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Affordable Cambria Hotel Templeton Joins Paso Robles, California Wine Country
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler The Cambria Hotel Templeton – Paso Robles makes an excellent, affordable home base to explore California wine country! Owned by Choice Hotels International, the brand positions itself in the upper midscale to upscale market, comparable to brands like Courtyard by Marriott or Hilton Garden Inn. The Cambria is about a year old with boutique vibes and modern interior design styling without being too casual, funky or fancy. With price points lingering around $100 a night, it is super close to Highway 101 and all the wineries winding up the mountain. There are 132 rooms stretching across 3 floors and we were in the deluxe suite…
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Explore Organic and Family Owned Robert Hall Winery in Paso Robles, California
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Robert Hall Winery is an organic, family-owned and operated Paso Robles winery in California! We started our whirlwind wine tasting tour being greeted by a sweet tiger kitty Mcaire with this outstanding regenerative organic certified space where they certainly pride themselves on hard work while slaying their craft. These are some outstanding, award-winning wines that represent perfectly the vibrant and premier Paso Robles winemaking region while expressing the spirit of the valley. The estate-grown varieties have big, bold characteristics and our wines are crafted with rich, complex flavors with some of them only available at the mothership location like the sparkling white to…
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Taste a Sip of Tuscany at Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles, California
Story, videos and photos by Cassie Hepler On the road again to Paso Robles, California! Just off Highway 46 East, these rolling hills have evolved into a buzzing area full of new wineries and tasting rooms. And I was so excited to begin the journey by staying at Allegretto Vineyard Resort. You can get the taste and vibes of Italy without the airline price tag with its Tuscan-style architecture, museum-caliber artwork, spa, restaurant, lamas, sheep, vineyard tour and gardens. Owned by the Ayres family, we put it to the test to see if it does indeed compare to Tuscany as I was just there in Spring. With its upscale tasting…
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Where Locals Go Instead of the Most Overrated Spanish Landmarks
Skip the tourist traps and discover the authentic Spain locals actually love! Spain welcomes over 85 million visitors annually, making it one of the world’s most popular destinations. But not every famous landmark lives up to its reputation. A lot of the most iconic spots from Barcelona to Madrid leave travelers feeling overwhelmed, squeezed between crowds, and paying inflated prices for experiences that have lost their authenticity. “After years of living in Spain and guiding students through the country’s culture, I’ve seen countless visitors return from ‘must-see’ attractions feeling disappointed,” says James Smith, founder of Learn Spanish with James, an online platform offering Spanish courses and cultural insights led by…
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How to Move to Greece as an American
Want to get the funk out of the fascist regime that is currently life in the USA? You’re not the only one who may be realizing that the United States of America is not the best country in the world as we were conditioned to believe since childhood classrooms, reciting our undying oath to the American flag and God… which I never did by the way, even as a kid it felt like I was being indoctrinated and I would just stand there and mumble some shit. Just like those disgusting force fed daily fluoride pills “to strengthen your teeth” that made my stomach hurt and I would stash them…
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It’s the Cats Meow at the Phoenix Feline Fanciers in Mesa, Arizona
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler When my friend mentioned going to a cat show with Phoenix Feline Fanciers, I was all in before she finished that sentence! This is Arizona‘s biggest cat show after all and they claim to see up to 35 beautiful cat breeds but we certainly saw way more than that – and even held some which was a savory treat for this childless cat lady. Dubbed family friendly and for all ages, there were some children but mostly just cat lovers, fanatics and all the merch Miss or Mister Kitty can ever dream of under one roof. I don’t know why dog shows get…
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Stay and Play in a Private Condo at Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas in Arizona
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Everyone wonders what we do in Arizona when the weather gets to be over 100 degrees in the summer. We do a LOT of staycations in the valley to get out of the house! And it’s like reversed winter except we can leave the comfort of cool air conditioning, go to our cars with air conditioning and then go to the next spot with AC, no snow or icy roads trapping us inside for days on end. That’s why there are a lot of snowbirds we call them, people who flee for the summer and come back during peak season which is usually…
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Unique Things to Do in Ocho Rios and Kingston, Jamaica
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler The last time I explored Jamaica was in 2010 with Carnival Destiny! This was before Carnival became problematic by the way, it was on par with Celebrity and other elevated cruise lines back then but meant for a younger, more professional crowd. Some of my favorite excursions included riding horseback on One Drop (because his one ear was floppy) who ended up running my leg into a tree but no damage done, the colorful market, enjoying squishy kayaks at White River Valley where eventually I popped out of mine after some rapids and just swam around in the crystal clear blue waters the…
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Flip the Script about Kingston, Jamaica with Locally Owned S Hotel Kingston
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Get into the Jamaican groove at S Hotel Kingston! Situated in the bustling capital of Kingston, Jamaica, the former Spanish Court Hotel is now under the S Hotels Jamaica umbrella which is ideal for everyone who wants to be close to business centers, tourist attractions and local restaurants within a gated community. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, S Hotels offer hospitality in the heart of Jamaica’s cultural capital. A 50-foot infinity rooftop pool with breathtaking views awaits along with Rocksteady Restaurant and the multiple pool bars serving up Jamaican delicacies and international cuisine. The Blue Mountains and infamous pirate…
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Unique Things to Do in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Courtesy of S Hotel Montego Bay in Jamaica, an all-inclusive resort located on pristine Doctor’s Cave beach, offers a medley of activities and tours to explore outside of the resort and encourages visitors to do so as much as possible! If you are not staying with the hotel, there are a variety of ways to take a tour including the old fuck around and find out where you just wander the Hip Strip streets nearby and a ton of people will offer you everything from weed to private tours. For solo female travelers, you are good to go doing most anything by daytime…
