The Oregon Trail #game @GoliathGamesUS Review

We've had many snow days this year. We refused to let our boys play video games and watch movies all day, every day.

Instead they typed up stories for a writing contest that the library puts on every year, and played board games. 

One fun pick: The Oregon Trail Game.

It took us two trial runs before we understood the game totally. Once we got it, it was so easy! 

The video on Pressman's site made it easier to set up and understand.

Game Pieces:

• 1 Game Board

• 48 Trail Tiles
• 32 Coins

• 1 Die

• 1 Hunting Stand
• Cards: 25 Hunting, 56 Calamities, 8 Wagon Upgrades, 8 Market Pieces

• 50 Small Supplies: 12 Pistols, 10 Compasses, 10 Medicine, 40 Meat

• 20 Large Supplies: 4 Shotguns, 6 Wagon Parts, 6 Winter Clothes, 4 Hitchhikers

• Player Pieces: 4 Wagons, 4 Boards, 4 Purple Family Members, 4 Yellow Family Members, 4 Red Family Members, 4 Blue Family Members

• Complete Instructions and Game Cards

Game Description:
 It's a survival game.

It’s 1844: You and your family have joined a wagon train in Independence, MO that is about to head to Willamette Valley to find your fortune in the West! Players will place tiles to discover the trails, rivers, forts, and towns ahead of them that they will move through to this new land. This scenic journey would almost be perfect… if it wasn’t for the disease, drowning, rattlesnakes and other hazards that will plague you along the way. You’ll need to hunt for food to avoid starvation, and with limited wagon space, you may need to choose between supplies and family members to keep moving along the trail. Until, eventually, you find yourself safe, in Willamette Valley. Relive your fond memories of one of the world’s most beloved computer games as you race your friends to victory in “The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley.”

Players:

This game is for 2 to 4 players. It's for ages 14 and up, although Isaak is 10 1/2, and seemed to grasp the game.

Set Up:
  Mica watched the video, and set the game up. There are a lot of pieces. I can certainly understand why it's for ages 14 and up.

I had Dad join the boys to play a third game. Mica likes to make up rules, or change them to fit his best interest.

The look on Isaak's face says it all. Mica kept changing the rules to the game.

I stopped playing to make dinner. They are so funny to listen to!

Isaak: Aunt Angie would have died in the beginning of the game! There’s no room, for vegetarians.

Travis: You mean there’s no cannibalism? Back in the day they ate people when they were desperate!

Mica: Broke Out in Song, “Feed my family! I got some brothers and sisters with me!”

The card in the front of each player tells you the steps, so you don't forget anything. It's important to follow the steps. That's what we had problems with, with Mica. He forgot to do certain things, and wanted to go back to do them. We already had trial runs, so he knew how to play. Even though Isaak's younger he followed the rules pretty well. He did get sad when his people didn't get fed because he was out of money. That's kind of how the game works though. 

Overall it was fun! It wasn't a short, or long game. It did seem long because we played it 3 times. They got one game played in the time it took me to make dinner, and serve it. Probably about an hour. I did hear a lot of laughing. It was nostalgic for me. I used to play the game in grade school, on the computer. Travis never played it. He had a limited childhood. Ha!

Where to get it? 

Pick up this game at Target for $39.99.

Have you played any version of The Oregon Trail? 

Disclaimer: Pressmen sent me this game to help with this review. They in no way influenced what I wrote, or my opinions.

WW: Loose Park {Linky}

We didn't go all over Loose Park. We walked just enough to stretch our legs.

The Park:

At 75-acres, Jacob L. Loose Park is one of Kansas City’s most popular, beautiful and historical. It's known locally as being a major site for the Battle of Westport where Confederate forces were routed by Union forces in the area in which the park is now located. It is estimated that 29,000 people were involved in the battle. The property at that time was owned by William Bent, a man who led wagon trains and traded with the Native Americans.

History:

Seth Ward bought the property in 1871 after William Bent’s death. In 1896 a group of people, many of whom had been members of the golf club near Hyde Park, incorporated the Kansas City Country Club and signed a lease with Seth Ward to use part of his property as a golf course for $1 a year plus taxes. The property included what is now Loose Park and was used as a golf course until 1927. In 1926, Ella Loose bought the property from the Hugh Ward estate (the son of Seth Ward) so that it could be made into a park to honor her husband, Jacob Loose. She gave the property to the city in 1927. Jacob Loose founded the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company, which produced Sunshine Biscuits and other products. He passed away in 1923.

We Love the Cactus Garden! 

Kansas City, Missouri is only 2 1/2 hours from Omaha, Nebraska where we live. It's a zone hotter. Some things we can grow that they have, while other things we can't.

Do you have a favorite park where you live? 

WW: Hiking in Branson, Missouri {Linky}

We wanted to something out in nature during our trip to Branson. We already spent a lot in Silver Dollar City, and didn't really want to spend a ton of money for another activity.

Hiking it was. Missouri is more hilly than Nebraska. We also saw 2 lizards, those we wouldn't see in Nebraska at all. They were too fast and hidden to get good photos of. It was still neat-o to see lizards!

More than anything I just wanted to get away from the city life for a few hours.

Up in the trees:

My boys hiking away:

They're always waiting on my to take pictures.

