Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

Her Last Promise is the fourth book in the Hanni Winter series and it’s now 1963. Hanni and Freddy are in the middle of a divorce. Renny, Freddy’s wild sister, wants to change the world and Leo - Hanni and Freddy’s son thinks he knows best! Throughout the book, I was rooting for Hanni and I was with her every step of the way as she searched for a way to bring her evil father to justice. She was full of grit and determination and, despite the many obstacles in her way, she kept the end goal in sight. WWII novels are often harrowing, but I found it difficult to read about Hadamar, the Nazi killing facility that the SS operated during the war. How another human being can even have thought about such a facility is beyond me, but as is true of many novels set in this era, it is educational and definitely something we should all be aware of. Her Last Promise is a must-read if you have read the other three books in the series but even if you haven’t and you start with this one, I’ll almost g...

Summary  Thank you if you've managed to read this far and I hope you found at least some of it helpful and interesting. As a quick summary, we booked Hilton hotels (primarily Hampton Inn & Suites) throughout all the time on the actual road, apart from Yellowstone where we chose an independent hotel. We were more than happy with Hilton; choosing the same hotel means you know what you're getting. We had a budget of £150 per night (apart from Yellowstone) so that should give you some idea of what we were getting for our money. Food has always been expensive in Vegas but it seems to have increased, even in the last twelve months. To put this into perspective, we had a Subway in Vegas and for two, foot-long subs it was $46. We had the same in Rexburg and it was $19.  That was just one example, it's easy to spend $50-$70 on breakfast/lunch in a restaurant and upwards of $100 for dinner. We went to Prime at Bellagio on our last night and there wasn't much change from $400....

Day 22 Today is the day we fly back home and a four-hour trip to Denver International Airport. The only benefit to living out of a suitcase for three weeks is not having to pack it all up when you’re ready to come home! We left fairly early (that’s what having eleven hours of sleep does for you)! We stopped off for a spot of breakfast in Cheyenne but didn’t stay too long, as we wanted to be sure we didn’t get stuck in traffic closer to Denver. However, we still made a good time, so we had an hour’s stop in Boulder, about 45 minutes from the airport. We went to Pearl Street Mall, which is the downtown district and full of little boutique shops and restaurants. I would definitely like to spend longer here if we are ever passing in the future. We dropped our car back at the Avis rental park and checked in for our flight around 3.30 pm. Flying Club World has its benefits, and we spent some time in the Admiral’s Club Lounge before our flight. The flight was uneventful, and we landed sa...

Day 21 This morning we drove from Riverton to Casper for our last night in the US. It was only about a two-hour journey so we had decided to make a day of it in Casper and set about searching for things to do. It didn’t take long and first off we made a quick stop at Hell’s Half Acre which is known for its geologic oddity, composed of deep ravines, caves, rock formations and hard-packed eroded earth and apparently Native American tribes used the ravines to drive bison to their deaths during their hunts. Our next stop was Fort Casper Museum and my first real understanding of the four trails which led across America from east to west. These comprised The Oregon Trail, The Mormon Trail, The Californian Trail and The Pony Express.  The next stop was the National Historic Trails Interpretative Center, which was a lot more in-depth and fascinating. If you’re interested in anything like this and you’re visiting anywhere near Casper, then I would definitely recommend a visit. I love r...

Day 20 We set an alarm for 5 am and checked out of Wagon Wheel Hotel just after 5.30 am - all in the name of looking for bears! We had decided to drive through the park and head out of the South Entrance and yes; we saw a bear - albeit from over half a mile away! We saw the bear spotters from miles away and although we didn’t see a bear with the naked eye, a kindly man with a spotter scope let us look through his and we saw a grizzly and her two cubs! From the South Entrance of Yellowstone, we drove on into Grand Teton National Park and guess what? We saw another bear! There was no time to take pictures. She was on the move too quickly, but it was good to see her. Our route to Riverton took us through some beautiful countryside and we saw a lot of deer along the way - and a lot of snow!  It amazes me all the time how you can drive for a hundred miles and not see a sign of a house or anything! We were able to check into the hotel pretty early before we decided to spend the after...

Day 19 Our last full day in the park and another long and busy day, but so worth it. I’ve loved travelling around Yellowstone and seeing all the scenery and wildlife. Today we went across to Canyon Village and down to West Thumb. Just down from Canyon Village are the Upper and Lower Falls. I have no idea how far down we walked to view the falls, but it was a very, very long way back up! It was spectacular though and retrospectively, I’m pleased we did it! As we travelled back down towards Old Faithful, it was evident the snow hadn’t melted and there was easily 5 feet at the sides of the road! We watched Old Faithful erupt again and this time the wind wasn’t in the wrong direction, so we could actually see it. A few bison and their calves came to view it with us and definitely got themselves in on the act! We wandered into West Yellowstone again for dinner and ate at Hank’s Chop Shop. There definitely isn’t a shortage of decent restaurants and bars in this town. We decided that we ...

