop also sells the wines by the bottle if one needs some to go.
All their grapes are grown on site, in several fields surrounding the main complex. During the week they give free tours of the winery, the brewery, and the distillery.
They’re all quite informative, some demos, some hands on, and they will pour samples for a tasting, if you are 18 or over. If you are 15-18 they allow a few sips if your parent or guardian is on the tour. (following the drinking laws in Belize which resemble British drinking laws).
It is suggested that you make reservations especially for the full winery outdoor tasting (weather permitting of course) and there are two versions, with and without meal. With meal does have a charge, the without has a suggested upgrade that does cost (you get more wine to taste per sample and more to sample-most say it is worth the upgrade)
The Premiere Restaurant is the Ginger Hare, with a bit bigger menu than the Black Rabbit, and it has rotating items monthly. (about half the menu is fixed).
Done in lavish Art Nouveau of about 1900, it has a bright elegant air. There are a few side dining salon wings that will hold about a dozen at one or two tables.
No having to walk through it to get to the rest of the building. In the morning just inside the door is a small nook with a barista and serving coffee, tea, and a few pastries, donuts, and muffins, for those that just need a little something to start their day. They will package To-Go quickly for those needing to head out for a meeting or the airport.
The picture is about a third of the main dining area, plus the side salons are not shown. There is a small courtyard with tables amongst lush plantings, that at certain times of the day is open for coffee, soup, sandwiches.
The other main restaurant on-site restaurant is Sparky’s (the equivalent of the Powerhouse though it looks nothing like that), and it has the dedicated gluten free facilities.
Some of the place is still working power, as the site has a few wind turbines and solar panels tucked in here and there, and a small part of the place has an exhibit of some of the older days from when they were wood and coal fired, and the modern corner/closet where the present control equipment is hidden away from the guests.
They can send gluten free food to the other main eateries and a few of the pocket pubs. They also provide gluten free for room service orders.
There are more high booths, area partition walls, and greenery, which helps with sound control.
It has inside, the side patio, and a sort of outside courtyard. If it starts to rain there are large awnings on rollers that can deployed to assist in not getting too wet. Staff are quick to deploy those if needed.
Upstairs are some large private dining areas for things like wedding receptions. Most times otherwise those areas are not open no matter how busy they get below.
The menu is about the same scope as the Ginger Hare but more middle of the road dishes than that. They are not open for breakfast but start serving lunch around 11 am and are open to 2 am, outdoor courtyard, weather permitting.
You can enter through the main door or the courtyard. They are near the spa area and you may sit on the chairs only in the courtyard if you are still ‘damp and dripping’.
The Skylight Lounge. Over one of the other buildings (rumored to be full barrels and bottles storage) a short walk from the main building cluster. It opens at sunset and closes at sunrise or 5 am…
It is mostly a bar and serves light snacks, hot and not. (wings, nachos, onion rings, scotch eggs, pickled whole eggs, etc).
It is up high enough (7th floor) that it has a good view of the surrounding resort especially down onto the main cluster of buildings. You can’t quite see into the pool/spa area but see some of the plantings over the rooftops.
Yes there is an elevator system plus a wide set of stairs. The fitbit people like jogging those stairs at early/late hours as it won’t bother the others in the rooms.
The Brewery is in an outbuilding, and also the last post stop for some of the tours.
It has some of the setups for the small batch novelty brews that they make including seasonal limited batches.
It serves a hearty pub style food menu, limited but good, that goes well with the on tap offerings. The kitchen is separate from the others on site.
It is about 10% off for tap beer and ale, if ordered and drunk on site. This is one of the few places they ask you not to wander out with your drinks but consume them here.
It is not far from the main building and is a popular place for evening meals and social gatherings.
Spiderweb Loft is tucked into an outbuilding.
Featuring a world class chef, it pushes the boundaries of classical French cooking. There are several set menu items and a few dishes of the day that vary seasonally and by the chef’s choice. If you want to eat, better make reservations.
This kitchen is separate from the others and does not do room service or send food to another dining room. You may preorder food to go and pick it up yourself.
It features a number of the wines produced on site. It may have live music at times, the end the picture was taken from is where there is a small stage and dance floor as well.
The Winery Eatery is a wine tasting room and light dining room featuring chef class meals made to go with the wines.
It is in one of the outbuildings a ways from the main cluster. Well worth the scenic walk along a brick paved path that is well lit at night. The path is a frequent bunny sighting area.
