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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,  Latest News

    iPic Theaters Mixes Movies, Chefs and Crafted Cocktails for a Luxury Escape in Scottsdale, AZ

    May 31, 2018 /

    Story by Cassie Hepler, photos courtesy of iPic Theaters Imagine going to the movies in your own first class VIP pod for two. Now imagine pressing a button to have ninja waiters dressed in all black suddenly appear at your beck and call to deliver you chef created menu items (like steak!) and crafted from scratch cocktails. This place does exist and it exists in Arizona only in Scottsdale at iPic Theaters… a perfect luxury escape from those sweaty summer days or nights! You know how all the theaters are finally catching on to lounge chair style movie chairs instead of the stiff-as-a-board old school style? Well, iPic was the…

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    Cassie Hepler

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

    December 13, 2016

    How 5 Gyres is Fighting Microplastics: A California Love Story of Activism and Science

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

    Another Nor’easter Didn’t Stop People from Attending the 3rd Annual Philadelphia Restaurant Festival

    May 31, 2018 /

    Photos, story by Jill Beckel A wicked winter afternoon in March was the start of another Nor’easter! But that didn’t stop Philadelphians from attending the 3rd Annual Philadelphia Restaurant Festival which was held at the beautiful Crystal Tea Room at the Wanamaker Building. This year’s Philadelphia Restaurant Festival did not disappoint with over 60 restaurants, wineries and distilleries participating. Attendees traveled throughout the main room and the Viennesse Room of the Crystal Tea Room, stopping to sample anything that piqued their fancy. It was a great way to eat and drink your way through a showcase of Philadelphia’s vibrant local restaurant scene and try some new restaurants you may not have…

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    Jill Beckel

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    Get a Taste of Philly in the Crystal Tea Room at Wanamaker Building

    April 14, 2020
  • Destinations,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Philadelphia International Airport Lands American Express’s Prestigious Centurion Lounge

    May 10, 2018 /

    Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “To the great city of Philadelphia, I am so grateful to bring this back home to you.” – Chef Michael Solomonov, on being named best chef in the country at the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago, 2017. AMEX’s Centurion Lounge tapped Mike as its menu man. The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection was recently honored in becoming one of only nine airports in the world to offer travelers a uniquely unique and unforgettable way to hang before, between or after flights. On October 19th (prior to an official October 31st opening), media were invited to preview American Express’s Centurion Lounge and to witness what was in store exclusively for AMEX…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Tasty Wine, Tempting Cheeses, Music and Even Goat Yoga at 8th Annual Skippack Winetober Festival

    January 17, 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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    Fall in Love with Whistler in British Columbia, Canada in Autumn

    August 15, 2019

    The Inn at Villanova: Brainstorm and Stay the Nova Way at New Hotel

    January 18, 2018

    Hurricane Irma Displaces Single Dad, Daughter to New Jersey

    September 25, 2017
  • Education,  Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus Stages American Bandstand Themed Fall Ball

    January 10, 2018 /

    “The whole American pop culture started in Philadelphia with ‘American Bandstand’ and the music that came out of the city.” — Daryl Hall Story, photos by Sharon Kozden I’m old enough to remember “American Bandstand.” Dick Clark emceed a bunch of kids dancing around and rating records. It was then how we discovered the cultural zeitgeist of music, fashion trends, hair styles–you name it. That the program originated in Philadelphia meant little to me then, as the radius of my existence was probably ten miles in circumference. Now that I live in Philadelphia’s suburbs, it’s a point of pride and a great factoid with which to impress a random stranger…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Eat and Drink Your Face Off in San Antonio, Texas While Exploring the City

    July 20, 2017

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

    January 26, 2026

    Build a Glamping Dome in Your Backyard with Phoenix Domes

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  • Day Trips,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Vault Brewing Company Expands Bank Brewery to Yardley Warehouse

