Explore with Cassie
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Recharge in Nature at Arizona’s Artists Home in Cottonwood
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler The Arizona artist’s home in Cottonwood, Arizona is a nature lovers dream! Tucked back on cross streets with a walking path across the street, it beckons you to come explore the steam that leads into the Verde River where you can grab one of the many floats or kayaks from the garage and enjoy a day of peaceful tranquility among the hummingbirds. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath home is thoughtfully designed by Kirsten Snyder of Ocotillo Nature Homes with retro and brand boutique touches throughout. The name Ocotillo means “little torch” in Spanish and is a plant that produces clusters of bright red flowers at…
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Being an Actor, the Raw Truth Behind the Hollywood Glamour
Story by Irina Abraham Hollywood is on strike, they say. Having worked as an actor for years and having been a part of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA,) I’m having a hard time with this statement. It assumes that all actors are Hollywood actors, but the truth is a lot of us have never been close to Hollywood studios. I spent over a decade in New York City working in TV, film, and theatre, and there is very little Hollywood glamor in my memories. Have I missed something? I decided to go to my former colleagues who are currently working actors in New York City, and ask what the life…
- Art, Blog, Day Trips, Dessert, Drink, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Fitness, Food, Latest News, Restaurants, Travel
Four-Diamond Loews Philadelphia Hotel Welcomes Guests Like Family
Whoa, Loews! You had me at HELLO … and that Charcuterie Board. Family, indeed. “Whether anybody was home meant everything to a house. It was more than a major fact: it was the only fact … The family was the house’s soul.” — Jonathan Franzen Story, photos by Sharon Kozden It didn’t take me long to discover that The Loews Family at Loews Philadelphia Hotel meant what they said when they said I’d be welcomed like family. In July 2020, the luxury hospitality company introduced “a fresh brand position which defines Loews as more than simply a collection of hotels, but a brand deeply rooted in welcoming and caring for…
- Animals, Architecture, Art, Beach, Culture, Dessert, Drink, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Fitness, Food, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Style, Travel
Fly to Puerto Vallarta Airport and Explore Nayarit, Mexico
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Flying on an early morning flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor, Arizona to Puerto Vallarta Airport went pretty smoothly with a hosted American Airlines aisle seat. Mind you, international flights call for a two hour arrival buffer time although it makes no sense as you can check in online and just find your gate fast especially with TSA pre-check but airlines haven’t caught up yet I guess. Also, try not to check your luggage. You really don’t need all that stuff you packed, trust me. I’ll make a basic bitch carry on travel bag blog post soon, I promise. Much like the Cabo San Lucas airport…
- Animals, Architecture, Beach, Culture, Drink, Education, Explore with Cassie, Food, Health, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Style, Travel
Escape to Paradiso at Hacienda Del Mar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Imagine being whisked away from the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico airport by a private driver in your air conditioned SUV via Transcabo with an ice-cold bottle of water waiting for you. Then you are delivered to a Spanish style resort with 11 sprawling acres and a pretty darn private beach because there are no other resorts around. And you’re only 35 minutes from the airport and 20 minutes away from town! If you like to hunker down and just relax, this is your dream escape from the daily grind. My first trip to Cabo was in 2017, right before I decided to move to Arizona…
- Arizona, Celebrities, Culture, Day Trips, Drink, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Fashion, Food, Latest News, Style, Suburbs, Travel
Elvis is Alive at Wild West Town Blazin’ M Ranch in Cottonwood
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Mosey on up North in Arizona to the Wild West town of Blazin’ M Ranch in Cottonwood, Arizona for an evening of fun, fantasy and food! We met this fun crew at the Verde Valley Wine Festival and liked their kind of weird. Then we found out Elvis was coming to town and it was on like Donkey Kong! And even better yet, they are adding on overnight stays in the covered wagons on this plush green property starting this fall so you can be completely immersed in nature and those funky Western vibes. Just a 20 minute drive from Sedona, the Blazin’ M Ranch…
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Explore Cozumel, Mexico by Jeep and Snorkel
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler I research… and then I research some more before I just let my intuition guide me on what I want to explore when I’m visiting an area for a limited amount of time. And on our last day exploring off the Ruby Princess, it was important to me to see as much as we could see! But this excursion from Princess Cruises stood out because it has the best of both worlds: land and sea. We got up at the crack of dawn again (the time changes really mess you up sometimes) and I saw the sunrise for once which was nice. After a buffet…
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The Big Island Secrets of Hawaii
Story by Irina Abraham, photos by Irina Abraham and Keoni Abraham Is anyone else dreaming of Hawaii out there like I used to? All the beautiful images we see on Instagram with the beaches straight out of a fantasy movie, rainbows that seem to invite unicorns, gorgeous people shaking out their lush hair in slow-motion under the heavenly waterfalls. Don’t you just want to be one of those lucky ones sprawling on a pristine beach, sipping coconut water straight out of the shell? Well, I know I did. But it wasn’t only that, it was the mysticism and the romanticism of the islands: the magic, the energy, the spirits, and…
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Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania’s 2022 Conference
Penn Square is pictured on an early Sunday morning from my room at the Lancaster Marriott Hotel. so much depends upon a cooling device affixed to myfather in the operating roomtheatre (With apologies to William Carlos Williams) Story, photos by Sharon Kozden On an otherwise ordinary weekend in 2012, my father walked a short distance on a treadmill before failing miserably his cardiac stress test. He was subsequently hospitalized and scheduled for double-bypass surgery on Monday with a cardiothoracic surgeon who shared his Polish ancestry. That weekend, however, Dr. Ray Singer (of Jewish descent) was the attending surgeon. I remember sitting in a sterile hospital room with my dad—he of…
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Enjoy a Girls Getaway to The Cassara Carlsbad in San Diego, California
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler There’s some sort of siren song that keeps lulling me back to San Diego, California. Over 13 years ago, I came to visit the Los Angeles area determined I was going to move there from Philadelphia. I stayed for a month at over three different friend’s locations but the plastic thirstiness and fakeness of Hollywood was not my vibe. I’m way too straight forward and honest for that shit. Also, people thought I was very angry because I swore so much but that’s just how it is in Philly! It’s just adjectives such as very cool is fucking cool… and so on. Anyway, fast forward…