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Seven Unusual Travel Superstitions from Around the World
My lucky number is seven. I was born on September 7, my phone number has 7 in it and my house has 7s in the land square footage. So I guess I am also superstitious after all! I don’t know what it is exactly but it gives me peace when I see it and know things are flowing in the right way. Travel stress is certainly a real feeling due to concerns around potential airport delays, disruptions or mishaps abroad. Some say air travel causes more anxiety than filing taxes or visiting the dentist! I would agree with the taxes but am the weirdo that likes the dentist – so…
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Explore The Odyssey’s Viking Ship Draken Harald Hårfagre in Oslo, Norway
Story by Cassie Hepler, Submitted Images and Video The Odyssey’s Viking Ship Draken Harald Hårfagre is blowing up! Not literally but visitors are going wild over the real Viking ship movie producer Christopher Nolan told the LA Times “became a character in the movie.” She’s the 115-foot Viking longship that carries Matt Damon‘s Odysseus throughout The Odyssey, built using traditional Norwegian boatbuilding methods and crewed by the actual sailors who worked directly into the shoot as extras. Since the film opened, she’s seen a real spike in visitors at the dock in Oslo, Norway with people coming out just to see the ship in person. She’s open to the public…
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Desert Rose Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada Giving Condo Vibes
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Let’s explore the Desert Rose Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada! Located to the west of MGM Grand and walkable to the OYO Casino (formerly Hooter’s) are these boutique style condos that were formerly apartments, apparently a timeshare as well but you can book individually regardless or with your Wyndham points. After you check in, they will send you across the way to the timeshare desk to try to lure you into time-wasting deals such as a Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville cruise from Florida, seeing Vegas shows, $125 gift card, 30,000 Wyndham points and a “free” 2 night vacation where you have to attend another…
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Explore the Center of the World in Felicity, California
Story, videos and model Cassie Hepler, Photos by Delfin Welcome to the Center of the World in Felicity, California! Located on the Yuma, Arizona border, we ended up spending a glorious day shooting around this quirky place by default as our usual beloved Buttercup Sand Dunes were overrun with weekend RV and buggy traffic. (Hint: only go to the sand dunes on early weekdays for true lost in the desert vibes). But make sure to put Center of the World on your road tripping between states bucket list! We literally drove past it and were like what is that place only to end up there frolicking and having the best…
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How 5 Gyres is Fighting Microplastics: A California Love Story of Activism and Science
Meet Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen: the Environmental Power Couple Behind 5 Gyres Story by Irina Abraham Somewhere among the California hills, there lies a piece of paradise adorned with legends of Steve McQueen’s buried motorcycles, carefully crafted dinosaur sculptures, and breathtaking sunsets. The most fascinating thing about this place is its residents: there is a poet, a gold-bearing athlete, a muralist, and a promising young filmmaker. A power couple runs the place – Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen. They have sailed the roaring seas, unearthed precious dinosaur bone, and were a part of a team that discovered plastic micro beads were taking over The Great Lakes. Lucky to be…
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Best Hidden Gem Hiking in Las Vegas, Nevada
Story by Cassie Hepler, submitted images Because moving your body is the only way to keep it moving until you’re an old fart… You would think that walking flat – not even up a mountain or hill – would not produce many results. But alas, it does! A body in motion stays in motion and if you can just keep moving forward, that is the key to longevity and life. Currently they say get in 10,000 steps a day however sometimes that is impossible. For me, if I have a goal to reach that seems to motivate me more. That and being a couch sloth for a full day usually…
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Things to Do in Las Vegas, Nevada Besides Gambling
Story and videos by Cassie Hepler, Submitted Photos I’ve never enjoyed gambling. Watching my hard-earned money disappear within seconds and not returning anything tangible is not my idea of a good time. I do however like to watch people gamble as a lot of my friends enjoy it. I legit learned in two hours watching someone that Blackjack, or 21, is literally counting cards except you’re not supposed to count cards. I also learned that if you get free play from a casino (which seems to be drying up like the desert in summer), to just stick to penny slots and hit buttons. For real, I have no clue WTF…
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Best Las Vegas, Nevada Photo Spots from a Model and Photographer
Best Photo Spots in Las Vegas, Nevada Story and videos by Cassie Hepler, Photos by Delfin I’ve been modeling professionally since college at Penn State University as a side hustle while I earned that Communications degree. And let’s face it, models were the original influencers but, like professional. After graduating and delving into the world of journalism fully in Philadelphia, I wrote a column at The Times Herald. At that point it was taboo to apparently model and have a brain so I was called into the office for questions about my modeling. My response was, “And this is a problem how…?” They had no response and released me back…
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Exploring the South End of the Strip at The Berkley, Las Vegas in Nevada
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler I almost gave up on Las Vegas, Nevada. My first visit was with the vagtastic voyage gals via Philadelphia in 2010 I think for a blow out birthday bash at The Luxor which yes, some of those stories will forever stay in Vegas. Fast forward to the last couple of times I visited and honestly, it was giving Get Out vibes each time. I couldn’t see the allure or appeal of staying anywhere on the strip, it just seemed too fast and stressful. When you go from city to city, there is no downtime only chaos and confusion to the next spot. I…
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Holiday Gift Guide for a Tough Year and Tight Budget
Story by Cassie Hepler, submitted images This year has been absolute shit! With a few glimmers in my life along the way of 2025 like visiting Cancun, California and the South of France, it’s been literally like pulling teeth since the Annoying Orange took office, tanked the US economy, gaslights Americans every morning with fresh bullshit and the year isn’t even over yet. That said, I know I’m not the only one stashing some celebratory champagne in my fridge. If you know, you know… Starting with replacing my whole air conditioning unit – on my roof – to fixing the stackable washing machine (and hiring men from Taskrabbit to move…