Day 18 Today we were in the park by 9.30 am and headed up to the first half of the top loop via Madison, Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs. It was a beautiful day as the snows continued to melt up on the mountains and the rivers flowed faster. Gibson Falls was outstanding. Check out some of my photos, although they don’t do it justice. We saw a lot more bison, including some really close-up calves which were so cute! We also thought we might be in luck to see a bear, as at one point there were a lot of cars and photographers pulled up along the side of the road. Not a bear this time, but we did see a moose - no great photos though, he was a bit too far away.  We also saw elk and deer today and bison galore. Dunraven Pass is still closed right now, so we headed partway down Lamar Valley. However, there were roadworks and lots of delays, so we turned round and headed back at this point, arriving back at the hotel just after 4 pm. After a quick shower and change, we went for a walk int...

Day 17 Up early (not the best night’s sleep - the mattresses definitely need replacing) and back on the road for the relatively quick journey to Yellowstone National Park and the part of the road trip I have been looking forward to the most. We were quickly within Targhee National Forest where there was still snow amongst the trees and deer peering out from amongst the branches.   Yellowstone is in both Montana and Wyoming and we drove from Idaho to Montana to Wyoming today. We arrived at West Yellowstone around 10.30 am and headed straight for the West Entrance. It costs $35 entrance fee and you’re good to come and go as you please for 7 days, 24 hours per day. Our plan for the first day was to drive the first half of the bottom loop down to Old Faithful and then back up again. We went via Madison Junction, driving along the banks of Madison River and stopping at a number of places along the way, including the Lower Geyser Basin. The snows have been melting over the last coupl...

Day 16 After a restful twelve or so hours sleep (the driver needed it and the passenger didn’t have anywhere else to go) we headed back onto the I15 around 9 am. As we were driving through Salt Lake City, Dave asked me to look at where the shop was for Kindigit Design (Kindig Customs on TV - Google it)! It was literally ten minutes off the freeway, so we made a quick detour. Dave reckons that if he ever has the money, he will get them to custom-design his car! Anyway, he bought a couple of metal plate designs for his collection in his garage and we continued with our journey. As Utah turned into Idaho, it became flatter and a lot, lot greener, with just miles upon miles of space. There were some flood warnings in place as the temperatures were rising, the snow was melting on the mountains and the rivers were filling fast, but we managed to avoid anything and arrived safely at Hampton Inn & Suites, Rexburg.  Sarah checked us in and she picked up on where we were from and the U...

Day 15 The next part of our road trip begins today as we head off to Lehi in Utah on our way to Yellowstone National Park. You know you’re in America when your sat nav says…’stay on this road for 383 miles’! The majority of the next five hours were spent in the car with coffee and rest stops along the way.  Today we drove from Nevada, into Arizona and then into Utah and the scenery changes within minutes. From the inhospitable desert and rocky climate in Nevada to the slightly greener Arizona and then into beautiful Utah. I didn’t realise the scenery in Utah was so amazing. I didn’t even glance at my book for the majority of the journey. I was too busy gazing out of the window! Anyway, we arrived at Hampton Inn & Suites, Lehi around 3 pm and to be honest, that was it for the day. We found a sandwich shop, a bit like Subway, but not as good, and had a very early night! Click Here For More Photos

Day 14 Our last day in Vegas and despite the 36-degree heat, we walked down to Manderlay Bay first, playing a couple of $20 challenges again in there, Luxor and Excalibur, before heading over to Tropicana. From what we’ve read, they are in the process of selling Tropicana, so I’m guessing by the time we next visit, it will no longer be there. From Tropicana, we walked across to MGM Grand and then back up to Beer Park for a drink and a pretzel.  By this time it was around 1.45 pm and we wanted to go and see Big Elvis at Harrah’s. Despite the number of times we have visited Vegas, we have never watched him sing. For anyone who wants to while away an hour, it’s a great free thing to do on the strip. He plays every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Piano Bar at 2 pm, 3.30 pm and 5 pm. If you get there early enough, you can sit in the bar and order some drinks. If there are no seats left, then don’t worry, you can stand behind him! We both really enjoyed the show, he’s a talented si...

Day 13 It’s getting hotter as the days go on and I know that when we get home, we will be complaining that it’s too cold, but honestly, it’s draining - too much food and drink probably doesn’t help either! Today we decided on another trip to Fremont Street and a little $20 challenge in each casino. We have done this before and it’s a bit of fun for not a lot of money. We each chose a machine in each casino, put $20 each in, and pressed at the same time. We had to stop whenever one of us got the bonus, got a line hit for $10 plus or ran out of money! I did log each win/loss in each casino for those of you who are interested, and I’ll add it at the end. First of all we visited Container Park, I think it must be better at night because I didn't think too much of it in the daytime! We had lunch again in Whiskey Licker Up. Neither of us enjoyed it as much this time. The fries were limp and burnt and the music from the stage below was too loud and yes; I know this makes us sound old, ...

