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Explore With Cassie

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

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

    Dramatic Fine Dining at Elvira’s DC Ranch in North Scottsdale

    May 5, 2025 /

    Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Family owned since 1927, Elvira’s has been a staple in Tubac, Arizona located 30 minutes south of Tucson which is a long hike for even the most eccentric foodie from Phoenix!  Now open in DC Ranch Scottsdale, Chef Ruben Monroy takes the lead as the grandson of the original founder, keeping this family-run fine dining establishment running like a smooth sailing ship. Master Sommelier Thomas Kaufman is in charge of the beverage program and even with some mocktails, we were impressed with the taste. Opened in January of 2025, it features signature dishes from the Tubac menu, including its iconic Chile en Nogada.…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    University City Gets Smart with Chic, Sleek Study Hotel and Unique Co-Op Restaurant

    January 24, 2018

    Barnes Foundation Art Ball Showcases French Artist Suzanne Valadon

    April 4, 2022

    Las Posadas of Sedona, Arizona is a Hidden Gem Boutique Hotel with Homemade Breakfast

    November 25, 2024
  • Day Trips,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Huge American Sized Portions at Red White & Brew in Prescott, Arizona

    April 28, 2025 /

    Story, videos and photos by Cassie Hepler You’ve heard of glimmers by now I hope? If not, they are those giddy moments in life that give you joy and happiness. Well, there’s also what I call bread crumbs from the universe that make sure you’re on the right path. And I followed mine all the way to Prescott, Arizona because of Red, White and Brew restaurant! They reached out via email with a holiday special and I noticed there was a location in Mesa, Arizona and one in downtown Prescott. I had been trying to plan a Northern Arizona snow angle story for months but the weather was not cooperating…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Lehigh Valley Humane Society Hosts Second Annual Garden Party

    September 20, 2022

    Meet Spiritual Healer and Guide Simona Manenti, The Real Deal

    April 4, 2018

    Four Seasons Scottsdale Hosts The Lost Explorer Mezcal & Tequila Launch in Arizona

    April 7, 2025
  • Day Trips,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Four Seasons Scottsdale Hosts The Lost Explorer Mezcal & Tequila Launch in Arizona

    April 7, 2025 /

    Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler If there was ever another fitting name for me, I think it would be The Lost Explorer. Because no matter how much you plan a trip, it never goes according to your plans and I find the road less traveled is always the best way to go. So when this company reached out to me to attend a day at the Four Seasons Scottsdale, I was all in. I try not to and honestly don’t have time to deep dive into a brand before saying yes to events most of the time. Part of exploring for me is showing up and asking my…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Visit the Eccentric Fonthill Castle Built Out of Cement and Trash in Bucks County, PA

    July 25, 2018

    Explore Chacchoben Ruins and Blue Lagoon in Costa Maya, Mexico

    April 4, 2023

    Interior Vehicle Design Ideas to Make Your Car Have a Vibe

    March 1, 2023
  • Education,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Fine Dining Slays at Steak 44 at Camelback Mountain, Arizona

    March 31, 2025 /

    Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Everyone in Arizona knows that Steak 44 is one of THE best steakhouses in all of Phoenix. It’s a rite of passage to go there and has been on my bucket list for… 7 years now! I know some foodie out there wants to throw hands about who has the best steak in Phoenix and I’m all ears if you can find a better, endless selection. Good luck with that! First, let’s clarify the names of this meaty brand as it can – and does – get confusing. This iconic Phoenix steakhouse is named Steak 44, part of the Ocean 44 and Dominic’s…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Baby Sea Turtle Season Enchants Everyone in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

    December 2, 2024

    Explore the World’s First Mountain Climbing Cog Railway in White Mountains, New Hampshire

    September 23, 2024

    Cool Down Inside Pristine Kartchner Caverns in Benson, AZ

    August 17, 2022
  • Day Trips,  Destinations,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Explore Retro El Cortez Hotel and Casino on Fremont Street in Las Vegas, Nevada

