Nature
- Animals, Architecture, Arizona, Day Trips, Education, Explore with Cassie, Latest News, Nature, Travel
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…
- Architecture, Art, Beauty, Culture, Dessert, Drink, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Fashion, Food, Latest News, Music, Nature, Restaurants, Style, Travel
Paris, je t’aime! An American Reminisces on Her Love Affair with France
Story, photos by Jill Beckel Bonjour! It is hard to say where my obsession with Paris started, but I am honestly not sure. I know that I dreamed about going to Paris as child and something about it always fascinated me. I took French throughout middle school and three years of high school. However, I am by no means fluent. I can pick up phrases and written words here and there, but definitely could not hold my own in a full-on on conversation in French (I did try to brush up with the Duolingo app before this trip). Once I was in college, I knew that I wanted to travel…
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Philadelphia Flower Show Blooms Outdoors for 2021 Season
The Pennsylvania Convention Center has been home base for PHS Philadelphia Flower Show exhibits since 1996. “Who can say that a buttercup shining in the sun like yellow enamel is not as enchanting as a white butterfly tumbling out of a tree trunk in a Brazilian jungle? That the delicate beauty of a white wild anemone excels the orderly perfection of the petals in a white camellia? “When I took time to look into the heart of a flower, it opened up a whole new world; a world where every walk would be an adventure, where every garden would become an enchanted garden.” – Princess Grace of Monaco Story, photos…
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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…
- California, Culture, Day Trips, Dessert, Drink, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Style, Travel
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…
- Animals, Arizona, Culture, Day Trips, Drink, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Style, Travel
Live Out Your Wild West Fantasies at White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona
Photos, video and story by Cassie Hepler Back in May 2019, I was on the radio with my East Coast fam, Small Bites Radio on Wildfire Radio. And everyone kept asking about the Wild West… like the gun shooting, horseback riding, free-range roaming desert seen in all the movies. Shortly thereafter, I was at a Visit Phoenix tourism lunch meeting a lovely lady who represented two amazing ranches in Arizona and invited me to stay and play. Little did I know the White Stallion Ranch is consistently voted one of the best ranches in the United States. But I soon experienced exactly why… We had a pretty cool June for…
- Casino, Culture, Dessert, Drink, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Travel
Spring into the Sierra Nevada Mountain Culture in Carson Valley
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Nestled at the base of the Sierra Nevada, Carson Valley is an overlooked eye candy oasis begging to be explored. Located 45 miles south of Reno-Tahoe International Airport and 12 miles east of South Lake Tahoe, the region includes the communities of Minden, Gardnerville, Topaz Lake and Genoa (Nevada’s first settlement dating back to 1851). It offers a window to the authentic American West. The region’s natural beauty is legendary: wide-open farms, ranches, bands of wild horses and birds of prey dot the landscape. And of course golf with views that will leave you wanting more. The valley’s museums, arts, antiquing, Basque dining, a myriad…
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- Culture, Dessert, Drink, Education, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Music, Nature, Restaurants, Style, Suburbs, Travel
Mardi Gras is Not all Boobs and Beads in Lafayette, Louisiana
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler As soon as this press trip was in the planning stages, almost everyone started asking me about boobs… “Will you see any? Will you be showing yours?” (Hard no, btw…) Then the bead questions started rolling in as well and what occurred to me is that no one really knows what the hell is going on during Mardi Gras, better known as Fat Tuesday. The French saying refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. There’s also Lundi Gras, the Monday before Fat Tuesday which kicks off…
- Architecture, Art, Culture, Dessert, Drink, Entertainment, Events, Explore with Cassie, Fashion, Food, Latest News, Music, Nature, Restaurants, Science, Sports, Style, Travel
Cheerio! Exploring London, England a Second Time Around
Story, photos by Jill Beckel London, England… a city known for its gray skies, beautiful architecture, culture, art, rich history, the River Thames, the British monarchy, pubs and tea. I was fortunate enough to have been able to study abroad in my college days for a term my sophomore year of college back in 2006. Since then, I’ve been yearning to go back and explore the city even more. I recently got the chance to make the trip back with my husband this time and it couldn’t have been better. All that I would have wished for was to have been able to stay longer! I knew that I wanted…
- Architecture, Arizona, Culture, Day Trips, Dessert, Drink, Explore with Cassie, Food, Latest News, Nature, Restaurants, Style, Travel
Relax, Reconnect and Repeat at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort in Arizona
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Once I moved across the country, I soon ended up living near Camelback Mountain in the trendy Arcadia section of Phoenix, Arizona as everyone said I would love it and they were right. I could see the telltale mountain from my farm casita rental. Shortly thereafter, I purchased property nearby. And big surprise, I ended up staying near Camelback and now have views of Papago Park and am kind of nestled in between both. I was also told (in new age land of Sedona of course) that Camelback is an amazing energy vortex mountain and wholeheartedly believe that. So when Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort…
