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Explore With Cassie

Lifestyle & travel blog finding the unusual out of the ordinary.

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  • Destinations,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Fly to Puerto Vallarta Airport and Explore Nayarit, Mexico

    September 15, 2023 /

    Story, photos, video by Cassie Hepler Flying on an early morning flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor, Arizona to Puerto Vallarta Airport went pretty smoothly with a hosted American Airlines aisle seat. Mind you, international flights call for a two hour arrival buffer time although it makes no sense as you can check in online and just find your gate fast especially with TSA pre-check but airlines haven’t caught up yet I guess. Also, try not to check your luggage. You really don’t need all that stuff you packed, trust me. I’ll make a basic bitch carry on travel bag blog post soon, I promise. Much like the Cabo San Lucas…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Cool Down Inside Pristine Kartchner Caverns in Benson, AZ

    August 17, 2022

    Ride in Style with Aall In Limo’s Mercedes Benz to Temecula Wineries in California

    January 30, 2019

    Ancient Theater in Orange, France is the Most Preserved Roman Theater in the World

    January 19, 2026
  • Travel like a local
    Day Trips,  Destinations,  Education,  Entertainment,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Really Get to Know Your Destination Like a Local

    September 14, 2023 /

    Image from Pexels – CC0 License As an outsider, you’re never exactly going to see any of the places you visit exactly as a local does. You’ll always have a slightly different perspective, even if you decide to live there for a while. But just because you can’t go back in time and choose to grow up there, it doesn’t mean you can’t try to experience it like a local. You can get close to seeing things how the locals do, even if you’ll never have the exact same experience as them. And there are some fun ways you can open up your world to see it from their perspective.…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Ancient Theater in Orange, France is the Most Preserved Roman Theater in the World

    January 19, 2026

    Tasty Wine, Tempting Cheeses, Music and Even Goat Yoga at 8th Annual Skippack Winetober Festival

    January 17, 2018

    The Mob Museum in Las Vegas is like Mafia School with a Speakeasy

    October 27, 2025
  • Destinations,  Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Escape to Paradiso at Hacienda Del Mar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

    September 5, 2023 /

    Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Imagine being whisked away from the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico airport by a private driver in your air conditioned SUV via Transcabo with an ice-cold bottle of water waiting for you. Then you are delivered to a Spanish style resort with 11 sprawling acres and a pretty darn private beach because there are no other resorts around. And you’re only 35 minutes from the airport and 20 minutes away from town! If you like to hunker down and just relax, this is your dream escape from the daily grind. My first trip to Cabo was in 2017, right before I decided to move to Arizona…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Holiday Gift Guide for Last Minute Shoppers

    December 19, 2023

    Four-Diamond Loews Philadelphia Hotel Welcomes Guests Like Family

    September 24, 2023

    Loews Hotel Philadelphia Sparks Red, White and Views at Fireworks Watch Party

    September 22, 2025
  • Destinations,  Education,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Like an Adventure? 7 Hidden Secrets of Bangkok, Thailand

    August 24, 2023 /

    CC0 Licensed Image Courtesy of Pexels The secrets of Bangkok are never-ending. The 600-year-old city is home to some of the world’s most amazing wonders and attracts over 22 million tourists each year. Venturing off the beaten track, you will find treasures like the Artist’s House and a cat cafe. So, here are some more. An Exhilarating Ice Bath All cultures have their own versions of taking hot and cold baths. And bathhouses have been around for thousands of years. Hot and cold have their own benefits and are used for different things. There’s nothing more relaxing than a hot spring. However, ice baths are becoming popular because of the…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Snake Guru Saving all the Creepy, Crawly Critters in Arizona

    March 21, 2024

    Experience Luxury at Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose CA, the Only Boutique Hotel on Santana Row

    October 19, 2017

    Polish Your Soul and Your Plate in Sedona, Arizona

    January 5, 2023
  • Day Trips,  Destinations,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Elvis is Alive at Wild West Town Blazin’ M Ranch in Cottonwood

    August 11, 2023 /

    Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Mosey on up North in Arizona to the Wild West town of Blazin’ M Ranch in Cottonwood, Arizona for an evening of fun, fantasy and food! We met this fun crew at the Verde Valley Wine Festival and liked their kind of weird. Then we found out Elvis was coming to town and it was on like Donkey Kong! And even better yet, they are adding on overnight stays in the covered wagons on this plush green property starting this fall so you can be completely immersed in nature and those funky Western vibes. Just a 20 minute drive from Sedona, the Blazin’ M Ranch…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Philadelphia’s 2018 Flower Show Just Adds Water

    August 16, 2018

    A Guide to Exploring the Ancient Monasteries of Meteora, Greece

    June 10, 2024

    Drink the Pope’s Wine at Châteauneuf du Pape near Avignon, France

    January 26, 2026
  • Destinations,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Handling Late Night Arrivals without the Stress