    December 21, 2017 /

    Photos, story by Cassie Hepler Located in the suburbs of Philly, the Victorian town of Yardley in Bucks County houses Vault Brewing who does not consider themselves a bar, a pub or even a traditional brewery. Entering in the “faux vault entryway,” you’ll notice you may have entered an old school bank except that the entire brewery and wood-fired kitchen oven are completely open to view. The brewery that once sat directly behind the bar is now expanding down the street and up the hill. The décor is a combination of regal bank, stark industrial, old-world and modern. What is not modern is there are no TVs, pub traditional menu items and no pop or rock…

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    Cassie Hepler

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    Explore Chacchoben Ruins and Blue Lagoon in Costa Maya, Mexico

    April 4, 2023

    Stay and Play on North Mountain with Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort

    November 13, 2023
  • Day Trips,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Saint Benjamin Brewery Offers Craft Beer with a Side of History

    December 19, 2017 /

    Story, photos by Dana J. Prophet If you drive a bit past Temple University’s Main Campus, you’ll come to a brewery and tap room that’s within the Kensington section of the city. Saint Benjamin Brewery offers modern brewing techniques and also holds onto history that reaches back to the days of prohibition while presenting both distinctive and magical craft brews along with a menu of tantalizing food. The brewery is nestled within the middle of the street and it was also previously a historic carriage house and stables of the defunct Theo Finkenauer Brewery. Sadly, that brewery is now an empty lot. Fear not though because Saint Benjamin has all…

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    Dana Prophet

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    Relax, Reconnect and Repeat at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort in Arizona

    December 30, 2019

    Take a Hike and Be Amazed at the Sonoran Desert in Arizona

    December 11, 2019
  • Destinations,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

    Bluecoat Gin Helps Expand Sofitel Hotel’s Outdoor Cafe, Liberté Blue

    November 22, 2017 /

    Story, photos by Tiffany DuBois On a muggy, sweaty, hot late summer evening, Bluecoat Gin and the Sofitel Hotel formed a new baby; Liberte Blue. Basically, Bluecoat Gin partnered with the Sofitel to exhibit food and cocktails that would marry these two dynamic duos. The food was fantastic but needed tweaking here and there to make a person appreciate the smells and taste. The cocktails, let me tell you about the cocktails! They were refreshing, light, smoky, and delicious. The menu included mini tacos that had an awesome crema, a lovely amount of acidity, and were choke full of pork. There were veal meatballs that melted in your mouth and…

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    Tiffany Dubois

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    November 14, 2018
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Latest News,  Lifestyle

    Crawlin’ with the Undead in Northern Libertie’s Zombie Invasion

    November 8, 2017 /

    Professional make-up artist Sonja Century complies with Sharon Kozden’s request to be transformed into a “pretty goth.” Story, photos by Sharon Kozden “It’s so hard to be careful, so easy to be led Somewhere beyond the pavement You’ll find the living dead.” – Tom Petty, “Zombie Zoo” What better way to spend a Friday the 13th evening than in the company of creepy and grotesquely incorporeal beings intent on feeding on my brain? Ironing my underwear? Navel-gazing? Nope and nope: I was out to get me some “organs that serve as the center of the nervous system.” I didn’t have to travel far to find them! The Piazza at The Schmidt’s Commons in Northern Libertie’s…

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    Sharon Kozden

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    Live Out Your Wild West Fantasies at White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona

    August 18, 2020
  • Entertainment,  Explore with Cassie,  Food & Beverage,  Latest News

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

    October 18, 2017 /

    Photos / Story by Jill Beckel Explore Philly recently got a chance to check out the brand new Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille in North Wales and we had a blast! From tasty appetizers and filling entrees to fancy happy hour drinks, the Greene Turtle has something for everyone. Whether you want to stop in for Happy Hour with some coworkers, have a nice family dinner, or catch the game, the Greene Turtle is the perfect spot. The atmosphere is welcoming, fun and relaxing. “The Greene Turtle is more than a sports bar and grille. We believe in being a community hangout for all ages, that serves great food and drinks…

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    Jill Beckel

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