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Bisbee, Arizona Staying Spooky, Strange and Surprisingly Hip
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Fresh from a couple overnights in the small city of Willcox, Arizona, I hiked that morning and drove the 1.5 hours down to Bisbee, Arizona ready to tear into some food! Located in the Mule Mountains of southeast Arizona, the city has a solid copper-mining past and only a little over 5,000 residents making it more of a small town feel. With a thriving arts, music and hospitality scene, it is a place for all the free spirits to join – including ones that are not alive. The energy is heavy and historical here. For someone who is sensitive to ghosts and the supernatural, I…
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Drop Down South to the Wine World of Willcox, Arizona
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler With more than 20 wineries in the Willcox, Arizona area, there are seemingly endless wine tastings and other area activities to chew on. Located in Cochise County near the border of Mexico, this small city is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges, such as the Pinaleño, Dragoon and Chiricahua mountains. Surprising to most out of state visitors, the desert climate offers an ideal climate for winemaking including monsoons in the summer that gives that precious moisture to the earth to make the flavorful magic happen. But wine is not the only thing this small town but actually a city has to offer! We connected with the Cochise…
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Small Businesses Reopen in Funky, Artsy Town of Claremont, CA
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Finally California small businesses can breathe a sigh of relief – although still trough face masks as Los Angeles county mandates everyone unvaccinated or vaccinated wear a face mask in public places. And it’s not a bad call considering the Delta variant seems to be sneaking through even the best jabs available so far. So masked up and ready to explore, my journey began a little clunky with my TPMS tire light turning on about halfway to Claremont from Chula Vista, CA. My first thought was go to the tire store and second was it just needs some air… always go with the first intuition.…
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Red Roof Inn Plus Offers Budget Friendly Vibes in Chula Vista, California
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Because not everybody is a baller especially these days with a fluctuating, erratic economy, there are certainly ways to travel on the cheap and still have a fun and fabulous time! When Red Roof Inn reached out, we were intrigued by the upgrade of the “Plus” feature which is a far cry from your parent’s Red Roof Inn experience. The difference is wood-style floors, flatscreen TVs, vessel sinks, upgraded towels and spacious workstations and an ergonomic chair. For me at any hotel no matter how fancy, the bed is always a dealbreaker because if you sleep like crap, you’re going to be a cranky beast…
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Four Diamond We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort Offers Stay and Play Adventures
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Because everyone seems confused, let’s address the We-Ko-Pa namesake first! The name We-Ko-Pa means four peaks which is the popular mountain that borders the eastern skyline of Phoenix. The fabulous new 166,341-square-foot We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort replaces the original Fort McDowell Casino that many remember from 1984 as a bingo hall. Eight years later, the proud Yavapai Nation peacefully held off the attempts of federal agents to seize their slot machines, protecting their right to operate a casino on their reservation and provide livelihoods for their tribal members. That sentence alone infuriates me… freaking ‘Merica, but that’s a whole other story. Let’s focus instead…
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A Once a Day Approach to Feeling Fit and Fabulous
Photo by Pixabay Story by Cassie Hepler If you’re interested in starting on a path to complete physical, mental, and emotional fitness and wellness, but feel overwhelmed with the prospect of such a major life overhaul, consider implementing strategies that can integrate seamlessly into your everyday life. This approach allows you to move at your own pace and develop habits with the potential to become lifelong routines. If you practice these suggestions, then before you know it, you’ll be on the road to holistic well-being. Photo by Pexels Benefits of Health and Wellness Of course, when we talk about healthy eating and fitness routines, we typically consider ways in which…
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Don’t Steal from the Petrified Forest in Arizona
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler It was my first time visiting Taylor, Arizona and I had a pretty good idea of what to expect up North about three hours from Phoenix. We booked an outstanding AirBnB cabin to spend Christmas up north and fell in love with the place almost instantly. There were chickens in a coup for fresh eggs and a little greenhouse on the grounds for fresh tomatoes. Homemade jam and honey were in the fridge for our use. The owner who lived in the main house was a retired teacher who taught Native American children and his decor reflected the many beautiful hand-woven and intricate…
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Merkin Vineyards in Arizona Offers Outstanding Reds, Food and Music
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler First of all, let’s set this namesake straight. Do you know what a Merkin is? Go check it out on Wikipedia before you continue reading if you don’t. Now that we’re all on the same page, this is just another reason why we love Maynard Keenan, the mastermind behind the brand that has the name “Merkin” on everyone’s lips. If you are not into heavy metal, you are probably not familiar with his many bands including Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. Congratulations, now you are all caught up! Everyone in Arizona knows that this rock star lives in Jerome, Arizona on the side of…
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Online Gift Guide for Covid Quarantine Creatures
Story by Cassie Hepler, submitted photos Let’s face it, this year sucks. While there might have been a few highlights along the way (like TikTok reaching out and bringing me aboard for their new educational fund including Bill Nye the Science Guy), it has been physically, emotionally and mentally draining AF for people of all ages. Kids and parents will probably have some sort of Covid PTSD from home schooling while working from home. Couples are struggling to not kill each other by being around each other 24/7 (turns out being in the office may be a blessing as absence makes the heart grow fonder) and singles ponder if they…
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Inn at Palm Springs, California is an Oasis in Coachella Valley
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler (unless otherwise noted) Like most everyone this year, I am sick of staring at the same walls at home. And the wanderlust was still negging me daily with all my travel plans that have been cancelled, rescheduled or just hanging in the air because we have no clue when this Covid nonsense will end in good ol ‘Merica. So I planned a trip to the West Coast to escape the sizzling summer heat, do some photoshoots and swim in the Pacific Ocean. And right before I left, I was connected with the Inn at Palm Springs and we planned a media visit for on my…