    August 1, 2023 /

    Image from Pexels – CC0 License If you’re a frequent traveler, you’re probably no stranger to late nights and early mornings. Sometimes those are the best times to get good deals, or it’s just hard to avoid when your journey is long. You can choose to handle a late arrival in lots of different ways. Some people just crash in the airport until morning arrives. Others won’t accept anything but the comfiest bed after hours in the air or on the road. It can be really stressful when you arrive at your destination and everything is shut. You’re somewhere unfamiliar and you’re really tired. So how can you make it…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Tasty Wine, Tempting Cheeses, Music and Even Goat Yoga at 8th Annual Skippack Winetober Festival

    January 17, 2018

    Explore 24 Hours in the Beautiful French Provençal Town of Lourmarin, France

    December 22, 2025

    Marriott Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Offers Beachside Relaxation Minutes from the Airport

    November 4, 2024
  • Destinations,  Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Explore Cozumel, Mexico by Jeep and Snorkel

    July 25, 2023 /

    Story, photos by Cassie Hepler I research… and then I research some more before I just let my intuition guide me on what I want to explore when I’m visiting an area for a limited amount of time. And on our last day exploring off the Ruby Princess, it was important to me to see as much as we could see! But this excursion from Princess Cruises stood out because it has the best of both worlds: land and sea. We got up at the crack of dawn again (the time changes really mess you up sometimes) and I saw the sunrise for once which was nice. After a buffet…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Feast Your Eyes and Soothe Your Spirit on the Fresh Foodie Trail in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona

    December 14, 2017

    8 Budget Hacks for Last Minute Getaways

    August 11, 2025

    Escape to a Fairytale Fever Dreamscape at Il Falconiere in Cortona, Tuscany Italy

    June 1, 2026
  • Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    The Big Island Secrets of Hawaii

    July 10, 2023 /

    Story by Irina Abraham, photos by Irina Abraham and Keoni Abraham Is anyone else dreaming of Hawaii out there like I used to? All the beautiful images we see on Instagram with the beaches straight out of a fantasy movie, rainbows that seem to invite unicorns, gorgeous people shaking out their lush hair in slow-motion under the heavenly waterfalls. Don’t you just want to be one of those lucky ones sprawling on a pristine beach, sipping coconut water straight out of the shell? Well, I know I did. But it wasn’t only that, it was the mysticism and the romanticism of the islands: the magic, the energy, the spirits, and…

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    Irina Abraham

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    Hurricane Irma Displaces Single Dad, Daughter to New Jersey

    September 25, 2017

    Relax at the Low Key Westin Hotels & Resorts in Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico

    February 3, 2025

    Experience Luxury at Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose CA, the Only Boutique Hotel on Santana Row

    October 19, 2017
  • Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News

    Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania’s 2022 Conference

    June 25, 2023 /

    Penn Square is pictured on an early Sunday morning from my room at the Lancaster Marriott Hotel. so much depends upon a cooling device affixed to myfather in the operating roomtheatre (With apologies to William Carlos Williams) Story, photos by Sharon Kozden On an otherwise ordinary weekend in 2012, my father walked a short distance on a treadmill before failing miserably his cardiac stress test. He was subsequently hospitalized and scheduled for double-bypass surgery on Monday with a cardiothoracic surgeon who shared his Polish ancestry. That weekend, however, Dr. Ray Singer (of Jewish descent) was the attending surgeon. I remember sitting in a sterile hospital room with my dad—he of…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival Represents Fragility, Beauty of Life at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Philadelphia

    July 3, 2019

    On the Riviera: Seafood Dinner with James Beard Winner Chef Greg Vernick at Osteria

    November 1, 2017

    Explore Cozumel, Mexico by Jeep and Snorkel

    July 25, 2023
  • Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Enjoy a Girls Getaway to The Cassara Carlsbad in San Diego, California

    June 12, 2023 /

    Photos, story by Cassie Hepler There’s some sort of siren song that keeps lulling me back to San Diego, California. Over 13 years ago, I came to visit the Los Angeles area determined I was going to move there from Philadelphia. I stayed for a month at over three different friend’s locations but the plastic thirstiness and fakeness of Hollywood was not my vibe. I’m way too straight forward and honest for that shit. Also, people thought I was very angry because I swore so much but that’s just how it is in Philly! It’s just adjectives such as very cool is fucking cool… and so on. Anyway, fast forward…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Live like a Queen in an 1,000 Year Old Castle, Castel di Luco in Italy

    June 8, 2026

    Enjoy Desert Zen at Rancho de Los Caballeros Ranch Spa in Wickenburg, Arizona

    November 18, 2024

    Glamping in an AirStream at The Cozy Peach at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, Arizona

    March 1, 2024
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  • Live like a Queen in an 1,000 Year Old Castle, Castel di Luco in Italy
  • Escape to a Fairytale Fever Dreamscape at Il Falconiere in Cortona, Tuscany Italy
  • Spend 24 Hours in the Mountain Town of Norcia, Umbria in Italy
  • Explore an Italian Castle and Wine at the Top of Charming Village of Dolceacqua
  • Explore Affordable Luxury on the Italian Riviera at Europa Hotel in Sanremo, Italy

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