At Home With The Cookes

Saturday 1st March arrived and it was the day that we had been waiting for, the reason for our trip – a full-blown Rugby League marathon at the Allegiant Stadium!  Four matches, including our beloved Warrington Wolves, two NRL clashes, and a women's international.  It was set to be epic.

Our first full day in Las Vegas kicked off with a classic family trip to Walmart!  We stocked up on breakfast bits, snacks, and all the essentials to keep the little ones (and ourselves!) happy and fuelled for the day.  It’s always fun to see the differences in supermarkets when traveling, and Walmart definitely delivered on the "everything you could possibly need" front.  

Thursday had quickly arrived and although we were sad to be leaving LA behind we were excited for more adventures in Las Vegas.  We packed the car, checked out of our family suite at the Sea Sprite Hotel (check out our review!), and hit the open road.  Our destination? The dazzling lights of Vegas, and the main event: the rugby!

The Sea Sprite Hotel is a charming beachfront property located in the heart of Hermosa Beach, a vibrant beach town between Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach in Los Angeles' South Bay, California.  We were recently invited to stay in their Premier Partial Ocean View Balcony Suite for three nights, and we were thoroughly impressed with our experience.

Day three was our final full day in Los Angeles, and time for us to explore the iconic sights that LA has to offer.  We were determined to soak up as much of the city's magic as possible before our long drive to Las Vegas.

Our first morning in LA, we woke up well rested and excited for the day ahead after a night in the comfortable beds at the Sea Sprite Hotel.  However, our first morning in beautiful Hermosa Beach didn't quite go to plan.  A rude awakening awaited us as we discovered a parking ticket tucked under the windshield of our rental car.

Day one of our American road trip was a whirlwind of excitement, travel, and a healthy dose of "firsts"!  After a surprisingly good night's sleep at the Hilton London Heathrow T5, we were up and at 'em by 6 am, ready to catch the shuttle to Terminal 5.  Our 10 am flight to Los Angeles awaited!

Our long-awaited trip to the USA was finally on the horizon, and to make things even smoother, we decided to travel down to Heathrow the day before our flights.  This gave us a chance to relax, avoid the dreaded early-morning rush, and even squeeze in a little fun along the way, it also saved us around £700 versus flying direct from Manchester. 

We're thrilled to announce that you can now book some of our recommended tours and experiences directly through our Viator Shop!  We've hand-picked a selection of activities that we think you'll love, based on our own travels and discoveries.  Whether you're looking for a guided city tour, an adrenaline-pumping adventure, or a relaxing day trip, we've got something for everyone.

Viator is a Trip Advisor company and is the world's largest online marketplace for tours, activities and attractions all over the world. 

This January, the Parr Hall in Warrington hosts a dazzling production of Cinderella.  This evening was the the press event so me and Louie went along to see his first pantomime along with my friend and god-daughters.  It was a truly enchanting experience for all ages, from the glittering costumes to the hilarious antics of the Ugly Sisters, this pantomime has all the ingredients for a perfect fun family evening.