With all of the movies and television shows coming out to Jordan to film, I can see how people would think that the country is nothing more than a vast dessert landscape. It surprises people when they find out that there is a little bit of diversity to the country, and one of the places that holds this feeling is just an hour drive north of Amman, a tiny resort called Mountain Breeze.
The resort feels more like something that could be found in the mountains of Colorado or Oregon rather than the dry desert landscape of Jordan. There are ten cabins that are comfortably situated on the hillside overlooking the valley below. They each have a big patio, comfortable beds, and nice bathroom. Most of the time, it only takes opening the windows of the cabin, and turning on the ceiling fan to keep them cool, but for on those hot summer days, each unit comes with air conditioning. They are also far enough away from each other to isolate the noise that can be created from other visitors to the resort.
Despite the restaurant, a poolside bar, and a full restaurant on the grounds of the resort, there are many other activities to while away any vacation day. There is a large playground for kids with many swings and things to climb on. They have a paintball arena, and a place to show your ability at archery. You could always choose to relax next to the pool, or dip into the water if things get a little too warm. Mountain Breeze even boasts having a conference room that could easily be converted into a ballroom for your business or marriage needs. Considering that there are only ten cabins on the grounds, none of these places feel very busy, even though for 30JD people can come up from Amman and use the facilities during the day.
If you feel a little adventurous, you can take the quick stroll down to the 500 year old tree where they built a treehouse. The hike itself is not long, taking about only ten to fifteen minutes to get down to the tree. The walk is all downhill, so it does take a little longer to get back, but the end of the voyage is the pool, so a dip in the cool water can always be used as an incentive. The treehouse itself is a nice place for a reprieve. When we went, we were down there by ourselves, and there were plenty of places where we could have picnicked or just sat under the tree to read a book.
Mountain Breeze plays up the American feel of being out in the mountains by adding things like a animal petting park that includes chickens, roosters, and ponies. They even have fire pits out in front of each of the cabins where they will light a fire for you and supply you with a bag of marshmallows. I was a little disappointed that they did not also include graham crackers and chocolate so I could enjoy the whole s’mores experience, but it was still fun to roast marshmallows around a campfire.
The place also boasts a bunch of cats that roam all over the grounds as well. They are wild cats, but like all cats in Jordan, they are also friendly. Of course, you will have to keep a close eye on your food because they will take any opportunity to sneak a bite if you happen to look away, but they also supply great moments while staying at the resort. One night while sitting in the bar, a mother cat kept bringing her baby kittens over to us to show them off. We thought she might be trying to pass them off to us, but when we came over to pet them, she got defensive. It made for a very entertaining evening.
Mountain Breeze is one of those hidden gems that I am surprised took me so long to find while living out here. It is the perfect getaway if you are living in the country because it is dramatically different enough from any other place in the country that it makes you feel like you are no longer in the country. It is also a great place to visit if you are traveling around the country. It is placed nicely in-between a lot of the more exciting places in Jordan that it would make the perfect home base if you found yourself in the region. I loved my time at Mountain Breeze and I hope to make it back out there again before I leave the country.
Ever since I got the game Log Shot, there have been times where I am sitting around with my friends, and someone now asks if we can race horses. I know exactly what they mean even though they never seem to be able to remember the name of the game in which we race horses. It is a forgivable mistake because once we start playing the game, we get so lost in what is going on that we never bother to look back at the box where the name of the game is, and get more excited about which horse is going to win. It has gotten so fun that it has now become a frequent companion of mine when I go to the pub because the more people that come and play the game, the more exciting the game becomes. It has become a game that gets to the table often and I have not complaints with ever buying it.
So what makes this game so great? Why is a it a hit with so many people? Why should you consider getting this game to add to your collection? Well, here is my review of Long Shot to answer all of these questions and maybe a few others you might have concerning this roll and write pub game designed by Chris Handy that has brought me so much pleasure.
THEME
You find yourself at the horse track with twelve bucks in your hand and two tickets for two of the horses before the races begin. This is when the race begins, and while it is going on there are a lot of choices that can be made along the way that will manipulate the end result of the race. What appears to be a simple horse racing game really starts to shine because Chris Handy made the focus of the game on the gamblers and not the horse racers. The atmosphere really starts to shine the bigger the group gets when playing the game, and I really start to take on the role of the gambler as I get excited with each roll of the dice. It is so much fun that I find myself drawn to watching the game even when I am not playing the game.
