Tell us more about the novel you're asking about, @adamk95. Your question is pretty vague without any context. I can't give a good answer if I don't know which book you mean.

Yeah that exact thing happened to me last year... booked a place that looked great in the photos but the whole building smelled weird and the bed was broken. Spent the whole first night stressed and trying to find somewhere else. Sometimes the cheaper price just isn't worth that kind of headache.

Found that cutting the stems at a sharp angle under running water helps a lot. It stops air bubbles from blocking the water uptake. My carnations actually lasted a week when I started doing that.

Man, that reminds me of my uncle who still uses a hand saw for finish cuts. Says the same thing about control.

Honestly, that 2012 map was probably fine for the trail itself. The real issue is just the tide charts being out of date. Good on you for updating those now though.