Nature
- Architecture, Beach, Celebrities, Culture, Day Trips, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Latest News, Movies, Nature, Oregon, Suburbs, Television, Travel
Hey You Guys! Calling The Goonies Movie Buffs to Astoria, Oregon
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler I’ve been wanting to visit the Goonies house since I first saw the movie! And it was always on my to do travel bucket list – that and the Oregon Coast as well. So when the press trip worked out well for exploring Wilsonville, Oregon who then connected me with the Cannon Beach tourism board, it was on like Donkey Kong. However in my confused travel state, I didn’t realize it until well after I had explored the small beach town above and tacked it on to the drive back toward the airport as suggested by the amazing staff at the tourism center.…
- Art, Culture, Dessert, Drink, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Style, Travel
Explore Luxury Tributary Hotel & Fine Dining at ōkta Restaurant in McMinnville, Oregon
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Tributary Hotel is easily one of the most luxurious boutique hotels I’ve experienced so far in the United States… and that says a lot! The luxury accommodations with suites named after each area river debuted in McMinnville, Oregon in summer of 2022, the center of Oregon’s Willamette Valley and largest city in Yamhill County but still retains a small town feel. This was the next stop on my road trip West of Portland and arrived just in the nick of time to shoot, change and get ready for dinner. The full experience restaurant next door, ōkta, honors the region and each season, offering…
- Art, Culture, Day Trips, Drink, Education, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Latest News, Nature
Feeling United by Flowers at the 195th PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
Sunshine bathes the 195th PHS Philadelphia Flower Show’s welcome banner at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. We HAVE to write about flowers. We have to experience flowers. We have to understand that their flourishing is dependent on an entire ecosystem of grass and dirt and water and sunlight and touch and love. Because when we understand that about the flowers, we will understand that about one another as well. — Jenna Winship Story, photos by Sharon Kozden While I intellectually get that every season has its distinct glory, beauty and allure, truth be told, the winter of my discontent is, well, winter. When it’s dark outside as I leave for work…
- Animals, Architecture, Art, Culture, Day Trips, Dessert, Drink, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Suburbs, Travel
Relax in the Small Town of Wilsonville, Just South of Portland, Oregon
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Never travel for business during Spring Break! That’s the first moral of this story as I always have to learn things the hard way… I booked a flight at the crack o’ dawn through Southwest so I could hit the ground running on a Monday morning to make the week last extra long. In theory, it’s a good idea during any other time of the year and you will fly through security at Phoenix Airport with time to spare. But this time was a Spring Break shit show at 5 a.m. with lines crawling down the hallway with the progression of a snail.…
- Animals, Arizona, Culture, Day Trips, Drink, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Style, Suburbs, Travel
Get Your Wild West on and go Golfing at Rancho de Los Caballeros in Wickenburg, Arizona
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler The first time I visited Wickenburg, Arizona was for an old Western town style photoshoot at Robson’s Ranch for local and out of town models. I had no clue what I was getting into at the time but was new to the desert and thought it would be a great way to meet some fresh faces and see new places. I has just bought my brand-new Honda whip at the time and remember being a little stressed about driving on long, windy rock roads… it seems that old West town for rent still exists although more rundown but it’s kind of rad concept.…
-
Snake Guru Saving all the Creepy, Crawly Critters in Arizona
We recently met Nicholas Massimo, 36, from Phoenix, Arizona, who is a herpetologist and owner of Snake Guru, LLC. A herpetologist is an expert in biology of reptiles and amphibians and follow careers in teaching, research, conservation and zoo-keeping which is the end goal for the Snake Guru. What happens if you find a rattlesnake during your midnight munchies? Nick also offers 24/7 professional reptile relocation and removal services in Phoenix, Arizona and surrounding cities. Let’s deep dive into this interesting world of Arizona’s own Crocodile Dundee with a question and answer session below! Q: How did you get into being a “Snake Guru”? A: I have over 15 years…
- Animals, Arizona, Culture, Day Trips, Education, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Travel
Glamping in an AirStream at The Cozy Peach at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona
Photos, story and video by Cassie Hepler The nice thing about living in Phoenix is the short drive to surrounding towns that take you to a completely different vibe in any direction. And moving to North Phoenix which for is 20 minutes directly above the city much like when I lived in the Manayunk section of Philly ironically, offers you all the highways only about a mile away. Learning the rhythm of any city is the key to keeping your driving sanity and it’s no different here: skip rush hour from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. So we headed down to Queen Creek, just…
- Beach, California, Culture, Day Trips, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Fashion, Latest News, Nature, Style, Travel
Float Through The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler As part of a girls getaway to The Cassara Carlsbad in San Diego, California, my college bestie and I met up for a flower-filled feminine rendez-vous with the key highlight of visiting the glorious Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch. And part of that experience includes being dropped off by the hotel shuttle right in front of the entrance to the flower fields even though it is walkable from The Cassara. It was still humid, cool and misty, especially for this Phoenician but not enough to need a sweater which worked perfectly for our pretty, flowing dresses and my curly hair. There are 55…
- Architecture, Art, Culture, Day Trips, Dessert, Drink, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Style, Suburbs, Travel
Rent a Car and Road Trip through Northwest Kansas
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler After my debacle of American Airlines travel to Missouri, I was back to the constant air bus rotation of which one sucks less now and I landed on Southwest Airlines. Good ‘ol Southwest was my go-to back in the day but I strayed and got burned like cheaters always do. So I came crawling back and was pleasantly surprised they offer nonstop flights to Wichita, Kansas – from Phoenix only a couple hours in the air. This time my mom was invited to join me as my road trip buddy and see firsthand that indeed, press trips are NOT free vacations, just a lot of…
- Animals, Architecture, Blog, Day Trips, Dessert, Drink, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Fitness, Food, Latest News, Music, Nature, Restaurants
CiderFest Brought Hardcore Fun to Woodford Mansion in Philly’s Fairmount Park
Stately Woodford Mansion played host in 2023 to the sixth annual CiderFest. “His voice in her ear was rich, just like the cider was in her throat. She couldn’t help but look at him, and his face was so close. Everything about him was rich and balanced. He was the physical embodiment of this cider. Would she discover more layers the longer she knew him? He was close enough that the flecks of gold in his eyes sparkled at her like the cider’s missing effervescence. He was close enough for her to smell the cider on his breath, the color of it making her light-headed and giddy.” ― Amy E. Reichert, The…