In case of really bad weather, or it being really hot and sunny, they will open the Barrel and Cork Room, which is in the basement and has outside stairs access. The barrels are empty, this is the storage area. That allows them to have the temperature a bit higher for patron comfort.
The menu varies daily and seasonally, according to the chef’s plans for the day. They do not do takeout and they do not send to the main buildings (roomservice).
One of the eateries is on the perimeter and a Dining Car Diner of the 50’s. Called Mo’s. It serves Flo’s Famous Chili. Burgers, Hotdogs, fries, onion rings, etc.
They can send food up to the main building if ordered. If you want more than a gallon of chili, you need to order three days in advance.
Flo still makes batches of chili and they can run out. They have a good in-house second, but it’s not Flo’s. They are kind to put up a sign if they run out of Flo’s chili.
They will do takeout. It is rumored there is a standing quart a day of chili sent via special delivery to Lambeth.
Hare of the Rabbit pub is near the Ginger Hare restaurant. Small and cozy, it has a wide doorway for those walking in to get a drink from elsewhere in the establishment.
They do all the pouring and mixing for the Ginger Hare. There are a few stools and a few booths but most prefer if they want to eat, to go do so at the Ginger Hare and have their drinks brought.
They are set up true old pub style with the drinking bench as well as the stools and the booths are where the picture taker is standing. They are open for an hour after the Ginger Hare closes.
You may take a drink to go. They will card if they think you are under age.
They also hand out large glasses of ice if asked as there are no ice machines on the room floors. They are near the front desk and lobby as well.
Spark and Sprocket is near Sparky’s and is done in steampunk. They often book up and coming bands for live music in the evenings.
They do coffees as well as pour drinks and offer a limited hot and cold snack and dessert menu.
They can be pretty full on weekend nights and if they have a band they do enforce an occupancy limit for safety reasons. In those times they do have bouncers on both doors.
They do put speakers onto the patio outside if you just want to dance, and have a pass window for drink orders.
They have had raves a few times, and outside in the rain even. If they are at capacity and the weather turns they will not let you in, shelter often ends up in Sparky’s.
Lucky Lady Pool Hall is in the basement of the main building.
This one is a bar with pool, plus darts and a few other games.
They stay open until 2 am so this is the latest bar service in the resort. You must come get your own though. They can order out to the Ginger Hare or Sparky’s if they are still open (the restaurants close at midnight).
This is the closest and truest to the old Troutdale Edgefield in any way. They copied Lucky Stahley’s pretty accurately.
Willhelmina’s Wishing Well does various hot glass items in an outbuilding.
You may visit the small former groundskeeper house where the shop is or find a number of the items in the main gift shop as well.
Ornaments, spun glass, as well as marbles and paperweights and other objects de’ art.
Willhelmina is a sprightly small woman with partly grey hair and is often working glass if someone stops in. There are a few stools behind a clear partition to watch safely.
She will do custom orders for pickup or ship. It takes at least four days for something to go through anneal and finish so be warned of the lead time needed. She does pack well and insures but can’t guarantee if it is shipped.
Clem’s Clay and Pottery is in another former caretaker shed/garage near the hot glass studio. He is a fairly young man who makes almost anything in clay.
Outside in a fenced off area and under a floating pole barn roof are the kilns.
He is known for his raku and gold, silver, platinum, and copper metallic glaze work.
He will do custom orders and ship. His lead time is usually at least two weeks.
He has a rack of stuff for sale out front where he often works on a potter’s wheel during the day and you can sit on a bench and watch. He normally doesn’t allow people to watch him do kiln work as that is very hot and fiddly work and could be too dangerous.
The gift shop also has a lot of his stuff and will send you to the studio for custom order inquiries.
Now then we leave the resort and head out into the rest of the area once again………………………………………………
Nottington Motel
A little better than a Motel 6 or Motel 8 or Cricket Inn. Ceilings aren’t all that high, rooms are pretty basic, but clean.
There is magic to deal with bedbugs, cockroaches, crickets, and palmetto bugs.
They DO have washing machines and dryers available for guest use. One three star amenity in an otherwise two star place. It’s worth a couple bucks to have a dry swimsuit to pack.
Has about a thousand rooms, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and other facilities for the average tourist.
Decorated mostly out of the early 1970’s. Not far from New Saigon.
Has old style Vietnamese era school-ish buses that come on regular schedule as shuttle to take people to New Saigon and that area free of charge, as long as you’re a guest of the motel.
They will also accept shopping delivered from New Saigon to your room as long as you are a registered guest.
