- Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico Off the Beaten Path
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler After checking into my host hotel El Rey Court in Sante Fe, New Mexico, and gathering content all day, I was dead. As in I just drove there that morning with maybe five hours of sleep if I was lucky the night before and walked all over downtown. That’s honestly how I judge any place I go now… is it restful? Does it fulfill your mind, body and soul? So I allowed – or more like my body forced me to – take a juicy nap the afternoon after I arrived. It was then that I knew this place had healing energy and…
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Where to Stay in Sante Fe, New Mexico for Full Cultural Immersion
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler On the road again to Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital and oldest city in the United States, nestled in the Sangre de Cristo foothills! This was a bucket list trip where I was only there once before when driving across the country to move from Philly to Phoenix, Arizona and since we were tethered to Optimus, the red Kia car via a U-Haul cab, I was only able to really enjoy that vivid, deep purple sunset at the hotel which is still engrained in my brain and I was determined to watch again. Because of the summer from hell 2025, I now bookend…
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Explore the Center of the World in Felicity, California
Story, videos and model Cassie Hepler, Photos by Delfin Welcome to the Center of the World in Felicity, California! Located on the Yuma, Arizona border, we ended up spending a glorious day shooting around this quirky place by default as our usual beloved Buttercup Sand Dunes were overrun with weekend RV and buggy traffic. (Hint: only go to the sand dunes on early weekdays for true lost in the desert vibes). But make sure to put Center of the World on your road tripping between states bucket list! We literally drove past it and were like what is that place only to end up there frolicking and having the best…
- Day Trips, Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Go Backroading to Cleator and Crown King, Arizona
Story, video, modeling by Cassie Hepler, Photos by Catfan There’s a pirate ship in the middle of the desert! In this tiny town with eight residents of Cleator, Arizona formerly Turkey Creek or Turkey, it’s like a ghost town in Yavapai County, Arizona. It’s located in the Southwestern United States bordering Prescott as you continue to go north. The only way to get there is with a truck, motorcycles or ATV and it’s about an hour north of Phoenix to even begin your bumpy off-roading adventure. Explore the weird and wacky Cleator Bar & Yacht Club, your new favorite spot in the Bradshaw Mountains. Grab a Coke or a cold…
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Best Hidden Gem Hiking in Las Vegas, Nevada
Story by Cassie Hepler, submitted images Because moving your body is the only way to keep it moving until you’re an old fart… You would think that walking flat – not even up a mountain or hill – would not produce many results. But alas, it does! A body in motion stays in motion and if you can just keep moving forward, that is the key to longevity and life. Currently they say get in 10,000 steps a day however sometimes that is impossible. For me, if I have a goal to reach that seems to motivate me more. That and being a couch sloth for a full day usually…
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Things to Do in Las Vegas, Nevada Besides Gambling
Story and videos by Cassie Hepler, Submitted Photos I’ve never enjoyed gambling. Watching my hard-earned money disappear within seconds and not returning anything tangible is not my idea of a good time. I do however like to watch people gamble as a lot of my friends enjoy it. I legit learned in two hours watching someone that Blackjack, or 21, is literally counting cards except you’re not supposed to count cards. I also learned that if you get free play from a casino (which seems to be drying up like the desert in summer), to just stick to penny slots and hit buttons. For real, I have no clue WTF…
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A 300-Day Nomad’s Guide to Why Slow Travel is Superior
Meet Ian Poh Jin Tze from Singapore in Southeast Asia who has quite an impressive resume and has mastered the art of slow travel. If you have no clue what that is, keep reading because it could just change your life. Q: Please tell us about how you became a world traveler? A: I am a storyteller – through the lens of my camera and the rhythm of my pen. For years, I’ve been chasing stories, capturing fleeting moments and uncovering truths that others might overlook. My work has graced the pages of prestigious publications like Singapore Airlines, Eater, Asian Food Network, and Le Cordon Bleu, and I’ve had the privilege of authoring…
- Day Trips, Destinations, Education, Entertainment, Explore with Cassie, Food & Beverage, Latest News, Lifestyle
Drink the Pope’s Wine at Châteauneuf du Pape near Avignon, France
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Taste one of the best wines in France at Châteauneuf du Pape! We started with a leisurely lunch at Château des Fines Roches with an outstanding selection of fine French cuisine paired perfectly with each outstanding glass of wine. The red with the chocolate dessert was so decadent, it’s almost felt naughty eating it and enjoying the wine pairing! Only a half hour from Avignon, it makes a great day trip to explore more of the French vineyards and countryside in South of France. Using rocks on top of the soil, it is how they capture the unique and rich earthy flavors in…
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Ancient Theater in Orange, France is the Most Preserved Roman Theater in the World
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler Once upon a time, two Pennsylvania gals decided to go to Rome, Italy all by themselves – without cell phones. Oh yes, you read that right… it was the early 2000s and all they did was make phone calls and send crappy text messages by pressing a series of buttons repeatedly to spell out words – positively archaic by today’s standards. So I left my cell phone behind in Philly but took the crappiest camera that produced some of the worst photos I’ve ever taken. Back then we were told by locals that two women traveling alone must be either transvestites or prostitutes…
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Explore the Largest Medieval Gothic Palace in the World at Palais des Papes in Avignon, France
Story, photos and video by Cassie Hepler After a restful night at Hotel Cloitre Saint Louis in Avignon, France and a hefty European style buffet breakfast with lots of espresso, we were up and at ’em to meet with our fabulous tour guide to take us around the city and explain exactly what we were looking at. This was the end of the South of France press trip so we were getting weary and myself, a bit weak from not having downtime to rest my still healing body. But I instantly liked Manu and a little French birdie told me sometimes he sings for his guests and I enthusiastically asked…
