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Christmas Eve in Gladwyne, PA Offers Tidings Sacred and Secular
Children dressed in period costumes pose before filing into pageant procession. ” … Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Till he appear’d, and the soul felt its worth.” – O Holy Night Story, photos by Sharon Kozden St. John Vianney Church in Gladwyne staged on Christmas Eve an outdoor mass featuring live animals and a Christmas pageant with costumed children portraying the usual cast of characters in the story that is the Nativity of Jesus. On the day prior to Christmas Eve, I noticed large tents, outdoor heat lamps and warming fire pits being erected and installed on the front lawn of the Parish House adjacent to…
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Art Car World Bringing Burning Man Vibes to Douglas, Arizona
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Zooming straight away from my bed and breakfast in Bisbee to Douglas, Arizona is a short half hour ride out of the mountains and relatively easy to find at the newish location of Art Car World at 450 E. 8th St. Street, Douglas, AZ 85607. I met up with Harrod Blank, the brains and brand behind the mission outside and he was excited to share his master plans with me. Harrod has that kind of personality that you immediately take to, or maybe I did because we both have that one parent was all business and the other a hippy background. Regardless, we were fast…
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Bisbee, Arizona Staying Spooky, Strange and Surprisingly Hip
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Fresh from a couple overnights in the small city of Willcox, Arizona, I hiked that morning and drove the 1.5 hours down to Bisbee, Arizona ready to tear into some food! Located in the Mule Mountains of southeast Arizona, the city has a solid copper-mining past and only a little over 5,000 residents making it more of a small town feel. With a thriving arts, music and hospitality scene, it is a place for all the free spirits to join – including ones that are not alive. The energy is heavy and historical here. For someone who is sensitive to ghosts and the supernatural, I…
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Drop Down South to the Wine World of Willcox, Arizona
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler With more than 20 wineries in the Willcox, Arizona area, there are seemingly endless wine tastings and other area activities to chew on. Located in Cochise County near the border of Mexico, this small city is surrounded by picturesque mountain ranges, such as the Pinaleño, Dragoon and Chiricahua mountains. Surprising to most out of state visitors, the desert climate offers an ideal climate for winemaking including monsoons in the summer that gives that precious moisture to the earth to make the flavorful magic happen. But wine is not the only thing this small town but actually a city has to offer! We connected with the Cochise…
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Small Businesses Reopen in Funky, Artsy Town of Claremont, CA
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Finally California small businesses can breathe a sigh of relief – although still trough face masks as Los Angeles county mandates everyone unvaccinated or vaccinated wear a face mask in public places. And it’s not a bad call considering the Delta variant seems to be sneaking through even the best jabs available so far. So masked up and ready to explore, my journey began a little clunky with my TPMS tire light turning on about halfway to Claremont from Chula Vista, CA. My first thought was go to the tire store and second was it just needs some air… always go with the first intuition.…
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Red Roof Inn Plus Offers Budget Friendly Vibes in Chula Vista, California
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Because not everybody is a baller especially these days with a fluctuating, erratic economy, there are certainly ways to travel on the cheap and still have a fun and fabulous time! When Red Roof Inn reached out, we were intrigued by the upgrade of the “Plus” feature which is a far cry from your parent’s Red Roof Inn experience. The difference is wood-style floors, flatscreen TVs, vessel sinks, upgraded towels and spacious workstations and an ergonomic chair. For me at any hotel no matter how fancy, the bed is always a dealbreaker because if you sleep like crap, you’re going to be a cranky beast…
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Rejuvenate at Joseph Anthony Retreat Spa and Salon at Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Sharon Kozden recommends one of the spa’s signature treatments, the Turkish Bath … a full body sensory experience. “Be still: Be stiller yet; and listen. Set the screen of silence at the portal of your will. Relax, and let the world go by unheard …” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Bring on the luxe life! As a woman of a certain age, or as the French would say, “une femme d’un certain âge” (as well as a runner presently training for my third Philadelphia Marathon), I’m the ideal candidate to be pampered on the regular. So when Cassie asked if I wanted to visit the Joseph Anthony…
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Four Diamond We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort Offers Stay and Play Adventures
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Because everyone seems confused, let’s address the We-Ko-Pa namesake first! The name We-Ko-Pa means four peaks which is the popular mountain that borders the eastern skyline of Phoenix. The fabulous new 166,341-square-foot We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort replaces the original Fort McDowell Casino that many remember from 1984 as a bingo hall. Eight years later, the proud Yavapai Nation peacefully held off the attempts of federal agents to seize their slot machines, protecting their right to operate a casino on their reservation and provide livelihoods for their tribal members. That sentence alone infuriates me… freaking ‘Merica, but that’s a whole other story. Let’s focus instead…
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A Once a Day Approach to Feeling Fit and Fabulous
Photo by Pixabay Story by Cassie Hepler If you’re interested in starting on a path to complete physical, mental, and emotional fitness and wellness, but feel overwhelmed with the prospect of such a major life overhaul, consider implementing strategies that can integrate seamlessly into your everyday life. This approach allows you to move at your own pace and develop habits with the potential to become lifelong routines. If you practice these suggestions, then before you know it, you’ll be on the road to holistic well-being. Photo by Pexels Benefits of Health and Wellness Of course, when we talk about healthy eating and fitness routines, we typically consider ways in which…
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Horses ‘Rein’ at Annual Carriage Procession in Chester County, PA
Carriage-hitched horse and riders pass the Lincoln Building, home to the annual Yellow Springs Art Show. “At its finest, rider and horse are joined not by tack, but by trust. Each is totally reliant upon the other. Each is the selfless guardian of the other’s very well-being.” – Author unknown Story, photos by Sharon Kozden My first encounter with a horse occurred during the summer of my 12th year, when a school chum allowed a bunch of us to ride her mare. The young equestrian sat in the saddle as we took our respective turns while scrunched in front of her. Both horse and owner actually resembled one another as…
