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Fellow Penn State University Alumni Makes His Mark in Paso Robles, CA with Eberle Winery
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Eberle Winery is a family-owned jawn from Penn State University alumni! If you didn’t know, I am as well… go lions! Gary Eberle grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania (also like me) and went to PSU on a football scholarship. After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in biology, he went to Louisiana State University where he continued his graduate work studying cellular genetics. While attending LSU, Gary developed an appreciation for wine and changed his academic path to become a winemaker. Gary launched his career as a winemaker and as the “Pioneer” of Paso Robles Wine Region by helping to…
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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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Easy Hikes for Beginners in Bryce Canyon, Utah
Easy Hikes in Bryce Canyon Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Celebrate the summer solstice by hiking Bryce Canyon, Utah! What better way to celebrate the seasons than immersing yourself in nature? We ended up with one of the hottest weeks in June so far and had to make due with the weather we were given. Also we were both healing from various injuries still and had to take it easy. If this was before the summer of hell 2025, I would have been shredding up all those trails in style and thirsty for more minus the heat. But alas, this is part of my story now and part…
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See the Dark Sky Stars at Bryce Glamp and Camp Domes in Bryce Canyon, Utah
Glamping Domes in Bryce Canyon, Utah Photos, video and story by Cassie Hepler Originally we were supposed to stay at another dome home space nearby in Bryce Canyon, Utah. But those domes are twice the price, heavily populated with so many people staying overnight which means everyone is driving by noisily on the gravel roads and a general this is not the fully immersed in nature vibe we signed up for. So the universe worked in our favor with the Bryce Canyon Country tourism board who delivered us to Bryce Glamp and Camp in the town of Holm, Utah, which is established in 2020 and it’s wild to think it…
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Explore Bryce Canyon Country from Stone Canyon Inn Cabins in Tropic, Utah
Cabins in Bryce Canyon, Utah Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler We were so excited to explore Bryce Canyon Country, Utah finally! This was a rescheduled press trip from last summer with Bryce Canyon Country that is now a gals road tripping adventure, low key style. Originally last July, we were supposed to join a group press trip that included horseback riding, ATVs through the canyons and group hikes which all are still not quite attainable to this day. Fortunately the tourism board was very understanding about the summer from hell 2025 and were more than happy to reschedule and arrange a private visit for me and a guest.…
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Go Truffle Hunting, Foraging for Flowers & Shopping in Force with Italy Charme
Truffle Hunting in Italy Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Go truffle hunting in Italy! No pigs here at Agriturismo Ramusè but sweet dogs sniffing out the golden mushrooms, Cocker Spaniel mixes of the tan colored Electra and fuzzy Briciola. These pricey pups either come pre-trained at $3,000 to $7,000 Euro per dog or you can hire a Northern Italy truffle dog trainer for about $1,000 Euro a month. Paolo Ciccioli, owner of Agriturismo Ramusè and former truffle exporter to London, led us on a mountainside adventure in the drizzling rain where the black mushrooms were almost popping out of the ground because of the downpour. I thoroughly enjoyed…
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Live like a Queen in an 1,000 Year Old Castle, Castel di Luco in Italy
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Sleep like a queen in a 1,000 year old castle! Castel di Luco is said to be built on a sacred forest where Pagan rites were celebrated because of the magical waters lurking below. Evidence of the castle goes back as far as 1052 and has survived religious rulers, aristocratic families, invasions, liberations, prisoners, murders, births, marriages and no doubt illicit love affairs fit for a modern day romance novel. Throughout all this time, it has maintained its status as one of the rarest and most unique castles in Italy’s Piceno region, with a surprisingly intact appearance as a medieval architectural structure. We…
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Go Backroading to Cleator and Crown King, Arizona
Story, video, modeling by Cassie Hepler, Photos by Catfan There’s a pirate ship in the middle of the desert! In this tiny town with eight residents of Cleator, Arizona formerly Turkey Creek or Turkey, it’s like a ghost town in Yavapai County, Arizona. It’s located in the Southwestern United States bordering Prescott as you continue to go north. The only way to get there is with a truck, motorcycles or ATV and it’s about an hour north of Phoenix to even begin your bumpy off-roading adventure. Explore the weird and wacky Cleator Bar & Yacht Club, your new favorite spot in the Bradshaw Mountains. Grab a Coke or a cold…
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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…
