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Explore With Cassie

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

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  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage

    Pennsylvania SPCA Gives Something to Bark About at 10th Annual Bark & Whine Gala

    May 15, 2023 /

    Beautiful gala program design befits a decade’s worth of honoring advocacy. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “… Home … and further joy will be surely there: Supper waiting full of the taste of bone. You throw up your nose again, and sniff, and stare For the rapture known Of the quick wild gorge of food and the still lie-down While your people talk above you in the light.” Of candles, and your dreams will merge and drown Into the bed-delicious hours of night.”  — From “Dog” by Harold Monro Reading the above excerpt from Harold Monro’s poem brings me closer to understanding a dog’s life. The power of the written…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Feeling United by Flowers at the 195th PHS Philadelphia Flower Show

    April 20, 2024

    Mardi Gras is Not all Boobs and Beads in Lafayette, Louisiana

    February 5, 2020

    Holiday Gift Guide for Out of the Box Presents

    December 13, 2022
  • Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Mayor’s Masked Ball at Philadelphia’s Convention Center Raises Over $760,000 for UNCF

    May 29, 2019 /

    Philadelphia’s Convention Center boasts escalators of amusement park-ride proportions. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Galas and balls may not be everyone’s (as the Brits say) cuppa char. I, however, would be hard pressed to decline an invite to either. That said, and while the prospect of a evening at home in my comfies, chowing Chinese takeaway and watching a flick in the cuddly company of my fur babies is a thoroughly enticing one, an occasional night on the town offers a desirable change of pace. I relish an opportunity to bust out the glam finery of cocktail dresses and gowns, wield a…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Explore Space Exploration Day at EPCOT in Orlando, Florida

    September 1, 2025

    What Makes Online Casinos so Popular Among Modern Players

    December 1, 2025

    Refresh your Soul in the Turquoise Caribbean Sea at S Hotel Montego Bay, Jamaica

    June 22, 2026
  • Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    JDRF Celebrates Hope with One Promise Gala at Loews Philadelphia

    August 1, 2018 /

    Tres elegant and sparkling program design. “Diabetes is a lousy, lousy disease.” – Elaine Stritch Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Diabetes IS a “lousy, lousy” disease. In fact, I might add a third “lousy” to that statement to further drive home the message and truth. I once recall thinking – if I had to endure and manage a physical-health issue – type 1 diabetes is the single most awful disease that I’d never want to have. So many checks and balances to regulate insulin levels … a seemingly all-consuming daily, no let-up effort. It’s heartbreaking to imagine little ones in particular having to self-monitor and perform such necessary measures to…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Bank and Bourbon Offers Endless Whiskey Paired with Perfect Steak in Philly

    October 7, 2024

    Rejuvenate at Hofsas House and Walk the Wine Trail in Fairytale Town Carmel by the Sea, California

    March 8, 2018

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

    January 26, 2026
  • Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Fox 29’s Karen Hepp’s Tasty Talks Rocks at Yangming in Bryn Mawr, PA

    July 17, 2018 /

    Karen Hepp is on point with Yangming owner Michael Wei.  Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.”  -Barbara Bush “What preys on my mind is simply this one question: what am I good for, could I not be of service or use in some way?”  – Vincent van Gogh Tasty Talks. Sounds, well, tasty. Tasty and talk-y. But what, really, is a Tasty Talk? I would soon find out…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Exploring The Sedona Film Festival for a Weekend in Sedona, Arizona

    March 23, 2026

    Four Diamond We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort Offers Stay and Play Adventures

    June 17, 2021

    Meet Spiritual Healer and Guide Simona Manenti, The Real Deal

    April 4, 2018
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Connect to Conquer: Philadelphia’s Union League Hosts YBConnected’s Charity Event

    June 27, 2018 /

    Let’s get this (benefit) party started! “The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water and food.” – Dean Ornish Story, photos by Sharon Kozden YBConnected – why be connected, indeed? It’s a timely and provocative question, particularly in these often (in so many ways) “trying” times. It saddens me a bit that, when I initially think of connection, what first comes to mind is social media – connected with others in virtual reality. Then again, I’m probably not alone with this sign of the times, which is precisely why I’m enamored with YBConnected‘s philosophy. To wit: “We believe the efforts you spend…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Fahoo Forays, Dahoo Dorays: Welcome U-ville, a Seussian Whoville at Philadelphia’s Uptown Beer Garden