Xavier Hills Resort
Golf course resort, sort of country-club-ish. They do have the annual Huntington Ball in September, a sort of Debutante ball.
Room suites at the clubhouse, condos on timeshares or rental, or detached bungalows with good views of the course.
They can lodge about 1,200
Schlitterbahn’s Belize
Patrick admits he ripped it off wholesale from Schlitterbahn New Braunfels, TX in entirety. This is a faithful replication of the park there.
Plus some things from Elitch Gardens, Denver CO.
It is mostly a massive waterpark and has a few rides to the side too, including a couple of killer rollercoasters. Plus the insane catenary arch bungee drop that hits 1.7 to 2.3 gees. The Twister II only looks sedate, it is 3.5 minutes of physics you don’t want to repeat. The Mind Eraser you wish you could after.
There are a few repeats of some of the rides so that the lines remain reasonable and they do cap the number in the park at any one time.
It is a full family facility and have areas with stuff for very small and younger children, and you must be fifteen to go into the adult park area with some of the most extreme water features and rides. Your wristband (cut off disposable ID bracelet) is color coded and you must wear it while in the park. Most of the rides and attractions are free with it so keep it on. It will slag the next day if you try to walk back in with an old one.
Queen Jasra Hospital (it’s Patrick’s mum)
State of the Art and can handle magical issues to a point. Can remove Kregora and give treatment for Mereasha (not neutralize it).
They have several outlying clinics and sub-hospitals, but serious stuff gets sent to the central hospital.
It is a full trauma center, able to handle almost anything. This is where the special Extreme Trauma Center is to deal with the aftermath of magic, demon ichor, etc.
About half it is underground and hardened. Very cutting edge, it is also a teaching hospital and does a great deal of research.
Pentultimate Theater (movie theater, five sided)
Has a nice large parking garage on two sides. It is a five sided building (think of a large square with one corner cut off) with the corner cut side as the entrance into a large atrium with an access balcony all the way around for the projection rooms. Four theaters, one using each of the other four walls, all with interior access balconies.
In the very middle of the atrium rises a central large inner structure, where the restrooms are located. Someone was smart enough to add extra stalls for the women’s. There are a few family restrooms and ones marked ‘anybody’ literally. Lines are much shorter… In the entrance wall, this is flanked by two concession stands with reasonably priced goods.
The carpeting and colors for each theater are darker tones of primary colors, so there is the Green (#1), Blue (#2) Yellow (#3) and Red (#4). #4 has small tables that two or three may sit at and eat and watch the show. The concession stand next to Red has things like nachos, burgers, hot dogs, chili dogs, chili, French fries, etc. They will also sell beer and wine (not too bad) for #4. Blue and Yellow can hold about eight hundred with the balconies, Green holds about three hundred fifty, and Red holds about one hundred fifty. There are larger tables on the balcony, that can seat six to eight.
The chili here is NOT Flo’s famous chili. This theater DOES have day matinees, refuses to seat children for showings starting after 8:30, and has some adult only screenings… and they enforce the ratings. Ticket prices aren’t bad, and there is a sign at the ticket windows that outlines where your ticket money goes. The theater actually gets to keep some of it. (hence they don’t have to scalp at the concessions).
Jellico Theater (opera/stage)
Magnificent old style acoustically laid out, with balcony and box seats on the sides, a full opera pit, and a large stage. Seats close to five thousand.
Has a full organ. Genuine theater Wurlitzer with gold sheet covering. There is a movie screen that can be lowered and silent films can be shown. The organ is on a hydraulic platform and can be lowered out of the way when not in use, and a sliding trapdoor seals over where it disappears to. It can only be lowered if the bench is in place and that position precludes someone from sitting on it and riding it down.
Has some side halls to allow a food/reception before or after a performance. Place can be rented for weddings.
Matthewsburg Police Station #3
Close to the commercial strip downtown, they will respond fairly quickly to a call, and they are no-nonsense. Because they may have to deal with other than humans or demons, and royal Amberites and royal Chaosites, they are well trained, and have to take regular refresher courses, plus meet fitness and mental health standards.
There are patrols. The law enforcement is fairly close to invisible, as it is just there doing what it is supposed to be doing. The forces wear dark blue. They may be on foot, scooter, or groundcar (like a flying car but limited altitude). They may or may not have trained animals with them. Most of those are canines, also trained to detect drugs or some explosives or contraband as well as overwhelm and subdue a suspect. The canines are not sentient.
Matthewsburg Fire Department Station #8
Also close to the commercial strip downtown. Fairly quick response time.