Day 12 Saturday morning and a trip to Bath & Body Works. I love their products but they are expensive, so I only ever buy the shower gel and body lotion that is on offer. This is our last trip to America for a while, so I stocked up well, adding another few kilos to the suitcase! We gambled a bit in Wynn, Mirage and TI and then went to Popeye’s for fries and nuggets at lunchtime. Popeye’s has been on our list of places to try since we saw it on a vlog and it was good. Simple, straightforward and tasty. After an afternoon nap, we headed back out for a gamble at  Cosmopolitan and dinner at Holsteins to utilise the resort credit we had from there. I was getting fed up with food and I opted for a NY strip steak salad. Dave had a burger, and we shared some fries.   America isn't as good as the UK for fruity cider but I tried a Blake's Triple Jam Hard Cider. It was ok but Old Mout will always win! Dave tried a Guinness and they didn't know how to pour it - the head on it mu...

Day 11 Up early and ready for a 5 hour drive back to Las Vegas. We woke just after 6 am and the ship was pulling into Los Angeles. We disembarked around 7.15 am and were back in the car just after 7.30 am and back on the road. After a brief stop at Terribles Roadhouse (billed as the largest Chevron gas station in the world) for snacks, we arrived back in Las Vegas around midday. I had chosen Vdara Hotel & Spa for this leg of the trip as there is a washing machine and tumble dryer in the room and even we don’t have enough underwear for three weeks! I had also double booked us into Cosmopolitan for two of the four nights. The room was comped, and we had resort credit and freeplay, so it was a no-brainer. We have seen so many vlogs where people do this that I didn’t have any qualms about taking up a room - after all, there are thousands upon thousands of hotel rooms in Vegas! Dave activated his Freeplay at both Cosmopolitan and Aria (Vdara’s linked casino) and we were all set for ano...

Day 10 This morning we arrived in Ensenada, Mexico and had already decided we weren’t getting off the ship today. The cruise was always about relaxing, not going on an excursion with a million and one other people! We started off sitting in the solarium, but although it was sunny; it was windy, and the wind was cold. Dave went back downstairs first, and I followed soon after. Dave went back to bed to sleep off his hangover, and I went to Cafe Promenade and got myself a hot chocolate and some cookies and sat in the Schooner Bar with my book. After about an hour, Dave appeared, and we went upstairs to Windjammer for a spot of lunch. As we ate, we looked around at the port of Ensenada and decided that perhaps we would get off and go for a wander, just for an hour or so.  We walked from the ship, up to the marina (if you can call it that) and then just along the front. There were a few touristy shops, but we didn’t go into any and after an hour, we headed back. It was nice just to g...

Day 9 We arrived early at Catalina Island and if you wanted to go ashore; you had to get a tender. They weren’t very clear about how often the tenders would return to the ship and, as we didn’t want to be there all day, we missed it. We found out afterwards that they basically run backwards and forwards all day, so at least we know for any future cruises. We spent most of the day in the solarium (adults only) and soaked up a few rays. Since we booked this cruise, I had wanted to go on at least one of the water slides and Dave came with me on the two-person one. It was fun with many ups and downs, and round and abouts, and I’d recommend giving it a go. We had a couple of drinks each and some food from the Taco Bar for me and Windjammer for Dave and chilled out all day. After a shower, we decided on a bit of a bar crawl. We started in the pub, the Copper and Clover, and moved on to Schooner Bar where there was a lovely bartender called Merton from Jamaica but also a very miserable lad...

Day 8 We were awake at 7, Dave went down to get a coffee and I attached my labels to my ducks! Breakfast was in the Main Dining Room and was fine, even if the service was a little slow. As today is a sea day, the casino is open all day, so Dave disappeared to spend his daily budget and I went to hide some ducks. It’s fun hanging around to see if anyone finds them!  I spent the morning on the balcony, reading my book, writing this and just watching the world go by before wandering off for a walk to grab a drink. I hid some more ducks and found a couple more. Lunch was in Windjammer. Neither of us had much, just a hot dog and a few fries. In the afternoon we just wandered, had a few drinks and the day just passed us by. After dinner, we went to see a comedian/ventriloquist called Kevin Johnson, who apparently won America’s Got Talent. He was really good and I think I even got most of the jokes aimed at an American audience! Click Here For More Photos

Day 7 Woke up really early, probably because we had set an actual alarm so subconsciously our body was waking up before it went off. We had checked out and had hit the I15 before the sun had found its way over the mountains. With an 11.30 am boarding time booked for the cruise, we had plenty of spare time, even if we hit some traffic. We managed to navigate our way to Los Angeles World Cruise Center, found the car park, which we didn’t have to reserve and was $20 a day, and trundled our suitcases to the luggage drop-off area. Southampton has it much better organised, in my opinion. We have only done one other cruise and in Southampton, as we parked our car, a trailer drew up behind us and took the suitcases from the car. We didn’t see them again until they appeared outside our stateroom. This time we had to drop them off ourselves. We were on the ship (Navigator of the Seas) by about 11.30 am and as the staterooms weren’t going to be ready until 1 pm we went for a wander round to ge...