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Portland, Oregon Chef Kyo Koo opens Asian-American Warsugai Restaurant
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler In the USA, there’s always gotta be a scapegoat. I’m not sure exactly why but I have a feeling capitalism has something to do with it – if you keep pointing fingers elsewhere, citizens won’t realize what the government is actually up to. During Covid, it was Portland, Oregon‘s turn apparently with all the bad news media portraying homelessness and druggies piled in the streets. Whatever media it was – owned by whatever corporation and their self-serving agenda – pushing that this was a lawless state with a bad rap. A growing amount of Gen Z is not believing the hype, and rightly…
- Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Explore Luxury Tributary Hotel & Fine Dining at ōkta Restaurant in McMinnville, Oregon
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Tributary Hotel is easily one of the most luxurious boutique hotels I’ve experienced so far in the United States… and that says a lot! The luxury accommodations with suites named after each area river debuted in McMinnville, Oregon in summer of 2022, the center of Oregon’s Willamette Valley and largest city in Yamhill County but still retains a small town feel. This was the next stop on my road trip West of Portland and arrived just in the nick of time to shoot, change and get ready for dinner. The full experience restaurant next door, ōkta, honors the region and each season, offering…
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Pennsylvania Longwood Gardens Hosts Rotary Club’s Gatsby Garden Party
Iconic Gatsby font brings Art Deco elegance and style to the gala invite. “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit; stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, and there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life…
- Day Trips, Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Rent a Car and Road Trip through Northwest Kansas
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler After my debacle of American Airlines travel to Missouri, I was back to the constant air bus rotation of which one sucks less now and I landed on Southwest Airlines. Good ‘ol Southwest was my go-to back in the day but I strayed and got burned like cheaters always do. So I came crawling back and was pleasantly surprised they offer nonstop flights to Wichita, Kansas – from Phoenix only a couple hours in the air. This time my mom was invited to join me as my road trip buddy and see firsthand that indeed, press trips are NOT free vacations, just a lot of…
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Explore Weird Wichita, Kansas and Dive into the Heart of the Country
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler If there’s one thing I really like, it’s the underdog. And I feel like Wichita, Kansas is an overlooked diamond in the rough which is why I was quick to agree to a press trip even among all the questionable comments from others. And mind you, our motto is “finding the unusual out of the ordinary” and this place hit the nail on the head. The irony of this story is now a lot of those same people now want to visit after sharing video highlights on my Instagram and TikTok accounts! Read on to see why… Did you know Wichita is the largest city…
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9 Bad Christmas Events to Look Out For
CC0 Licensed Image Courtesy of Pexels Bad Christmas events do happen even though this time of year is supposed to be full of goodwill. Yet people are people, and we make mistakes, many of which can ruin your day. From travel disruption over the festive period to mental health declines, here are some of the worst. Separation Rates Spike Soon After Maybe wanting to get Christmas out of the way, most couples tend to have a nice festive period before going on the offensive. Not quite on the day, but very soon after, there is an increase in divorce and separation filings in January and the week between Christmas and…
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Philadelphia Flower Show’s The Garden Electric Shines at Pennsylvania Convention Center
The 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show returned to the Pennsylvania Convention Center for the first time since 2020. “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” — Luther Burbank Story, photos by Sharon Kozden It was 72 degrees in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania today! That declarative statement warrants an exclamation point because I’m writing on a November day. I’ll take it. Not a cold-weather fan. The temperate temp has perfectly set the scene for my scribbling, as I’m recapping the 2023 Philadelphia Flower Show on the eve of the 2024 Show theme’s announcement. The Philadelphia Flower Show a.k.a. “America’s oldest and finest exhibit…
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Like an Adventure? 7 Hidden Secrets of Bangkok, Thailand
CC0 Licensed Image Courtesy of Pexels The secrets of Bangkok are never-ending. The 600-year-old city is home to some of the world’s most amazing wonders and attracts over 22 million tourists each year. Venturing off the beaten track, you will find treasures like the Artist’s House and a cat cafe. So, here are some more. An Exhilarating Ice Bath All cultures have their own versions of taking hot and cold baths. And bathhouses have been around for thousands of years. Hot and cold have their own benefits and are used for different things. There’s nothing more relaxing than a hot spring. However, ice baths are becoming popular because of the…
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Explore Cozumel, Mexico by Jeep and Snorkel
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler I research… and then I research some more before I just let my intuition guide me on what I want to explore when I’m visiting an area for a limited amount of time. And on our last day exploring off the Ruby Princess, it was important to me to see as much as we could see! But this excursion from Princess Cruises stood out because it has the best of both worlds: land and sea. We got up at the crack of dawn again (the time changes really mess you up sometimes) and I saw the sunrise for once which was nice. After a buffet…
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The Big Island Secrets of Hawaii
Story by Irina Abraham, photos by Irina Abraham and Keoni Abraham Is anyone else dreaming of Hawaii out there like I used to? All the beautiful images we see on Instagram with the beaches straight out of a fantasy movie, rainbows that seem to invite unicorns, gorgeous people shaking out their lush hair in slow-motion under the heavenly waterfalls. Don’t you just want to be one of those lucky ones sprawling on a pristine beach, sipping coconut water straight out of the shell? Well, I know I did. But it wasn’t only that, it was the mysticism and the romanticism of the islands: the magic, the energy, the spirits, and…