The image shows the older style side garage that emits Hazmat or extreme-EMT response. Around to the right is a 3 story 8 slot attachment big enough to disgorge hook and ladder trucks.
Extreme EMT means they have gear to respond to the more unusual scenarios especially involving magic (firebolting, lightning bolting, or fireballs, for example.
This Hazmat team is also outfitted to handle demon ichor and magic residues as well. If either of these units are dispatched, the trip will end at Queen Jasra Hospital Main, Exotic Trauma Unit. That ER is also set up to handle magic residue/fallout.
Matthewsburg Public Library Philae Street Branch
Lovely place, no food in where the books are, and no defacing the collection (dogging ears or drink rings or crumbs). Contemporary and current collection.
The private reserves and collection is not at this branch. You can copy a book or periodical but it has to either be done manually (photocopy) or magic in a special booth area.
They do have a ‘friends of the library’ where old and donated books are sold to help fund projects (kids activities mostly) and also sells gift items… and a coffee bar and lunch room in a sunny solarium crammed with plants.
Duir Woods
Magnificent old growth redwoods. Some are well over a thousand years old.
Magic removed them and relocated them before they drowned. Fenced decked walking paths to minimize wear and tear and erosion; and about eleven miles of walk paths.
Well into the woods is a ranger station and gift shop. They sell food and some beverages. There is an entrance fee, to help defray operating expenses.
Some of this is inside the zone and has a few satellite large woods preserves that are not accessible to visitors to the Matthewsburg Zone. And that boundary has extra reinforcement.
Old Saigon-a theme settlement city outlined elsewhere. It is outside Matthewsburg proper but in the zone. It is settled by 120,000 displaced Hmong people, and they outwardly use and display the technology available in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City.
It is a destination-immersion attraction, with the residents living and working there with circa early 70’s technology.
There is lodging in the city for those that want to do so… the accommodations clean and up to early 1970’s decorating and standards. There is no wifi or internet available and only broadcast TV and radio. Cellphones will work as anything but computer/internet or as a phone. (they will play already downloaded apps and content and the cameras work) Magical based items will work.
They do not have credit card swipe, Pear-Pay, etc. No ATM’s. You must stop at a bank which has connections to the outside/off system banking network to get money. They deal in BNA dollars, Amber Crowns, Chaos Dragons (coins), Belize currency.
Angkor Wat-a faithful copy built for tourists as the original was badly damaged by an Ungoliant invasion at the time the golden Chakra stone was found, then it went underwater and is quite deep. It has been outlined elsewhere.
The copy is slightly improved as centuries of erosion and weathering were compensated for and it is in a much better state of existence.
There are a few nearby hotels and motels. The technology at this site is up to expected levels of a contemporary Earth. Though still no ATM’s. The local lodging can handle wire transfer and disburse money or do exchanges. (and the local lodging does have wifi and internet. Cellphones still won’t work as phones, however)
Tank City-an area to the north end that is rather desolate. It is outlined elsewhere. Tank rides to all day tank excursions available.
Choices include: (besides every place offering a basic 20 minute tank ride for quite reasonable)
Udrive they actually teach you how to drive a tank and you get to chart roads over some very real terrain. Your crew tries to keep you from flipping the tank over or blowing up the turret. You get some basic instruction then get to get in and learn to drive it across a range, and get to fire a few rounds.
Command-A-Tank means some instruction then you join a tank crew to either fire on targets or drive over terrain or both. This one does take most of the day.
Take A Matthew and Rambault Afternoon, you gets some instruction, a short stint in a simulator, then get to thread through a very realistic version of terrain and part of a city. Beer is provided and you get to run over things and blow stuff up. This one has limited slots and reservations are required.
Chopper Rides-everything from a quick trip up and around the area to a lot more…
These are based near Old Saigon.
You can also get a chopper ride and sightseeing tour. Either in a real Bell Huey or a smaller ‘MASH’ bubble type helicopter. These have somewhat limited slots and need reservations.
Reservations are usually not needed unless you want to fly over Old Saigon. Those need reservations well in advance and the rides are very popular.
Religion:
Generally allowed. No deification of Family. No cults that prey on Family either. So definitely no Lynxes, Crossed Sabers, Abyss Hags, Quaddity, or Bear Worship. The Bear Dance is BANNED. If anything collects relics of especially living Family, from used kleenixes to body parts, you are facing arrest at the very least. And you just kissed a lot of your rights goodbye. Koolaid Cults and their ilk are also banned.