Marble

[bighaben 0]

Hello, this is my first CJ so please bare with my *****ness.  Anyways, this is going to be on going CJ as we watch a nice little county in the middle of nowhere suddenly erupt into a thriving metropolis.   But first we shall explore the center of the county as of right now, the small yet impressive Shooting Mountains National Park.  Named for the fact that the mountains seem to shoot out of the ground.  They are small yet steep, and provide worthy hikers amazing views of sheer canyons and thick forests, as well as a taste of alpine freshness.

The region view, Shooting Mountains National Park is the large forested area with all the nice oak trees.  The park was carved by heavy glacier activity just a million years ago and as a result you see the deep canyons yet relatively small mountain range due to the fact that the uplift period was short.

We'll explore Kent later...this is the area as you are leaving Kent that first starts to look like nature.  This is a camping area about a mile from the park entrance.  If you bring a tent it's free, however renting a cabin will cost you 200 a night.  Pool is free.

The campground weaves through the foothills.

The park entrance.  Fee is 20 dollars to enter for 7 days, or 35 dollars for a year.

This is a very dangerous curve and many accidents happen here because people stop on the side of the road to take pictures over the sheer cliff.

Switchbacks are fun!  This is the highest point along the road, and has several trail heads from it.

 

From another angle.

Thank you for looking, I'll have another update before the end of the week.

Map was Olympic And Kitsap Peninsulas by theterminizer

And I used used various PEG addons, though I don't know exactly which ones.

[e350tb 0]

Very nice!

[edmonton_stinks 5]

The national park is gorgeous. Nice terraforming and a great start!

[suplado! 23]

wow cool region...and the mountain roads are very nice...

[CocaTertoka 7]

Really good job, i love your region, and your campgrounds look really cool.

[Godzillaman 21]

I suggest getting a rock mod to cover up that ugly crag maxis called rocks...

Everything is so nice and rural. I can't wait to see that main town too

[Skram 4]

nice work your campground is awsome so are your trails!

[2nerdy4u 1]

nice start, but do you really think campers would want to set up on 45 degree slope? and why not try some dirt streets? not trying to be mean and I know how hard it is to start up a cj, but you've done well. in fact much better than my first CJ...

[bighaben 0]

e350tb: Thanks, and thank you for being the first to comment.

edmonton_stinks: Thanks. Unfourtantly I can't take credit for the terraforming, I have a link to the map and the creator in the first post.

suplado!: Thanks, and I'd also like to thank the rotating camera I never used, becuase if it wasn't for that I would never have seen it from those two views, from the view I was using it was very bland.

CocaTertoka: Thanks, yep I orginaly built the main road through there, but thought it look great with some tents and what not and that was the result.

Skram: Thanks, the next update will feature more of those, and have my favirote spot in the entire park.

2nerdy4u: Thanks, and lol, very true, and I actually thought about those tents but didn't really care enough to go and terraform them to perfection.   However I was actually going to put dirt roads in but when I actually got to making the main road I found little places for them, the terrain is very steep.  And since the inspiration is Rocky Mountain National Park, which has dirt roads, but very few I just thought I'd leave them out, for now at least.  I still have future plans for the park.

Thanks for all the posts!

[KUVACHIM 0]

I love the winding roads, tents, it is all very good. I cannot wait to see how this developes!

[Cockatoo 2,256]

For your first CJ it's actually not that bad. I'd suggest you get some custom water, tree, terrain and rock face mods to add to the realism of the national park area. Also always make sure you've got the pause off when you take pictures for your CJ, the yellow thing is really annoying (Or download this). Hope to see you do more.

[penguin007 27]

Your region looks excellent and the start looks like it has got great potential

Will

[Jman47 0]

Very good for your first cj, hope to see more soon!

[bighaben 0]

KUVACHIM: Thanks, and hopefully I'll get some ideas so the readers can help too.

*****atoo-210893: Thanks.  I actually do have a custom water mod, I think it's the edmonton one, as for the tree, terrain, and rock mods I had downloaded some things but for some reason none seem to have worked, so I'll look into it.  And whoops, good suggestion.  I didn't even notice the pause thing.

penguin007: Thanks, hopefully the next update will live up to the first.

Jman47: Thanks, and with that I'd like to announce...

My next update should be done by tonight, I just need to go in and take a few pictures, and maybe create a little map.  I Thank you all for reading so far, and for all the really nice comments.

[Schulmanator 5,787]

You are off to a nice start thus far. And, welcome to the world of CJs.

[bighaben 0]

Schulmanator: Thank you, and it's a fun world so far.  Also, love the avi.

NEXT UPDATE:

Now we're in a completely different area, in fact no even part of Shooting Mountains National Park.  This is in Marble Range National Forest, which means to get to this amazing stop, all you need is a vehicle and some empty pockets.  It's all free, including the exciting days hike to the bottom of the cliff to the bay.

This is the South Entrance to Shooting Mountains National Park, not as glamrous as it is far out of the way.

Despite the south entrance being more secluded it is by far the more exciting way to explore the park.  Following the entrance road you'll eventually reach here, from any of the trail heads here it's a long day hike to any of the parks major attractions.