I find likens, mushrooms and moss interesting:

It's like natures shelving system! I think my favorite nature photo is the picture to the right under this line of type.

It almost looks like someone took red thread to this tree:

Moss on a dead tree:

I don't think I'd try eating these mushrooms:

Rocks that are different from Nebraska:

Missouri is the cave state. They had a grouping of rocks that was an overhang. Not really a cave, but still cave like.

Nature's stage:

Us! I got more photos, but Mica's into putting a creepy face on just for giggles! 

No creepy faces with either boy here though:

Me, "Smile Mica!"

I've never seen anything like this caterpillar in Nebraska either:

What about you? When you're in a busy tourist type place do you feel the need to get away from it all like I do?

Silver Dollar City

I was not prepared for the cost of Silver Dollar City! Adults: $58.04 and Children 11 and under: $46.21. We should have gone to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City! A 2 day ticket at Worlds of Fun is cheaper than a 1 day ticket at Silver Dollar City. I felt jipped. Especially when they wouldn't take our card that was supposed to save us money for places in Branson.

After spending over $200, I knew I just needed to get over it, and have fun. It's the place Travis had memories going to when he was a kid. I knew the boys would have memories.

Words of Advices:

• Bring food in a backpack, or cooler lunch bag. Fill a cooler for the car with food. You can leave, and come back into the park with tickets. Cars are parked a ways away, but they do have shuttles that go back and forth. 

• Bring a fanny pack. I have one, but it was in Omaha, Nebraska - at home. 

Let's Talk Rides:

I'll go on water rides. I really enjoy the raft one because we're all together, can talk, and we don't know who will get wet.

I won't go on roller coasters. The boys went on three different ones.

After a few roller coaster rides the boys wouldn't shut up about me joining them on some. Even Travis joined in with them. I said, "Absolutely not! I went on them as a kid. I didn't like them then. I most certainly won't like them now!" I was starting to get pissed. Here I spent a bunch of money, and now I was being pressured into going on something I didn't want to go on. They begged and pleaded. I stood my ground.

I started talking to a family that was waiting for their family to get done. They understood me. It's sad when complete strangers gets you, but your own family doesn't even try.

One lady said, "The lookout part isn't any better than the coaster!" I could see her point. It was high up, and not sturdy. At least it wasn't jerking you around up and down hills!

A little boy sat there. I said, "Have you gone on this?" He said, "Never again!" He said it was way more than he could handle. He felt sorry for any kid that went on it.

A 18 month old cried every time the roller coaster took off. It was a loud plunging noise, and a fire showed up. I felt for him!

I waited about 4 times for my family. Keep in mind that with roller coasters I feel like the car could roll on off the track. I pictured my family leaving me each and every time they went on. Not so fun!

I didn't think things could get worse, oh but they could. I waited in line for the train ride around the park. I said, "Go on that roller coaster that you missed going on. I'll wait in line."

I texted Travis: Line is moving fast now. I hope you're coming. 

Travis texted back: It was such a fast line. We went again. 

I texted again 5 minutes later: Ok so I'm letting other people go ahead of me in line because you're not here. I don't know how long I can do this!

Finally he got there even 5 more minutes later. I was super annoyed!

When it was time to leave we were in a hurry. We had reservations for a magic show, and still needed to eat dinner. I was thinking, We wouldn't be in a hurry had you come to the train line after one ride on that last roller coaster. 

I said, "Let's take a shuttle." Well none of us paid attention where we parked. We walked up to the park. I was only guessing as to what shuttle took us where we needed to go. It took us closer to the car than if we walked, but farther than where our car actually was.

Travis said, "See if we would have walked..." I said, "We are walking. The shuttle just took us most of the way to our car." I was fuming mad by that time. Of course they were all wondering why I was mad.

What rides do you like to go on? Have you ever have a vacation that is perfect, and no one has fought? 

Branson, Missouri

Branson, Missouri is a tourist trap type place. Most everything costs money.

I didn't really do my research before we headed down there on Labor Day weekend.

Perks: The hotel stay is cheep. Most are only $100 a night.

Negatives: Traffic is crappy bumper to bumper. It could be because it was Labor Day weekend. Most things are going to cost!

This is what we did: 

• We spent an evening at Ripley's Believe It, or Not! Museum

• We spent most of a day at Silver Dollar City

• We spent another evening at Hamners' Unbelievable Magic and Variety Show

• We went hiking all one morning

• We got a family photo taken at TNT Old Time Photo

• We went swimming, and dipped in the hot tub

Other things we did:

• We Stopped at Osceola Cheese

• We had lunch with our niece in Kansas City at Vietnam Cafe

Things we wish we did:

• Go to a winery. One place had free tours, but were done giving tours by the time we got there at 5. They didn't close until 6. We were slightly sad about that. I've just never been in one. Is it bad when I wanted to go to a winery when Travis and I don't even drink? 

• Go horseback riding. Yes it would have cost more. The boys have never been horseback riding, unless you count a horse that goes in circles horseback riding. Every place we called, wouldn't pick up, or were booked. 

• Go go-kart riding. I could have cared less, but the boys would have loved to go.

I told the boys that since we went to Silver Dollar City all day one day, that go-kart riding was out. They were ok with that.

Do you like to vacation at tourist trap type places, or someplace more scenic? I'm more of a scenic person, but I knew the kids would like all the activity.