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Any opportunity to stray off the beaten path, is a good opportunity. This is the area where whimsical fun having can be found, and this week's adventure lies within the old, pixelated computer game of Oregon Trail.
The kids are studying The Westward Expansion. For those of you who might not be familiar with American history, this is was when everyone started to travel west in the 1800's across the country. It was a terribly difficult journey. Many pioneers and their families died of dysontary and cholera. A lot of them drown while trying to cross rivers, and of course there were a lot of accidents. We just read how one poor boy fell from the wagon and his head was crushed by a wheel! I know what you're thinking...the wagons weren't going fast...but I guess it's harder than you think to stop 12 oxen in a hurry.
I'm genuinely surprised so many people actually made it, but I guess the promise of land and potential gold is enough to drive a lot of people.
Well, with all of this talk about going West, I very fond memory popped into my head. When I was young we played a computer game called Oregon Trail. It was like a role playing game where you named your characters, bought supplies, and headed west on the infamous trail and tested your luck!
It was fun and ridiculous as the scenerios you faced hardly ever went in your favor. I think my character died a few minutes in, and I had to sit there while the rest of my class trickled off.
So of course, I was soooo tickled pink when I Googled it and found a version my kids could play! Of course, they're much older than I was, but come on...who doesn't like a good fun challenge full of death and disease!?
I tried it out first, while the kids were busy writing journal entries, and I couldn't keep my crap together. It was just like I remembered, and soon enough I had everyone derailed.
I had chosen to be a farmer without a lot of thought. Turns out, that was the worst option. I only had $400 to make the journey, and I also didn't buy and food. I thought maybe my family packed some from home? Haha nope.
As the trail continued, my stats kept going down, and sickness ran like wildfire!
I was pretty proud of myself for crossing all the rivers with success. If you're wondering, I chose the option to float the wagon instead of trying to walk the oxen. Keep that in your back pocket for when you play.
However, in the end, I didn't make it.
After I was done, the kids jumped on the computer. It cracked them up that everything was so pixelated, and I think they enjoyed the bit of nostalgia. I would say it was a definite hit...they played it for the rest of the day...and again the next. Unlike me, they managed to each make it to Oregon at least once. They did face wagon fires, lost children (literally their kids were lost somewhere along the trail), more disease, exhaustion, wrecks and drowning.
If it was really like this...man...how did they do it? How is anyone living west of the Mississippi before there were cars?
So, I would like to end this post with a big shout out to our ancestors brave enough to make the journey!
Thank you for sharing this with me!
Much love,
Stacie D
Much love,
Stacie D
What a great read. Great "hands on" experience and not really having to through dysentery. Gave me a smile
Haha you captured the whole experience! I'm glad it made you smile!
Classic game...I remember playing that one too!! I don't think I ever remember making it. Well now I can try again!
Haha yes!
I like to get off the beaten path when I can and used to play games and remember when everything was pixelated, but these days I like to stay by the fire and write stories...
Ahhhh fires and story writing...it sounds so comforting! That is write up my alley!
Holy crap, I remember playing that! Now I feel super old. LMAO
Haha right?! 90's for the win! You should play it with your kids haha
Nice post, perhaps I should give the game a go!!
Thank you! You definitely should! See how long you make it haha
I loved that game! There is also a card game with the same name that is just as fun. It's a multiplayer, semi-cooperative game in that if one person makes it to Oregon, everyone wins. We've usually lost (dysentry gets me all the time) but it's a lot of fun! The game, that is; not dysentry.
Your comment literally made me laugh out loud! When I googled originally searching for the game, I saw that and wondered if it would be as much fun. If we ever get the chance, I think we should try it!
Absolutely you should! It's a hoot. Now that you've got me thinking about it, I've actually sent one of my boys to hunt down our copy to play tonight.
Haha that's awesome!
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This was so fun to read lol. I never got to play that game but it seems it delivers the message loud and clear. Traveling west in those times was a fun suicide :D
Haha fun suicide! Nailed it! I'm glad it was a fun read. I was slightly concerned people might take it wrong...there are still diseases that people are effected by, so I'm so relieved you got what I was going after!
haha the games we did can't compare anything to what they make now :)
So true! I wish they would make it with today's graphics...can you imagine?!
I have never been a great fan of history to be honest, but I will say this... I think you are a fantastic mom! - maybe not so much a gamer haha... but motherhood trumps that a million times anyway and in a world where so many kids grow up with absent parents you are a frikkin ROCKSTAR!!!! xoxoxo
Thank you so much! Sometimes I lose perspective, and I worry that I'm not doing enough. So this was so nice to hear! 💓
Indeed a blast from past, it does bring back many good memories
This post has been appreciated and featured in daily quality content rewards. Keep up the good work.
I'm glad it brought back good memories, and thank you so much for your appreciation!
This is a neat way to educate. I remember playing that game years ago and loved it. I even gave it a go more recently when someone else I follow, @nonameslefttouse posted about it. I'm sorry to hear that Lynda died. Bad stuff happens I guess.
You spelt homeschool wrong in your tag.
Haha thank you for your condolences. I will have to check out their post!
Also...thank you for letting me know it was spelled wrong. It kind of feels like when someone tells you that you have a booger in your nose...it's a necessary embarrassment 😂
Lol thanks for that image.
Sometimes I spell my first tag incorrectly and that one cannot be changed because of the permalink. @brittandjosie wrote a great post about tagging the other day and I've been paying a lot of attention to them recently.
@freedomtowrite you now have 8 tags to use aswell you might want to add coin or tribes tags to
@abitcoinsceptic thanks for the shoutout gonna have to repeat the blog to little people saw it
Really @brittandjosie? 8 tags on Steemit??
My kids used to play that game all the time! I know they all enjoyed it very much.
Haha I love it! It really brought back memories from a far away time.