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Gertrude’s Fine Dining Tickles Tastebuds in Breathtaking Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler The first time I visited Desert Botanical Garden was during a life-changing Visit Phoenix press trip that inspired me to move to Arizona. When I mentioned this magical place to my mother that showcases the Sonoran Desert and its botanical gardens, she had no clue it existed as she lived here before I was a glint in anyone’s eye and I’m assuming somewhere that was all desert straight out of Looney Tunes. However unlike the cartoons, the Sonoran Desert is home to about 100 species of reptiles, 20 amphibians, over 350 types of birds and 60 mammals. Fast forward to modern day and welcome to…
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Protect Your Skin from the Sun and Look Chic in Tenth Street Hats Featuring the Cloche Hat
Story by Cassie Hepler, photos courtesy of Tenth Street Hats Since moving to Arizona, it seems I have become the hat lady. And it’s mostly out of a way to protect my pasty white European/American mutt sensitive skin. When I first moved here, this California company Tenth Street Hats reached out to me to offer me some samples to wear and rock during my travels. Loving the boho chic, gothic, Cuban and Western vibes I found on the website, I delved deep into the hat world. So much so in fact, I am running out of walk-in closet space and may make a whole bedroom wall into a sort of…
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Make the Most of Your Visit to Los Angeles, California
Visiting Los Angeles, California can be overwhelming. It’s a tremendous city, but there are so many tourist attractions of all different kinds that it’s difficult to fit in everything you’d like to see and do on a single trip. If you’d like help narrowing things down though, here are eight places in the LA area that are definitely worth your time. 1. The Original Farmer’s Market It may not be the traditional headline tourist attraction, but one of the most pleasant things you can do on your trip is spend the day sampling delicious food at the Original Farmer’s Market at Third and Fairfax. The market’s local vendors, such as Du-par’s…
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Enjoy Epic Arizona Sunsets at Orange Sky at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Did you know the Arizona state flag was made to look like a sunset? I was this old when I discovered that during a late night social media scrolling session. And now it all makes sense why this fine dining restaurant is named Orange Sky, located inside the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Located on the 15th floor of the casino, it is the signature space for those sunset hues and an award-winning wine list. Talking Stick Resort is located on the grounds of Salt River, owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. (Other area attractions include: The Pavilions at Talking Stick, Talking Stick Golf…
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Laser Beam Your Eyeballs to 20/20 with Lasik Plus Surgery
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler It seemed like a great idea never having to wear contacts or glasses again. And as much as I love some designer frames (bye bye my beloved Prada and Burberry), waking up and seeing perfectly was well worth it. Although it’s not all wine and roses my friends… It’s a slight hell but tolerable, here is my tale… with Facebook live video because we are in that “extra” digital era. I wanted Lasik for years. But after some serious scoliosis fusion surgery, I needed a break from anyone or anything that even resembled a doctor’s office. But here I was in sunshine valley Arizona, doubling…
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Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee Shows the King’s Impressive Wealth
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler You’ve heard the king of rock and roll countless times. Now get a glimpse inside the place that Elvis Presley called home: Graceland. I’ve always loved Elvis and his music. He was devilishly handsome until he got overly chubby (insert sandwich joke here). He was a rebel in a time of conformity and decadence. He gyrated his hips and made women go crazy (and probably some closeted gays too at the time). But a lot of the country at the time wasn’t ready for him or where his music originated from: African Americans. So the music scene needed a poster boy of sorts to allow other types…
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Visit California Wineries the Classy Way with San Diego Beer, Wine & Spirits Tour
Story, photos/videos by Cassie Hepler Did you know that San Diego, California wineries are the original real deal booze in the valley? Everybody talks about Napa Valley being the first but that’s just not true! It all began in sunny San Diego with those horrible jug wines, which now have a private label for some of their fancier brands. That was just one of the interesting facts we discovered on our San Diego Beer, Wine & Spirits Tour with total chill Californian tour guide Diana. Another tasty morsel of information is that California produces 90 percent of the wine for the United States which is mind boggling! To be immersed in…
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Fulfill Your Flying Squirrel Fantasies with iFLY Indoor Skydiving
Story by Cassie Hepler, video by Suburban Men Who hasn’t had a dream of flying? If you haven’t, that’s weird and a bummer. Ever since I was like 5 years old, I would have a consistent dream of being chased through the jungle by a lion, falling off a cliff and stopping short of the bug-like smush on the ground for a good chunk of my youth. As an adult, it morphed into flying yogi cross-legged style through the air always to an old farmhouse. Where this farmhouse exists I have yet to learn however looking forward to finding it someday! Alas, I digress. But the need to fly through…
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Watch Out for Altitude Sickness in Sparkling South Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Story, photos/video by Cassie Hepler As a travel writer, there is a rock and a hard place between pleasing tourism boards and yet still remaining transparent and honest to your readers. I’ve never been one to sugar coat anything so I figured why start now? With a journalism background, it is in my blood to report the truth and also to use my experiences to help others. So here we go on an adventure that does indeed have a happy ending… Because I never drove through Nevada (without a U-Haul trailer attached), I thought it would be fun to go on a road trip through Vegas from Phoenix (not during…
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Views and Chews for Days with Hilton San Francisco Union Square in California
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Driving into San Francisco, California during a picture perfect summer day was breathtaking. And a little confusing when I reached a toll for the Golden Gate Bridge ($4) and never carry any cash on me. Part of the allure of California and the West is the no toll roads unlike the opposite every two mile tolls it seems on the East Coast. And of course they don’t take credit cards so the lady waved me by and told me to expect something in the mail and to fight it… welcome to San Fran! (Update: It’s all done electronically now and the toll without FasTrak is…
