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Explore Omni Mount Washington Resort & Bretton Woods Ski Area in New Hampshire
Story, photos, video by Cassie Hepler Omni Mount Washington Resort in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is giving all the Bridgerton vibes you’ve ever wanted on the East Coast of the United States! As part of our stay with Bretton Woods Vacations, we were treated to a guided tour of the property as well as a ride on the gondola (not the Italian kind) ride experience which is part of the Bretton Woods Ski Area. Elevate your mountain adventure at the Omni with Spanish Renaissance architecture and views of Mount Washington, New Hampshire! A place where grand history meets modern luxury, it’s a sprawling estate where historic moments shaped…
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Explore the World’s First Mountain Climbing Cog Railway in White Mountains, New Hampshire
Story, photos, video by Cassie Hepler All aboard the Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire! We didn’t see a whole lot of views at the top due to fog and mist but did enjoy this unique experience of being on top of the world with wind speeds at the low end of 15 mph (usually 50 to 70 mph). Located on the western side of the mountain, the biodiesel-powered trains climb up to 6288 feet in about 45 minutes going 5 miles per hour. The round trip to the summit and back is just under 3 hours with a layover stop at the top to take photos (or in our case,…
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Indulge Your Wood Cabin Dreams at The Owl Roost in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Story, photos and videos by Cassie Hepler When you’re car-less in Philadelphia, it is a 180 juxtaposition from the must-have-a-car in Arizona to get anywhere vibes. The Phoenix infrastructure is only really made for buses and the train to the airport stops two stops above my exit in North Phoenix (of course) so getting around easily via public transit is a hassle. On the East Coast, you hop on a train or trolly spreading out like a star from Center City and voila! You’ve arrived at your destination without too much thinking. However, this trip required a lot more planning as we were going way out of city limits –…
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Explore Down the Shore at Long Beach Island’s Daddy O Hotel in New Jersey
The Daddy O is a boutique-style hotel mere steps from the beach in Long Beach Island, NJ. “The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach—waiting for a gift from the sea.” ― Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea Story, photos by Sharon Kozden What I did on my summer vacation … not much. I wanted to do a lot, but the heat, oh the heat. This year, it was just…
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Build a Glamping Dome in Your Backyard with Phoenix Domes
Story by Cassie Hepler The price of housing is outrageous all across the United States. This is a not-so-fun fact we all feel from greedy corporate entities and our own government squeezing citizens for every last dime through creeping to 40% taxes on everything you do, eat, drink and where you live. I’m very goal-oriented and have been speaking to a number of think-outside-the-box brands over the years trying to find a solution to the housing madness. Fortunately, Arizona is pretty lax about additional living structures and especially now that the city of Phoenix has approved casitas in your backyard, glamping domes are a very cost effective way to secure…
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Cool Down at Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast
Story, photos by Cassie Hepler Welcome to my first time on the Oregon Coast but most certainly not my last… Checking off another travel box off the bucket list was visiting Portland, Oregon and driving out to the stunning Pacific Northwest Coast. Working with nearby Wilsonville, Oregon, I was connected with the friendly folks at Cannon Beach, Oregon and so happy it all came to fruition. With limited time and a pretty packed schedule, I was up and at ‘em, excited and ready to enjoy that salty air probably way too early Friday morning. What can I say, I love the beach! I also learned on the drive from Beaverton,…
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Explore the World’s Most Beautiful Waterfalls by Road Trip
I love me a good road trip! It helps clear your head, offer you time to think, cry, fart and sing along to your favorite tunes with little to no distractions. According to the International Drivers Association, these are the top 10 waterfalls in the world. With waterfalls captivating travelers with their raw power and natural beauty, some of the world’s most stunning falls are accessible via road trips. From thunderous falls to gentle cascades, here’s the perfect guide that highlights some of these incredible waterfalls you can enjoy from behind the wheel around the world. 1. Niagara Falls, USA & Canada One of the most famous waterfalls globally, Niagara…
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Fly to Puerto Vallarta Airport and Explore Nayarit, Mexico
Story, photos, video by Cassie Hepler Flying on an early morning flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor, Arizona to Puerto Vallarta Airport went pretty smoothly with a hosted American Airlines aisle seat. Mind you, international flights call for a two hour arrival buffer time although it makes no sense as you can check in online and just find your gate fast especially with TSA pre-check but airlines haven’t caught up yet I guess. Also, try not to check your luggage. You really don’t need all that stuff you packed, trust me. I’ll make a basic bitch carry on travel bag blog post soon, I promise. Much like the Cabo San Lucas…
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Explore Chacchoben Ruins and Blue Lagoon in Costa Maya, Mexico
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler When I was planning which cruise to take with Princess Cruises, I was obsessed with the 10 day cruise from Galveston, Texas because it included the Cayman Islands and Belize. As part of the press trip package, we were limited to 7 days so I chose the one that included Costa Maya which borders Belize and shares the same reef territory, great for snorkeling and diving. Costa Maya is also free from high rise chain hotels leaving its lagoons, archaeological gems and coastline free from clutter. And the 7 day cruise still stopped to see Roatan, Honduras so most bucket list items were checked off.…
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Dreaming of Tropical Paradise? Explore Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Photos, videos and story by Cassie Hepler This time of the year is perfect… perfect for an escape out of dismal, sludge covered chilly Philly! Seriously though, that point of will winter ever end, where is Spring and missing glowing orb called a sun can be daunted on even the most die-hard Philadelphian. This writer has tried to make it a habit to escape most winters for a couple weeks to somewhere warmer and sunnier where the living is easy with sand between your toes. So we reached out to one of our Penn State alums who works as a travel consultant at CheapCarribean.com to help nail down some tropical locations.…
