- Day Trips, Destinations, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Walk to the Beach at Daddy O’s Boutique Hotel in Long Beach Island, NJ
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler At the Jersey Shore, everyone knows the best sand-like-flour beaches are in LBI, N.J. Better known as Long Beach Island, the scene is serene and you are literally on an island, far away from real life. For those who don’t want another kitschy Jersey motel and don’t have access to a beach house, Daddy O Hotel in Long Beach Island offers a unique, chic escape with amenities all in one place. It all began in 2006 when the first Daddy O hotel opened its doors in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Two respected arbiters of taste, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal,…
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Ivan Kane’s Kiss Kiss Burlesque Nightclub is Back at Tropicana in Atlantic City
Famed nightlife innovator Ivan Kane is bringing burlesque back to Atlantic City! Kane launched his newest burlesque show at Ivan Kane’s Kiss Kiss Nightclub inside The Quarter at Tropicana boardwalk casino, yet again affirming Tropicana’s place as Atlantic City’s premiere nightlife destination. Burlesque lessons will be taught by the award-winning Kiss Kiss dancers every Saturday afternoon. “Every night at Kiss Kiss people walk up to me and ask when I’m going to do my burlesque show again. I hear it a hundred times a night. I’m excited to finally launch it at Tropicana,” said Kane, who introduced Atlantic City to burlesque at Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly Burlesque Nightclub. “Ivan’s new…
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Save on Lodging, Food in Bermuda with Celebrity Cruises
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler This Spring and Summer have been really heating up in my world! Since getting back from Breathless Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and catching the traveling bug again, I’ve been doing a lot more travel which alway makes my soul happy. I promised one of my besties to go on a cruise with her through Celebrity Cruises which were very nice… and old. Not so much the ship itself but the crowd. Our favorite couple at dinner asked us why we were on this ship with a bunch of old people and we immediately adopted them as our cruise parents. Celebrity is known for…
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DoubleTree by Hilton Celebrates Opening 500th Hotel in Times Square West, NYC
Photos by Deja Cromartie/Hilton, story by Explore NJ Start spreading the news! DoubleTree by Hilton, one of Hilton’s 14 market-leading brands, is celebrating the launch of their 500th hotel with the grand opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York Times Square West, located in the heart of bustling Manhattan. “We are beyond thrilled to celebrate the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton New York Times Square West,” said Michael George, President and CEO of Crescent Hotels & Resorts, the management company for the hotel. “This event marks the 500th DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, and we are extremely proud to be a part of this incredible milestone.” The newly-built high-rise hotel officially…
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Eat All the Farm Fresh Food at White Dog Cafe in Haverford
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler What if we told you a supernatural story? Once upon a time there was a woman who broke her leg. A white dog lay on it for a week while it was healing and all of the sudden it was healed. This is the tale of why there are multiple locations all named White Dog Cafe, according to our excellent server for the evening, Sara with no H. Known for award-winning contemporary American Cuisine and friendly service with three neighborhood locations in Philadelphia and the Main Line, Judy Wicks, social activist and original founder, opened White Dog Cafe in January of 1983. Located in three…
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Look Out Philly Chefs, Local Culinary Kid Kills It on Chopped Junior
Story by Cassie Hepler Marty Snyder, age 9, from Berwyn, Pa., loves to play baseball, basketball and bowl. You can often find him outside hanging out on his hover board with his dog Sophie and his favorite subjects in school are science and art. He’s what you would call a pretty typical 9 year old boy. But when it comes to meal time, this is when this 9 year old is anything but typical because he’s the cook in the family. From a very early age when most children were ordering chicken nuggets and pasta with butter in restaurants, Marty was eating off his parent’s plates. Not only was he eating…
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Carrabba’s Italian Grill Begins Wine Pairing Dinners for a Steal
Story by Meg Arbo Let’s face it, Tuesday is generally nothing to get excited about. In fact, it can be pretty ho-hum at best. So when Explore Philly was invited to a wine pairing meal at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Willow Grove, we were pretty happy because, hey, that beats the usual Tuesday night of nothingness. This was a chainwide, national event for Carrabba’s and was touted as the World’s Largest Wine Dinner with over 4000 bottles of wine uncorked for the 7000 diners’ viticultural pleasure. Four curated wines with four courses for $40 – a steal! The dinner began with a salad course with a Northern Italian pinot grigio…
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Turn a Passion for Cocoa into a Profession and Empower Impoverished Women
Mars, Incorporated announced today the launch of THE COCOA EXCHANGE™, a direct to consumer platform that provides a rewarding way to turn a passion for cocoa into a worthwhile profession. THE COCOA EXCHANGE™ products are designed to be experienced, not to sit on a store shelf, which is why the brand brings them to consumers directly through specially curated in-home experiences. Cocoa has been a passion of the Mars family for more than 100 years. Launched in the family kitchen in Tacoma, Washington, today Mars, Inc. is the world’s largest chocolate company. This exceptional pedigree, combined with the contribution of three in-house culinary chefs, brings chocolate to life in unexpected…
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Find Your Forever Space with Our Main Line Wedding Roundup
Story by Explore Philly, courtesy photos Kittens and butterflies and rainbow and unicorns, oh my! At least you should feel like one of those magical things when you’re about to get married or you’re doing it wrong. And now in chilly Philly, engagement season has come to a close (unless you do the super cheese Valentine’s Day proposal). All of a sudden, there is an urgency to find a wedding venue. But where? Philly and the burbs have you covered from farm, to country club to hotel to cozy restaurant. Which will you chose as your wedding nest? For starters, Normandy Farm in Blue Bell is your one-stop shop. Rustic-chic barn setting with resort…
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Falling in Love with Breathless Resorts in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Since I was a teen, I wanted to live a bi-coastal life with my favorite seasons on the East Coast (Spring, Summer and Fall) and escape chilly Philly to somewhere warm in the winter (usually California and sometimes Florida). Perhaps I don’t own any warm weather property (yet) however I can escape the cold to the land of sunshine and lollipops, especially now that my back is fixed up with no pain and I’m literally less than 5 degrees curved now from scoliosis fusion surgery! So this trip was extra special and an encouragement from my Scoliosis Inspire & Inform group to take a one-year…