Rating – 10
GAMEPLAY
Long Shot can trace its heritage back to Yahtzee, but this is more exciting than the game that sits on the back shelf of your childhood home. It is one of many roll and writes that can be found now-a-days in game shops, but this one is unique in its game play that it stands out among the others. Each person on their turn rolls two dice, one eight-sided and one special six-sided. The eight-sided die decides which horse moves forward on the track, and the six-sided decides how far that horse moves, but the numbers only go up to three on that die with more ones than twos or threes. It sounds pretty simple and it becomes a race game that you would play when you were just learning how to play games to learn your numbers, but then the choice comes in and it complicates the race.
Every player has a wipe board in front of them, and based on the eight-sided die’s roll, they have five choices of what to do with that number. The first thing they can do is buy a horse. If that horse gets first, second, or third place, the owner makes money. They can also take a jersey action. They can mark one of the other numbers on the horse whose number was rolled. By doing this, every time that number is rolled, the numbers with the marks move forward one as well. There is also the option of placing up to a three dollars bet on the horse’s number who was rolled. This needs to happen before the horse crosses the red line on the track because after that no more bets can be placed on the horse. This is unless someone takes the helmet action which allows them to bet on the horse at any time before it crosses the finish line. The last action that a person can perform involves a matrix that opens up many new tricks that manipulates the race. Each of these decisions leads to a path that might make any player the most successful gambler in the game, but depending on which horse crosses the line, first, second, and third, it could also bring about their demise. It is these choices that keep this game fun and exciting until the final moments of the race.
Rating – 9
ARTWORK
After the horses are allowed out of the gate, there is an absurdity to every race that is run in this game. If Clau Souza came in and designed the art around a realistic approach to a racetrack, I do not think that this game would have the same appeal. The cartoony jockeys and horses add to the absurdity of the race as it takes place.
Each of the cards that are given to each of the players also adds to the fun. It does make you feel like you are standing in the crowded bleachers looking down at the horses as they race around the track. Also the laminated card was a nice addition because it allowed for the fun of erasing marks and adding them to the matrix that is in front of you. There is something satisfying about this approach to a roll and write game, and it cuts down on the waste that can sometimes be found with these games.
When I first saw the race track, I was a little disappointed. I couldn’t wrap my head around how to keep all of the horses on the track and make them fit. It looked too bare and something that was rushed just so there could be a track that the horses could run on. This quickly changed after the first race. As soon as the horses spread out over the track, the race came to life, and what was bare and uninteresting instantly became exciting to watch. It add to the flavor of the excitement of the race, and it just showed how all the pieces came together in harmony to create a fun game.
Rating – 10
INTERACTIVITY
I first got the game because I was going to be traveling with a group of six, and I thought this would be the perfect travel game. I was a little worried about the higher player count because of having to wait for your turn. Unfortunately, the travel that I was hoping to get out of the game did not happen, but I did get to play it at two and four player count. Oddly, I found that when more people played the game the more exciting it got, and the more people cheered for the individual horses. This is when I decided to bring it to the pub with me one night, and we ended up playing with eight people. This was when the game really sang. Everybody was excited about their turn, and were so engaged in what was happening on the tiny board that I was surprised that a game that was not a party game could work so well on a higher player count. It didn’t hurt that we had a waiter constantly bringing us more beer, but despite this fact, it has become my favorite pub game, and accompanies me a lot when we go out for a beer or two.
Rating – 10
EXPANSIONS
I am a sucker for expansions. It allows a game to find new life if I start to get bored with it. Most of the time they add new rules to add to the complexity of the game, and Long Shot is no exception. There are four more sets of horse cards to mix up what can happen in any given game, and then there is also a Track Events expansion. The horse sets do add a little change to the game, but I am completely satisfied with the three sets that come with the game, and I have not even come close to becoming bored with them after multiple game plays. The Track Events expansion adds one more choice that players can take per die role, and there are eight different ones. I will be honest that I have not come to play any of these as well. I have not found a reason to play them. The base game works so well that I do not feel the need to add to the complexity of the game. It would also make teaching the game, which I find I do a lot, also a little more difficult. There is already enough choice in the game that I do not think that I would need to add more. In other words, I am sure that the expansions are fine, but the base game is so great that I do not think that it is necessary to buy more to enhance an already perfect game.
They do allow you to buy all of the expansions together in one large pack, or if you just one of the various horse sets or the Track Events expansion, you can get them separately for a reasonable price. It is nice to know that these expansions are out there, and I might get around to purchasing them someday. I just am not there yet. I am enjoying the game too much in its original inception.