Now that we're ready to explore the cities in the region I though I'd throw out a transit map to aid us along our journey.

Route 7 runs along the south there, and that's where the South Entrance is, we'll start in Marble, a small village where Route 7 and Route 3 meet.  Route 3 runs from South to North and eventually meets Kent to the far North and shoots off the map.

Marble is small and pretty useless now, but they have deeper pockets then most would imagine and a heart to draw tourists so every Friday night the heads of the city board meet in dark cellar and make up plans for the cities future.  For now though it's just a commercial center in a rural area.

Now we travel far north towards Kent.  Kent lies directly north of the North Entrance to the park (What we explored yesterday) and has profited nicely from its location.  Developing a small downtown and attracting nearly 6,000 residents.

Hotels and businesses profit off the less worthy hikers who may not be inclined to spend a night in the wilderness.

However Kent is small and just a mile from the city center, near the border of the county and where Route 3 heads off North to wherever farmland rules again.

I actually have another update nearly ready I'll wait a bit for that, perhaps tomorrow or later tonight.  Thanks for reading.

[SCkid 0]

Looks really nice! can't wait to see it turn into a big city!

[2nerdy4u 1]

Nice region shot. Great work!

[Skram 4]

Looks great good use of Simgoobers lots!

[penguin007 27]

nice update cant wait for more

Will

[bbfan02 23]

Very nice use of some of Simgoober's lots. Can't wait for next update!

-bbfan02-

[bighaben 0]

SCkid: Same here, as I haven't actually developed it into a big city...

2nerdy4u: Thanks, hopefully the development of the city wont' ruin it.

Skram: Thanks, they make so many CJ's more realistic.

penguin007: More shall, come, actually it already has! Corny Joke? Nah...

bbfan02: Thanks, Simgoober makes some darn good lots, makes cities so much more realistic.

NEXT UPDATE:

In a desperate attempt to draw visitors into the national park area, and more specifically, Marble, Marble pushes strongly for the extension of I-57, and after a few months of bickering the governor gets the money and a route is proposed.  It will be a two lane rural high way with only a few exits in Kent, Marble, and the small village of Maple.

Finally, construction begins after months of waiting.

And then construction finishes.  Drainage ditches are needed under the highway to prevent unneeded flooding from spring melt.

And, to everyone's relief Marble profits nicely from the expansion, and houses and business grow around the city, doubling its population.  And then someone gets an idea to draw more tourists to Marble.

A world class golf course! This million dollar golf course is a members only course and hosts a PGA tour event in mid July, the only time the weather is considered suitable for a PGA tournament.  Even though the roads are built the city board feels it's too soon to sell lots around the golf course as desirability in the area is still a tad low.

The course is a huge successes.  Known for it's immense difficulty and beauty it is voted number #1 in Golf Monthly "Best New Golf Courses of the Year" list.

The courses signature holes are the grueling Hole 17, and 18.  Hole 17 starts high, and is a par 4.  Despite this the high hill where the tee box sits causes many pros to over shoot the green causing a nasty shot back to the green, and wrecking chances of winning.  The 18th is worse however, as a steep hill to the fairway causes many pros to take two shoots to the green, despite it being a par 3.  A shot too far right will find water.  Many call it the worst hole in golf, and a petition is being signed to change it.

Thanks for reading, and please keep the comments coming, sorry about the long wait, I got caught up in something last night, and found myself working all day today.

[Skram 4]

nice update the golf corse looks great

[2nerdy4u 1]

nice golf course. looks like it'll be bringing in tons of demand.

[edmonton_stinks 5]

Ooh! Perhaps the golf course can bring in the wealthies and their huge corporations. I see big things for Marble. There will be those really really really upscale type stores, and they'll say

New York/Paris/Marble

That's how big and important Marble will get!

Or not, whatever.

[bighaben 0]

Skram: Thanks, I love all those little sets that let you custom build things.

2nerdy4u: Thanks, yeah, only rich farts which the locals despise...for now at least.

edmonton_stinks:  I wouldn't want to live in marble in twenty years that's for sure.

NEXT UPDATE:

The expansion of I-57 allows the city to expand outside its original boundaries.

With demand in the city dwindling, and the tourists deciding that Marble is more of a stop along the way the city board authorizes the building of a small municipal airport so pilots can explore Shooting Mountains National Park from the air, Kent is furious as they don't have room in their city for an airport.

An updated transit map showing the new I-57, and airport, as well as the expanding Marble, though changes look small here, they are big in Marble, now comparable in size to Kent, just more spread out.

Even with the airport the city starts losing its fight to draw in residents and tourists, the city board, now four mayors after all the projects started are straining for more idea, but none come until someone finds something in an unrespectable farmers backyard.

Oil!

Sorry 'bout the short update but I don't have much time right now.

[penguin007 27]

Nice drainage ditches and the last update is good

Will

[jacqulina 162]

wonderfull work my friend looking great so far

[sc4portugal 10]

Great CJ really beautiful.

[2nerdy4u 1]

Nice region shot, but the rail in the last pic looks kinda bumpy... me not like bumpiness...

Overall, good work.