    December 31, 2022

    Enjoy a Low Key Vibe at Villa Cosy Hotel and Spa in Saint Tropez, France

    November 17, 2025

    Holiday Gift Guide for a Tough Year and Tight Budget

    December 8, 2025
  • Explore with Cassie,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Non-Profit Portraits for Good Inspires Pet Paintings With Proceeds to Charity

    April 25, 2018 /

    Photos by Alix Greenberg, story by Tiffany C. DuBois Explore friends, meet a remarkable lady named Alix Greenberg. She is the founder and president of Portraits for Good, a non-profit organization that allows people to pick a portrait that is already done, or commission a portrait and part of the proceeds benefits the charity of their choice. Below is my interview with Ms. Greenberg and I hope you enjoy it! Q: I know that you have a master in portraiture, do you occasionally mix your formal education with your painting? A: I have a Master of Arts in Modern Art, Connoisseurship, and the History of the Art Market – I received my…

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    Tiffany Dubois

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    Style With A Purpose – Mim and Ray Handbags Featured at Joan Shepp Philadelphia

    December 8, 2017

    Find Out Where SNL Comedian Jay Pharoah Eats Cheesesteaks During PunchLine Philly Comedy Tour

    February 1, 2017

    Explore Spiritually Uplifting Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona

    June 14, 2018
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News

    Run, Don’t Walk to theVillage’s Third Annual Health and Wellness Fair

    March 14, 2018 /

    Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “To be a consistent winner means preparing not just one day, one month or even one year – but for a lifetime.” – Bill Rodgers I’m one of those runners who registers for a race but come the morning of (typically a 6:00 a.m. or earlier call), decide instead I’d rather be breakfasting leisurely in some charming café. That said, during the 16-plus years I’ve been running competitively, I missed few actual races (either because of crappy weather or the rare injury). Otherwise, I always managed to rise to the occasion, to show up. That’s exactly what I did on the morning of October 21st, when theVillage hosted its It Takes theVillage health and wellness…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    The Turtle Always Wins the Race at Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille

    October 18, 2017

    Long Island Medium Theresa Caputo on her Tropicana show: ‘I will guarantee that you will leave there feeling renewed, restored, positive’

    December 13, 2016

    Singer Ray J performed in Atlantic City just days after altercation with girlfriend Princess Love

    February 18, 2015
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Cultivating Leadership: Union League of Philadelpia Hosts The Germination Project’s 2017 Draft Day Gala

    December 7, 2017 /

    “People always say that I have all of these projects, but I really only have one project, and that’s our region.” – Ajay Raju Story, photos by Sharon Kozden The Union League‘s Lincoln Hall was the place to be, where The Germination Project‘s 3rd Annual Draft Day Gala was held. The assemblage included an impressive roster of notable community members as well as an equally diverse lineup of awards, inductions, presentations, performances and more. The gala, chaired by Executive VP and Provost JoAnne Epps of Temple University, introduced (in athletic-draft fashion) the 17 most recent inductees to 2017’s Germination Project’s Fellowship Class as well as the presentation (by Craig Snyder, President and CEO, World Affairs…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Watch Out for Altitude Sickness in Sparkling South Lake Tahoe, Nevada

    May 15, 2019

    Explore Bryce Canyon Country from Stone Canyon Inn Cabins in Tropic, Utah

    July 27, 2026

    Merkin Vineyards in Arizona Offers Outstanding Reds, Food and Music

    January 12, 2021
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Get Licked at Ritz-Carlton’s Aqimero ‘Yappy Hour’ Benefit During Dog Days of Summer

    August 15, 2017 /

      Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Welcome to the dog days of summer. The Ritz-Carlton’s Aqimero Lounge hosted their inaugural Yappy Hour to benefit Hemlock Edge Rescue, a non-profit organization “dedicated to rescuing homeless, abandoned and abused animals”. As I made my way to the iconic hotel on one of the hottest days to date, I pondered the dog days of summer phrase.  Its perception as we know it – one of listless and seemingly catatonic canines stilled by heat so sultry and oppressive – allowed me to feel at one with man’s best friend. I ascended the Ritz-Carlton’s steps, panting and tugging my dress loose from sticky skin as sweat rivulets collected…

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    Sharon Kozden

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