    February 24, 2025 /

    Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Since 1941, the El Cortez Hotel and Casino has been the place to be in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada located on the infamous Fremont Street. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and has black and white photos of all the big names running down each wall, boasting days of bygone glitz and glamour. From celebrities to mobsters, it definitely has history – and smoking inside which is a rare find these days. In a happy coincidence, I was going to Las Vegas, Nevada to work with a photographer as a model and he had accidentally booked two nights – the first…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Saint Benjamin Brewery Offers Craft Beer with a Side of History

    December 19, 2017

    Lots of Fall Fun at the Pour the Core Festival at the Philadelphia Navy Yard

    August 15, 2018

    Gertrude’s Fine Dining Tickles Tastebuds in Breathtaking Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona

    October 30, 2019
  • Day Trips,  Destinations,  Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Trippy Teatime in Wonderland Returns to Electric Playhouse in Las Vegas, Nevada

    February 17, 2025 /

    Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Once upon a time, there was a little girl who had “Cassie is our Alice in Wonderland” written on her report card in elementary school. That girl is now a writer and is still exploring this wonderful, strange and oftentimes trippy world. What a peculiar place to go to visit the world of Wonderland in Las Vegas, Nevada and a perfect timing to enjoy tea during Dry January. Let me tell you, Vegas is probably NOT the place to go during a dry month but like the rest of the world, they are catching up with the fact that you can still have…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Westin Tempe, Arizona Offers Perfect Location to Stay & Play for ASU Crew

    July 29, 2024

    Explore Turquoise Bay Dive and Beach Resort in Roatán, Honduras

    May 17, 2023

    Art Car World Bringing Burning Man Vibes to Douglas, Arizona

    December 5, 2021
  • Day Trips,  Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Tempting Tastes at 19 Bella Tapas Restaurant in Skippack Village, PA

    July 5, 2018 /

    Readers, get thee to Cedars, Pa. “Go out and see your friends and eat tapas and drink red wine and be in a beautiful place.” – Anthony Bourdain Story, photos by Sharon Kozden One doesn’t have to head to Spain for a first-rate, authentic tapas experience. Cedars, PA  – just outside quaint Skippack Village – will do just fine. Grant Langdon Brown, owner and head chef at 19 Bella, has a top tapas spot worth the travel involved to enjoy extraordinary meals. I envy the locals’ proximity. I arrived one chilly evening to discover an understated, functional exterior with patio I imagine bustles with activity during more temperate climes. The contrast between outward appearance and color-blazing interior was a fun surprise.…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Top 10 Locations for Alfresco Dining in America

    June 24, 2024

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

    April 20, 2024

    Escape to Valley Kitchen at Carmel Valley Ranch Resort for Otherworldly Cuisine

    August 21, 2018
  • Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Old Man Winter Is No Match for Zoup’s! Comfort Soup

    March 7, 2018 /

    “A Jewish woman had two chickens. One got sick, so the woman made chicken soup out of the other one to help the sick one get well.” – Henny Youngman Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Full disclosure: I don’t much care for soup. I fault my mom for that as well as for having sent me to charm school at 12 years of age. But that’s another story altogether, which I’ll reserve for my memoir. The onset of my soup-phobia began in childhood, when our soup staples alternated between thin chicken-noodle with two pea-sized bits of poultry of questionable authenticity. It’s alternative was chicken with rice, equally runny and with the same meager addition of a barely-there protein…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Celebrating the Kentucky Derby, West Laurel Hill Style

    June 7, 2017

    A Night of Fashion Muses at French Bistro aMuse at Le Méridien Hotel in Philadelphia

    May 24, 2018

    Meet Philadelphia’s Own America’s Next Top Model Christina Anderson McDonald

    January 30, 2018

Recent Posts

  • Supporting Small Businesses at Pecan and Wine Festival in Camp Verde, Arizona
  • Dramatic Fine Dining at Elvira’s DC Ranch in North Scottsdale
  • Huge American Sized Portions at Red White & Brew in Prescott, Arizona
  • Prescott Pines Inn Gets Makeover, Adds Vino Prescott Wine Bar to Northern Arizona
  • Corduroy Lodge Offers Cabins, Airstreams and Motel in Pinetop Lakeside, Arizona

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