Rating – 6
OVERALL
I absolutely love, Long Shot: The Dice Game. I am excited every time that I get to bring it out to the table, and I have yet to meet someone who has not enjoyed it as well. It is an easy game to learn how to play, and easy game to teach. The learning curve is so simple that anybody can win the first time they play, but it is thinky enough that you do not feel as if you are being cheated if you lose. It encapsulates what it would be like to go to the horse races as each running of the horses brings to life the excitement of that moment without having to lose real money when you lose. The more people you bring into the game, the more exciting it gets, and it will always have a place on my shelf. This could be the most fun I have ever had playing a roll and write game with a group of people.
Rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars.
(This rating reflects my feelings about the expansions being unnecessary. I will come back a revisit this some day as I am planning to add the expansions to my collection in December. The game is great. Go get it today.)
It feels as if summer has just begun, And I am already hearing whispers Of shorter days and a cold fading sun When the air nibbles a little crisper. I do not wish to stay outside as long, At least not without a fluffy sweater, For the north wind blows a little too strong, And next to a wood stove would feel better. There’s something about the change in the air That makes me feel a wee bit nostalgic For a time when I did not have a care, And joy was based upon youthful logic. I do not know which days I long for more Because both are a shutting of a door.
I need to leave the world I know behind And though it is only for a short time, Upon my return, I will start to find That I do not come back to the same clime. Though it may appear vey much the same, I will discover when I dig deeper That a friend will have a new face and name, And the happening place, now’s a sleeper. What became of this place while I was gone? Who is responsible for all the change? Will I always long for the days of yon When the place I came from was not so strange? My fate at my home is to be alone When I am the one who has never grown.
Have we lost all originality? Can we no longer tell a new story? You create what you think we want to see, A re-skinning of an old property. When that does not draw in the wanted crowd, You will just go with the trusted sequel, A watered down original, but proud, That will get all the fan boys to squeal. It is our money that you want to grab, And you do not care about the true art. Instead of taking a creative stab, You keep churning out the crap without heart. Do not claim it’s the death of the theater When you put out another repeater.
This is the last time we will wind the clock, And we can watch it tick down ’til it stops. The face reports the final time in lock Being one of remembrance’s props. Until that moment, we’ll ignore the tick That reminds us of the limited time. Instead, we will play on our ears, a trick Of covering sound with a happy chime. No matter how much noise that we can make, The reminder will hover in our mind Because time holds all the power to take, Leaving only out memories behind. Let’s make the most out of each passing tock By not paying attention to that clock.
The afternoon is starting to wind down As the sun gets reflected in the pond, Dancing off, its sparkles will never drown Until it sets, breaking its final bond. I find a park bench somewhere in the shade Where I open up the weight of a story, Losing myself in the action that’s played, Consuming its theme in all its glory. Couples holding hands enjoy their own tale, Believing the curtain will never close. I hope that the comedy will prevail Just as the breeze over the still pond blows. You could not ask for a more perfect night, The ones filled with a summer-like delight.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite times of the year was the last day of school. The feeling of freedom that came from that moment was exciting. I did not know what adventures the summer months held while the plans I made to make sure that I got the most out of my time were often ambitious and could never be accomplished. I am sure that many students have felt the same way that I did, and this is the reason that summer still holds a special place in our hearts still today.
Oddly enough, another of my favorite times of the year came at the end of the summer when I would return back to school. The ambitions of summer would never come to fruition, and though the imposing thought of sitting in a school desk loomed ever larger on the horizon, I would welcome those moments with the same kind of excitement that I had at the beginning of the summer. I don’t know why I got excited about both of these opposing moments of a young man’s year, but I did. It might have had something to do with a change of pace and being ready to take on the challenges that that change presented to me.
When I grew older and graduated from college, I joined the working class, and soon realized that this feeling that came from the beginning and end of summer did not hold as much significance. I was no longer given that time off, and the daily grind of my work life just continued on with the difference being that the days were now hotter and I did not want to go outside. In fact, I started to dread this time of the year because of this. It was the fall and spring months that started to get me excited about the world around me, and once again it might have been because the demonstrated a time of change instead of the same old boring routine.
Of course, all of this changed since I have gone back to academia, and have taken a job as a teacher. The joy that I used to feel at the beginning of summer once again returned. There was a similar reason to it, but the main one being that I could unwind from a busy school year so I could be ready for the next one. Of course, there have always been big plans for the summer, but my ambition switched from getting the most out of my time to finding a place where I could relax and just take in the time that was given to me.
Summer became even more exciting when I took my talents and started teaching internationally. When I was working as a teacher in the States, we always took a couple of weeks to travel to the Pacific Northwest to visit family, and every once in a while, we went off of the beaten path that we always took to explore other parts of the United States. Though I still come back to the United States every summer to visit family, I get the opportunity to take a couple of weeks at the beginning or end of the summer to explore a corner of the world that I have never seen before. I would have never thought that when the ambition of my youth was combined with adulthood, I would be able to accomplish those goals that I set out to do at the beginning of the summer. At the same time, it would also be the relaxation I would need to be able to get back in front of the class and have the energy to teach for one more year.
