Culture
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Wearing my Travel Writer Hat on a Press Trip to San Antonio, Texas
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Perhaps you think I am just a model and an actress. Nope, I am much more than just a pretty face as beauty and brains can co-exist my friends! I have been a reporter (and dabbling in photography) since I was 16 years old, starting as an intern at a local hometown newspaper. Even at that age, travel has always been a passion of mine starting with a trip touring France and falling in love with Le Mont Saint Michel. I love documenting moments in time and sharing the beauty of the world with others. People ask me all the time where to vacation so…
- Architecture, Culture, Dessert, Drink, Education, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Science, Television, Travel
Eat and Drink Your Face Off in San Antonio, Texas While Exploring the City
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler When the tourism board for Visit San Antonio, Texas invites you on a press trip, you go. Especially when it’s a culinary tour and the itinerary includes eating, exploring (hey, that sounds familiar), sleeping, wining and dining at some of the best spots that this massive city has to offer (its the 7th largest city in the U.S. while Philly is 5th). The night before the scheduled 4 a.m. flight from Philly by Southwest (hint: never agree to early flights while having spotty reception in the Poconos the previous week), I was bouncing around from back to back events and packed at 8 p.m. the night…
- Architecture, Charity, Culture, Dessert, Drink, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature
Hot Time in the City at Laurel Hill Cemetery’s ‘Soulstice’ Fundraiser
Photos, story by Sharon Kozden I couldn’t be at Stonehenge in England for Summer Solstice 2017. I could, however, celebrate in Druidical-style, spending several hours during a perfect summer evening on Saturday, June 24 at Laurel Hill Cemetery. The fundraiser, labeled a “Soulstice,” was presented by their Young Friends group, the “Antemortem Society” and was staged in the cemetery’s oldest section, the Medallion Garden. Surrounded by headstones, vaults and crypts at sunset, the atmosphere became predictably and preternaturally mystical. I could not have chosen a better venue for my Stonehenge-desired experience. The Young Friends group certainly knows how to throw a party! Pathways were lined with miniature candles, luring party-goers to…
- Beach, Culture, Day Trips, Drink, East Coast, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Travel
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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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…
- Architecture, Art, Beauty, Charity, Culture, Dessert, Drink, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Fashion, Food, Latest News, Music, Nature, Style, Suburbs, Television
Celebrating the Kentucky Derby, West Laurel Hill Style
Story by Tiffany C. DuBois, Photos by Eric Morales When one thinks of the Kentucky Derby, you think of mint juleps, good food, bowties, women’s fashion and hats. Especially the hats. West Laurel Hill’s derby day had all this and so much more. At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect. West Laurel Hill is a well know cemetery located in Bala Cynwyd. It is the site of many notable burials and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It also has an arboretum and an outdoor sculpture garden. So, how do you throw a derby party in the middle of a cemetery? Not to worry,…
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Smart and Sexy Day Making Women Feel Fabulous with Career Wardrobe
Story, photos by Tyra Gardner Smart and Sexy Day at Career Wardrobe was held at the end of March with Guest Speakers Karima Renee, The Philly Bra Lady and John Wind and Robbin Cook, John Wind Maximal Art. Karima conducted a workshop titled Bra 101 Bootcamp where she educated women on the importance of wearing proper undergarments. “For 5 years, I wanted this moment and it’s finally here, I’m officially becoming an Ambassador for Career Wardrobe,” said Karima. John Wind and Robbin Cook conducted a workshop titled Accessorizing for Impact where they educated women on the importance of proper accessories and clothing when conducting a career search. This event had 15 participants…
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Full Breakdown of Flavors on the Avenue Street Festival Featuring 27 Award-Winning Restaurants
East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District presents Flavors on the Avenue: A Street Festival on Sunday, April 30, 2017, from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. The brand-new street festival will feature five blocks of street food, seasonal sips, craft beer, live music, sidewalk sales and free family fun on five blocks – from Broad to Dickinson streets. Twenty-seven award-winning restaurants and bars will bring their signature cuisine outside under the blue skies. Craft beer and wine will pour from the festival beer tent – and select restaurants will also offer seasonal cocktails, beer and wines for the crowds. East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia’s restaurant row, will feature something for every taste and palate – with sweet to…
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America’s Got Talent Held Season 12 Auditions at Pennsylvania Convention Center
Some of us have more talent than others, but is it good enough to make it on the #1 show of the summer for the past decade? Thousands of Philadelphians, and those from the surrounding area flocked to the Pennsylvania Convention Center to audition for Season 12 of America’s Got Talent, which was the fifth stop on a 10-city nationwide search for America’s next big undiscovered entertainer. Reporter Whitney Ullman was on hand to capture all kinds of fun talent on video including: Singing, Dancing, Magic and more. Check it out…
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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…