Now that we have reached the month of August and the joys of summer are starting to wind down, do I still feel the same sense of excitement that I did in my younger days for the beginning of school? Yes, of course I do. It is that sense of change that I seem to love so much except it is a little different now than when I was a student. I do enjoy getting back to my home after a long time away, and being able to see all of my friends again. I also like no longer having to live out of suitcase, and having my own space again.
I love all of the travels I have been able to experience this summer, and I appreciate you coming along for the ride. I also enjoy having that time to be able to spend with family and friends as I think of it as one of the most important things we can do as people. That is where the joy of life truly comes. But as they say in the real world, it is time pay the bills. It is time to get back to work. I am just lucky that I enjoy my job and it gives me time to have a lifestyle like the one that I have.
So as I close the door on another summer, I am glad to take this moment of reflection and look at all of the places I have been and the people I have seen. I look forward to my next adventure though it may be a little ways away. I hope that you can join me for it when that time comes along.
I know that I usually do not talk about hotels on my voyages. That is because I usually do not spend a lot of time in the hotel, so I generally do not stay in the fanciest of places, so I do not think that you would be interested in what I have to say about them. This was not the case when I stayed at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon. The hotel might not be as luxurious as some of the more modern hotels out there, but considering it was built in 1904 and is still considered one of the more luxurious hotels in Oregon, it is worth talking about.
The most impressive aspect of the hotel is that it sits on a tree filled cliff overlooking the Columbia River with many places to settle down and enjoy the views. Hood River is known as the world’s windsurfing capitol, so while sitting out and enjoying the views, you can watch people on the river participating in this activity. It does get hot there during the summertime, but there is a constant breeze blowing down the gorge that makes sitting in the shade pleasant during most times during the day.
The grounds have their own particular charm. On the back side of the hotel there are forested grounds that feature a waterfall; whereas, the front of the hotel has more well-maintained grounds that could be used for weddings. These include things such as a dance floor, a stone structure that would be perfect for pictures, and even a bocci ball pit and a horseshoe lawn.
The rooms are not as modern as you might find in other hotels, but they are still very comfortable with amazing views of the Columbia Gorge. It also offers all of the modern conveniences that you expected from a hotel with a huge closet, a big bathroom, and a refrigerator. You won’t even have to leave the hotel for dinner and breakfast because the hotel has a great restaurant. Many people who do not even stay at the hotel come to the place just to eat the great food and enjoy the views at the restaurant.
It is not often that I talk about a hotel. Most of the time, for me, a hotel is just a place to drop my stuff off while I am exploring the world. Every once in a while there is a hotel that is a destination in itself, and the Columbia Gorge Hotel is such a place. I am glad that I spent a day there hanging out.
Until next time, continue to find those special places for yourself.
It is strange that I spend so much time looking for the big tourist destinations around the world, but as soon as I get back to the United States, I don’t even think about looking for them. What is even more strange is that when I am back in the United States, I am usually in Colorado, and Oregon, two of the states where there are so many natural wonders to visit that people come from all over the world to check them out. Well, I made an effort to go and see one of these wonders while I was in Oregon this summer, Multnomah Falls.
Multnomah Falls is a 600 foot waterfall in the Columbia Gorge about an hour’s drive down I-84 from Portland. It is absolutely amazing, and one of the easiest sights in the world to get to. There is a quick pull out from the highway, and then a fifteen minute walk to view this impressive sight. It is a wonder that I have not stopped before this trip with all of the times I have driven by it.
The parking lot has limited space, and you do need to reserve a space before you go. This is not too difficult even during the more congested times late in the morning and early in the afternoon. The parking spot is supposed to last for only an hour, but I did not see anybody checking to make sure that you did not abuse this, so I do not know how strictly they follow this rule. And even if you take the mile hike all the way to the top of the falls, you should not need more than an hour to explore all that this sight has to offer. It costs only two dollars to park as well, and that is per car, and not person, so it is really worth the price. I also do not feel bad paying that knowing the money goes towards maintaining the path and sight to make it beautiful for everybody that comes to visit.
It is a great stop on a section of highway that is filled with amazing views and quirky little towns. I will warn you that it gets pretty busy during the peak hours, but if you plan to arrive early in the morning or later in the afternoon the crowds aren’t as big, and you have more of the feeling that the place is all yours. I am glad that I have finally made it out to this spot, and I will continue to find other great spots for you to visit.
Until next time, keep exploring, and see what is out there in the world.
John Collings 